The Drumheller and District Music Festival committee has selected a date for the 74th annual musical extravaganza.
    The Drumheller and District Music Festival is Drumheller’s longest standing continuous cultural event and literally thousands of students of the fine arts have participated, generations from the same families have taken the stage in front of professional adjudicators to hone their craft.
    This year, the Music Festival goes from March 18-28, with the final concert being held on Saturday night, March 28.
    The annual Music Festival is also one of the largest events within the area with 400 entries each year, spanning all the disciplines.
    There are entries in dozens of categories, from spoken word to school band, from musical theatre to instrumental recitals.
    Local music teachers are aware of the Provincial Syllabus, and it is available throughout December at the Drumheller Public Library and online with entry forms. Those wishing to participate do not have to be formal students. Anyone can sign up to compete.
    Drumheller students have done well over the years. Last year, 12 local students were recommended to go on and compete at provincial music festivals. Annually, the festival gives out in the area of $6,000 in scholarships
    The entry deadline for this year’s Music Festival is January 14. The festival would like to see more entries in the area of speech. This includes poetry, story telling and Bible recitation.
    This year’s entry secretary is Tracy Kakuk and she can be reached at 403-823-5544, or 403-820-2493.
     For more information on the Drumheller and District Music Festival, contact president Lynn Edwards at 403-74-83 or email at lynnedwa@gmail.com.

Performing arts students can begin registering for this year’s Drumheller and District Music Festival. The 74th annual festival is slated for March 18-28, with the final concert on Saturday, March 28.

    Students and staff at Drumheller Valley Secondary School are getting ready to host students from across the province next spring.
    From May 11-13, 2014, DVSS will host the annual Alberta Student Leadership Conference.

The Drumheller Valley Secondary School (DVSS) Leaderhip class is busy organizing the 2014 Alberta Student Leadership Conference. It is expected the conference will bring roughly 700 students from all over the province to the Valley from May 11 to 13. Organizers are asking for help to make the conference a success.

    “It’s a three day conference hosting students from all over Alberta. It’s an annual event and we undergo intensive leadership training through different seminars,” said DVSS student Maria Patterson, who is helping to organize the conference.
    Patterson attended last year’s conference and felt it is well worth the effort to bring it to Drumheller.
    “It was great and  they’re always interesting. I learned how to be a better leader and to voice my opinion,” said Patterson.
    Organizers are anticipating Drumheller will be packed with students.
    “Last year, there were about 1,400 students, but this year we’re thinking we’ll get about 700. It really depends on the school’s location,” said DVSS student Kortney Giffin, who is also helping organize.
    The student delegates will be shown the sights and sounds of the Valley.
    “They’ll be seeing our tourist attractions, staying in our hotels, and eating our food. They’ll be taking back a piece of Drumheller when they go home, so hopefully they’ll return with their families,” said Patterson. “It’s a perfect kick-off right before our tourist season hits.”
    Several guest speakers have been lined up so far, including Craig Kielburger, Sabrina Jalees, and Michel Chikwanne.
    To make the conference a success, organizers are asking for help from individuals and businesses in the community. The guest speakers alone cost thousands.
    “We need a lot of community support. Not just monetary donations, we need small things like water bottles and backpacks for the swag bags. We also need food and meals. Because we’re such a small school, we won’t get as much in registration fees, so we need more community support,” said Patterson.
    The community can also support by volunteering.
    “We also need volunteers to help, like with registration, serving food, or supervising the dance,” said DVSS teacher Cindy Karpa.
    Those interested in helping out can call Karpa at 403-823-5171.