By JOHN EBY

Dowagiac Daily News

Milton C. Anderson founded Young Americans in 1962 to make sure music doesn’t fall silent in schools.

Not that there’s any danger of that happening in the home of the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, but that will be more evident when the current Young Americans cast ends its tour by returning to Dowagiac as its 19th stop on Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. at the middle school Performing Arts Center with Union High School graduate Bill Davis performing.

Another recent DUHS graduate, Ali Hess, is in California training to join the cast of music ambassadors.

And the Young Americans Artistic Director Bill Brawley is from Niles, which the company visits just before Dowagiac, with Illinois sandwiched in between.

“We should be proud of our community because we can say we have the support of the school board, we have the support of our community members, we have the support of the St. Denys Foundation. This community has to be so thankful for all of the people who understand the importance of the arts in education.

“I’ve told my kids from the beginning of coming to this school district, music is the way I teach them to become good citizens. Music is the way I teach them to become the people they will become someday. This program is a great fit with our community,” Choir Director Jeff Robinson told the Dowagiac Board of Education Monday night.

“Bill’s been over in Europe last summer and has been touring the Midwest,” Robinson said. “We’re the final stop of the tour, which makes it even more poignant.”

Robinson said almost all of the students signed up are from Dowagiac as the 200-student capacity approaches.

“They’ll spend 2 1/2 days. Sunday, long afternoon/evening; Monday, daylight to dark, then Tuesday, after school until the performance. Many stay at the homes of our students, which makes for lifelong memories,” Robinson said.