VGCC and Chambers team up for new “Business & Music After Hours” event
Vance-Granville Community College is partnering with the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County and the Lake Gaston Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center for an event that brings local businesses together while also providing entertainment and cultural enrichment for the community. The “Business & Music After Hours” event will combine Chamber activities with music from the Vance-Granville Community Band and VGCC’s Music Performance Scholars. The public is invited to the event, which will take place on Thursday, Feb. 17 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Warren County Armory Civic Center, the former National Guard facility that was thoroughly renovated and opened in 2010. The Armory Civic Center is located at 501 U.S. Highway 158 Business East in Warrenton.
The evening starts at 5:30 p.m. as visitors can enjoy hors d’oeuvres prepared by VGCC’s Culinary Technology students while the Music Performance Scholars play light jazz and contemporary selections. At 6 p.m., attendees will be welcomed by Chamber of Commerce of Warren County president George A. Henderson, who is also the dean of VGCC’s Warren County Campus . He will be followed by Jana L. Miller, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County, and Almira Papierniak, executive director of the Lake Gaston Chamber of Commerce, who will discuss their respective organizations. VGCC President Randy Parker will make remarks at approximately 6:45 p.m., and the Community Band performance will begin at approximately 7 p.m. The ensemble’s program will include traditional band marches such as “Block M March” by Jerry Bilik, “Bandology” by Eric Osterling and “Them Basses” by G.F. Huffine, as well as music from Broadway classics such as “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein.
Formed in 2008, the Vance-Granville Community Band is a combination of VGCC students and interested citizens, including some high school students. Band members hail from all four counties of the college service area (Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin) and beyond. The band’s director is VGCC music instructor Michael Stephenson. The Music Performance Scholars , also known as the “Vanguard Combo,” are students Joseph Colquitt of Creedmoor; Joseph Hedgepeth and Derek Jones, both of Henderson; and John Laible of Raleigh. All received the college’s Music Performance Scholarships for the 2010-2011 year, which gives them a chance to explore their passion for music and to perform for community functions and college activities.
For more information, call the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County at (252) 257-2657, the Lake Gaston Chamber of Commerce at (252) 586-5711 or VGCC’s Warren County Campus at (252) 738-3686.
