With November 1 marking the first day of National Gratitude Month, I want to take a moment of reflection and share with you an important group of people for which I am grateful – our youth. Youth in many facets. Young people with ideas, curiosity, questions, and vigor. 

For those of us in mid-career and mid-life, we can reflect on our own past youth in the form of memories, lived experiences, many firsts, and early inspirations. In addition, the ways in which we all have an eternal youthful spirit, a curiosity for something new, and a youthful zest for life.

In our shared  youth, our values, experiences, challenges and aspirations connect us. We rely on our youth in ways too often understated.

“The Fountain of Youth is life on a college campus! It’s hanging around with young people who are standing at the edge of the diving board, waiting for their chance to dive into the deep end of the pool.” – Robert J. Ward

Later this month, The Ohio State University Marching Band will host their annual Hometown Concert at Mershon Auditorium on Ohio State’s campus on Sunday, November 20.  A very special concert specifically for youth will take place Friday, November 18, 2022, at 10 a.m. at Mershon Auditorium. The Best Damn Band in the Land will entertain its audience with selections from some of their most popular halftime shows, fan favorites and traditional Ohio State tunes.

Finally, our Music Celebration Youth Concert for student groups in grades 4-12 will take place Friday, December 2, 2022 at 10 a.m. at Mershon Auditorium. Led by our most cherished ensembles, the concert is a fast-paced musical adventure through a wide ranges of styles and traditions. Our non-stop collage style concert includes jazz, orchestral, choral, chamber, wind band, solo, percussion and piano offerings showcasing the remarkable artistry of students and faculty from across the School 

“This concert provides the confidence to my students that there is a bright future in band for them, and the knowledge that band can continue after middle school, and it builds their passion for learning more music in my class. This event is by the far the most popular school trip my students attend all year. They talk about it for months and months after we attend. It is so well done, I would take students to this multiple times a year if we could.” – Ryan Alexis, Kilbourne Middle School, Worthington Schools

Hope to see you there with your youthful smiles!

—