This year the Klein Forest Marching Band will be performing music from Aaron Copland's Ballet for Martha, also known as "Appalachian Spring." This familiar music contains the American Folk Song "Simple Gifts." He wrote the music for Martha Graham, the originator of American modern dance. Our use of this music will be to portray this year's show "BLOOM."

The renowned impressionist artist, Michael Gray from Charleston, South Carolina, has designed the concept for the show. The first movement will be used for PREPARING THE EARTH. You will see five tarps unfold on the field to represent fields for planting. Wine barrels will contain various planting tools and watering cans.

The second movement will be PLANTING. Third movement will reflect TENDING and one will see green leaves appear. As the music goes into the fourth section, all dancers will have umbrellas for the GROWING section. These will open into flowers and the movement will end with a bouquet. The epilogue will convey the fact that the cycle is never-ending, and will happen again.

The elite team from the drill team will be this year's dancers. Leila Greene and Heather Iovine will be choreographing the dance routines. Heather is the new drill team assistant instructor, and a specialist in modern dance. What a perfect match to compliment this music written for the originator of modern dance.

We are very excited about this show. Not only is the music some of the greatest American music written last century, but the story should have appeal to everyone in the audience.