The 29th annual Olds and District Kiwanis Music Festival started last Thursday at the TransCanada Theatre in Olds.More than 2,000 contestants from 23 communities around South Central Alberta will spend the festival's 14 days learning about their art and being judged by one of the 10 discipline adjudicators.“We have a festival that adjudicators love to come to, because we focus on the learning and the teaching rather than on who gets first and second place,” said Wendy Durieux, festival coordinator.“The adjudicators can come to do what they do well and they don't have to worry about if they are picking the right person to win.”This year, the festival has 688 entries – 51 fewer than last year.The festival started last week with the choir competition. This week, it continues with musical theatre and band. The first concert will be the musical theatre showcase and it will be held this Saturday night at the TransCanada Theatre.“The adjudicators will choose the 30 contestants that they feel are the most entertaining,” said Durieux.“I have no say in that and it is totally the adjudicators' picks. It is a very wonderful evening.”The adjudicators will also give out the musical theatre awards during the concert.Four classes will take place during the festival's last week: strings, piano, choral speech, and senior vocal competition. The festival will end on March 24. The grand concert will be held on March 27.“At the grand concert, we try to ask different people from the different disciplines to kind of showcase what happened at the festival,” said Durieux.“It is going to be fabulous and it is amazing to hear the kids, hear what is happening, and to hear the different levels.”The daily classes are free and anybody can go to the TransCanada Theatre and listen to them.Tickets for the two concerts are sold at the theatre.For more information, please visit the festival's website at www.oldskiwanis.org/musicfestival.htm .
