Southwestern Michigan College Department of Visual and Performing Arts presents its 2017 spring band concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the theater of the Dale A. Lyons Building on the Dowagiac campus.

Admission is free. Donations are gratefully accepted.

Featured will be SMC Symphonic Band and SMC Brass Band under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Korzun.

Selections by the Symphonic Band include “U.S. of A. Armed Forces March” by Henry Fillmore featuring Dowagiac Union High School graduate Kenneth Creameans and Watervliet High School graduate Thomas Melcher playing authentic World War II-era bugles.

Also on the program is a lush transcription for band of “Second Prelude” by George Gershwin, a clever setting of American folk songs by Timothy Broege entitled “Pilgrim Traveler” and the joyous “Groove Music” by Brian Balmages.

Brass Band’s portion of the program includes the march “New Colonial” by Robert Browne Hall, the relaxing “Summer Scene” by Philip Sparke and “Images for Brass” by Stephen Bulla, written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the World War II Iwo Jima battle.

The concert concludes with the combined bands performing two selections.

“Cloudburst” by Eric Whitaker depicts summer thunderstorms and includes hand bells and rain and thunder sound effects.

The audience will be stepping lively after hearing the Spanish paso doble (double step) “Espana Cani” by Pascual Marquita.

Southwestern Michigan College is a public, residential and commuter, community college, founded in 1964. The college averages in the top 10 percent nationally for student academic success based upon the National Community College Benchmark Project. Southwestern Michigan College strives to be the college of first choice, to provide the programs and services to meet the needs of students, and to serve our community. The college is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges.