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Music Under the Stars

by Frank McKinnon



2006 was a very busy year for the Spring River Valley Band. Since 1997, we had been playing at least 2 or 3 gigs per month. There were many months when we played as many as 8 gigs. Then, in March of 2006, we were given an opportunity to the use of the New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) Amphitheater. The picture below is the billboard we had on Main Street where people could see it when they were leaving the Roswell Mall.



I used a website to make a schedule for a series of 36 nights of concerts. Then I started contacting bands to see if they wanted to play concerts that the Spring River Valley Band would be hosting. By the end of April, we had 36 nights of concerts scheduled. We had about a dozen bands from Roswell. We had many bands come from all over New Mexico and West Texas. One musical entertainer came all the way from Virginia to perform.

Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, between May and July 2006, the Spring River Valley Band played a 30 minute show. Then, we introduced a band that played a 45 minute show. Then, we introduced another band that played a 45 minutes show. That was thirty-six 30 minute shows and seventy-two 45 minutes shows in a 3 month period. There was a lot of amazing music. People were happy. It was a lot of fun. And I learned a lot about organizing concerts.


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