SMSU/Community Concert Band to Present Free 'Songs of Soil & Sky' Concert

The concert band will perform a program celebrating the power and beauty of the earth on Thursday night at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The SMSU/Community Concert Band will present a free concert titled 'Songs of Soil & Sky' on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Theatre at Southwest Minnesota State University. The program features music that celebrates the power and beauty of the earth, including works inspired by Mount Vesuvius, California wildfires, and more.

Why it matters

The concert band was created to model lifelong music-making, allowing SMSU students, community members, and area high school students to perform together. Keeping the concert free aligns with the university's mission of making the arts accessible to the public.

The details

The concert program includes several descriptive and evocative works, such as 'Vesuvius' by Frank Ticheli, inspired by the famous Italian volcano, and 'Ash' by Jennifer Jolley, which was inspired by the composer's childhood memories of ash falling during California wildfires. The ensemble will also perform 'Make Our Garden Grow' by Leonard Bernstein, the finale from his opera 'Candide'.

  • The concert will take place on Thursday, March 6, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

The players

Dr. John Ginocchio

The director of bands at Southwest Minnesota State University, who curated the concert program.

SMSU/Community Concert Band

A musical ensemble that includes SMSU students, community members, and area high school students, created to model lifelong music-making.

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What they’re saying

“When I put our concerts together, particularly for the concert band, I try to put together a theme that connects all the music if at all possible.”

— Dr. John Ginocchio, Director of Bands (marshallradio.net)

“I used AI for the first time when I was naming the concerts. I just went to Microsoft Copilot and said, 'Hey, I need the name of a program with music that's related to this.' And it spit out like 10 different concert names that all were better than what I was thinking in my head. 'Songs of Soil and Sky' was the top of the list.”

— Dr. John Ginocchio, Director of Bands (marshallradio.net)

“Music is something that I personally believe is something that we should enjoy our entire lives as performers. You might be a wrestler on the wrestling team, but you're not going to be a 75-year-old wrestler. But you can be that 80-year-old clarinet player in your community band.”

— Dr. John Ginocchio, Director of Bands (marshallradio.net)

What’s next

The SMSU/Community Concert Band will continue to perform free concerts for the public, showcasing their passion for music-making and the university's commitment to the arts.

The takeaway

This concert demonstrates how a university can foster a lifelong love of music by creating an ensemble that brings together students, community members, and local high schoolers. By making the performance free and open to the public, SMSU is fulfilling its mission of making the arts accessible to all.