ANNIE MOSES BAND ANNOUNCES GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE AS GALA HOST FOR THE 16th ANNUAL ANNIE MOSES SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL THIS JULY
Best-selling Author, Acclaimed Television Host, Former Arkansas Governor Joins Annie Moses Band, Festival Participants for Grand Gala
“Grit and Grandeur” Celebration July 20
Event Supports Annie Moses’ Faith-Based Mission of Excellence in the Arts, Raising Up a Brand New Generation of Artists
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville-based award-winning, Juilliard-educated Annie Moses Band, known for its impeccable artistry and genre-defying music, announces today that special guest Governor Mike Huckabee will host the “Grit and Grandeur” Grand Gala July 20 during this year’s 2019 Annie Moses Summer Music Festival. Now in its 16th year, this highly-anticipated annual event, which culminates with the Grand Gala, will be held July 14 – 20 at The Factory at Franklin, conveniently located just south of Music City in the historic city of Franklin, TN.
“The theme of this year’s Grand Gala is ‘Grit and Grandeur: The Music That Made America,'” says Benjamin Wolaver, Annie Moses Band Cellist and Director of Development, Annie Moses Foundation. “It’s a colorful and inspiring portrait of moments and melodies that made our nation great from the Civil War to the Greatest Generation. Strings, choirs, brass, woodwinds, percussion and musical theater come together to make one cinematic show.”
Drawing participants from all over the country and worldwide, the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival began alongside the Annie Moses Band and was founded by its members who write, direct and arrange the performances for the 150+ young performers who will gather to put on five original shows over six days. Open to the public as ticketed events, the shows are genre-specific and include Americana, Jazz, Classical, Broadway and Pop. Every student is cast in at least two of these shows, each arranged by nationally recognized composers/ arrangers, and given customized parts for their featured moments. The final show, the Grand Gala, brings all of the students together in one epic performance hosted this year by best-selling author, acclaimed television host and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
“It is truly an honor to announce our special guest and Master of Ceremonies for the Grand Gala, Gov. Mike Huckabee!” exclaims Annie Dupre, founder, lead vocalist and violinist of Annie Moses Band. “Gov. Huckabee has always been such a strong supporter of excellence in the arts. He knows the importance of leaving a legacy to future generations. We value our shared love of family, this country, deep faith in God and a passion for the world of the arts. Our hope for the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival and the Annie Moses Foundation is to nurture excellence and Christian faith in a new generation of young artists, one family at a time.”
“After decades of working to put music in the hearts and hands of every school student, it’s an absolute joy to be part of the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival in July,” adds Gov. Huckabee. “The Annie Moses Band embodies what I cherish about music—it’s uplifting and unifying. Their family-based talents are stunning, and their exuberance on and off stage is a delight to behold. I’m honored and thrilled to be Gala Host for their closing festival event in July. Some of the finest young musicians in America will be part of this celebration of the power of music and the arts.”
Annie Moses Band members joined Television Host Gov. Mike Huckabee for an in-studio performance and interview on the Huckabee Show at Trinity Music City near Nashville last September.
Since its beginning nearly 16 years ago, the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival has become the centerpiece for the band’s vision for the arts and the mission of the Annie Moses Band’s music education 501C3 non-profit – the Annie Moses Foundation. Offering exceptional instruction, as well as live performance opportunities, the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival is a performing arts intensive for young musicians designed to give students life-changing experiences on professional stages.
Through events at the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival and the Conservatory of Annie Moses program, Annie Moses Band is able to deeply invest in the lives of their students, realizing its vision of raising up a new generation committed to godly excellence in the world of the arts.
To view the official Annie Moses Summer Music Festival Trailer, go to https://vimeo.com/310600756.
To see testimonials from Annie Moses Foundation students, visit https://vimeo.com/303104060.
For more information on or to register for the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival, visit https://anniemosessummermusicfestival.com/. For all the latest information on Annie Moses Band, including music, touring, Annie Moses Foundation, etc., go to www.anniemosesband.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Watch for more details on the band’s new album, Under the Tree of Life, to release this year.
About Annie Moses Band: Genre-defying and unforgettable, the Annie Moses Band has been thrilling audiences for over a decade with a sweeping virtuosity and musical spirit that remains bright and poignant. Named for their great-grandmother, the all-sibling, Juilliard-educated ensemble enchants with electrifying instrumental flair, rich arrangements and shimmering layered vocals. Having graced the stages of Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry House, the band’s Warner Bros. album “American Rhapsody” topped the charts while their popular PBS specials, “Christmas with the Annie Moses Band” and “The Art of the Love Song” have broken records and been nominated for an Emmy. These are true musicians of the highest caliber drawn together by the bonds of family, faith and love for their audience.
About the Annie Moses Foundation: The Annie Moses Foundation has impacted the lives of hundreds of students each year since the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival began in 2003. Students have come from over 30 states, as well as foreign countries to participate in the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival. The Annie Moses Foundation has awarded nearly $300,000 through the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival Scholarship Fund since 2010 and the Conservatory of Annie Moses is pioneering a brand-new paradigm of music education, setting the standard for other programs around the US.
About the Conservatory of Annie Moses: The Conservatory of Annie Moses, a mentor program for aspiring pre-college artists, specializes in solo instruction, commercial music theory, group performance and artist development. Led by the musicians of the Annie Moses Band, the Conservatory nurtures the unique identity of each artist and prepares them for professional level involvement in the world of the arts.
About Governor Mike Huckabee: Mike Huckabee is the host of the TV show “Huckabee” on TBN each weekend and is a Fox News contributor, NY Times best-selling author of 12 books, and a frequent speaker for corporate, civic, and non-profit groups all over the world. He was the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 until 2007, becoming one of the longest serving Governors in his state’s history. He ran in 2008 and 2016 for President, finishing 2nd in the Republican primary in 2008.
Governing Magazine named him as one of its “Public Officials of the Year” for 2005, and Time Magazine honored him as one of the five best governors in America. He served as the Chairman of the prestigious National Governors Association as well as the Education Commission of the States, the Southern Governors Association, and the Interstate Oil and Gas Commission. He has been nationally recognized for his advocacy of the arts in education and raises money to provide musical instruments for children. Before entering politics, he was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister and worked for twelve years as a full time pastor.
Huckabee, an avid musician since age 11, is a bass player and often joins guest artists on his weekly television show, having played with Willie Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Toby Keith, the late George Jones, and many others. He is co-owner of radio stations in Arkansas, Texas, and Missouri. The former governor and his wife, Janet, spend time in Florida and Arkansas and have three grown children – John Mark Huckabee, David Huckabee (married to Lauren) and Sarah Sanders (married to Bryan) – and six grandchildren.
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