– Submitted photo. Pictured above is the South Hamilton High School Band, under the guidance of Alexa Gibbs.

JEWELL — Hamilton County boasts a rich musical tradition and the South Hamilton High School Band is excited to help highlight one story as they prepare for their spring musical performances.

During a chance conversation with Jeremy Smith, the personnel director of the Karl King Band in Fort Dodge, King band members and local music educators Alexa Gibbs and J. Matthew Schutt learned that Mr. King wrote a march in 1931 and dedicated it to the 4-H Band of Hamilton County.

“International Favorites” debuted by the 45-member band at the International Livestock Convention in Chicago that same year.

After much research, thanks in part to the Hamilton County Extension Office and Daily Freeman-Journal archives, it was discovered that this band — first boys only, then coed — gave the music programs in Hamilton County an energized boost in the 1920s and 30s. John Bonner and Wesley Schaub were the directors and they rehearsed the band on Sunday nights.

Barnhouse Publishing Company in Oskaloosa owns the copyright to “International Favorites” and its president, Andrew Glover, gave permission for Mr. Schutt to edit the march and add some missing parts to make it a complete and playable piece for the South Hamilton Band.

The 80-member South Hamilton High School Band is excited to play “International Favorites” and many more selections for you this spring. In early January, they were informed that they were selected by audition to perform at the Iowa Bandmasters Band Convention in Des Moines.

This is one of the highest honors a band can receive in the state of Iowa and this is the fourth time in recent history South Hamilton will be represented.

The band would like to invite everyone to a preview of that performance at 7 p.m. on May 8 in the South Hamilton Auditorium. Their Iowa Bandmasters performance will be at 9 a.m. on May 13 in the Iowa Ballroom of the downtown Des Moines Marriott Hotel and Convention Center.

Their program will consist of “American Fanfare” by Rick Kirby, “Bamboo Warrior” by Christina Huss, “American Riversongs” by Pierre La Plante, “Foundry” by John Mackey, “Jitterbug!” by Robert Buckley, “Danse Bohemien” by Randall Standridge and of course, “International Favorites” by Karl King.

They will also be attending the Large Group Band Festival under the auspices of the Iowa High School Music Association on May 6. Their adjudicated performance will be at 9:15 a.m. in the Fort Dodge Middle School Auditorium.

Their director, Alexa Gibbs, is a native of Manchester and a graduate of Iowa State University. She is in her eighth year at South Hamilton Community Schools where she is the 7-12 Instrumental Band Instructor.

Gibbs is the 2023 NCIBA recipient of the Karl King Distinguished Service — Active Award. Gibbs enjoys playing saxophone in the Scenic City Big Band in Iowa Falls and the Karl King Municipal Band in Fort Dodge during the summer.

Gibbs also stays busy with a private piano studio.

Schutt, a native of Blairsburg and a graduate of Wartburg College, retired after 35 years of teaching, most recently in the South Hamilton Music Department. Schutt is still active in the music community as an accompanist, conductor and adjudicator. Schutt is also a tour guide in Washington D.C. and manages the Varied Industry Building for the duration of the Iowa State Fair.

Gibbs and Schutt are also involved with the Iowa Ambassadors of Music organization. Gibbs will be serving as an advisor for the fourth time on their summer concert tour of Europe and Schutt will spend the summer in London as the city coordinator.

They are also seasonal employees at Deals Orchard in Jefferson.