Tri-State music competitions will return this month after a year off; parade moved to October

Apr. 18—After a year-long fermata rest because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Enid's three-day music competition held every spring will return this year with a different schedule.

Hundreds of instrumental and vocal music students from schools and studios across Oklahoma will compete in the 87th annual Tri-State Music Festival from Wednesday, April 28, to Friday, April 30.

The Tri-State carnival will be at Oakwood Mall for all three days of the festival, though a different company is organizing it this year.

However, Tri-State organizers are moving both the downtown parade and field marching contests to the beginning of October. The parade will be in the morning, and the marching contests in the afternoon.

Because of the pandemic, the honor band and honor choir of students from different schools won't be held this year — neither will the grand concert as the Stride Bank Center or the participants' dance at NOC.

This year will be the first time in the festival's history that the parade won't be held in the spring, festival director Debbie Lambert said Friday.

Because people won't see the parade or all the buses downtown, Lamber said, "It'll be like Tri-State, except the town won't know it is."

Tri-State's board of directors made the changes because school marching band contests all take place in the fall semester and are over by Christmas, she said.

Last year was the first time in its 86 years that the festival was canceled, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Enid.

"We weren't that sure what that virus was going to do," Lambert said. "Now we've lived through it for a year. ... The board is feeling braver."

COVID protocols will be in effect this year during the competitions, following guidelines from Enid Public Schools and OSSAA.

Participating students and directors will be required to wear masks when not performing. Parents and spectators will not be allowed to watch performances — only bus drivers and directors will be allowed in the audience.

For solo performers, one parent, an accompanist and a director will be allowed, Lambert said.

Large group rooms will be sanitized between performances, and personal hand sanitizer will be available around the sites; stations are set up throughout Enid schools.

Students from elementary to high school ages compete in myriad categories of instruments and vocal types.

Solo competitions in instrumental and vocal performances will be held at Enid area churches and schools on the Wednesday and Friday. Instrumental organization competitions will be at Enid High School's auditorium or black box theater, while vocal organizations will compete at Waller Middle School or EHS, all on Thursday and Friday.

The festival began as Phillips Band Day in 1932 before being renamed the next year to Tri-State Band Festival, according to its website.

Matthew Johnson, choral teacher at Enid High School, said he was glad to have the competition back for his vocal students this year.

"As far as (having no honor groups) goes, I understand completely," Johnson said. "They're just wanting to keep every school safe rather than throwing them all together."

Johnson said he believed more schools with marching bands would start doing Tri-State now that it's partly been moved to the fall.

"I'm grateful for them, to find ways for us to still sing and still compete," he said. "It's been around a long, long time."

Ewald is copy editor and city/education reporter for the Enid News & Eagle.

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