The MSMS Blue Notes have been busy traveling around the South and spreading music.

The Blue Notes consists of the choir and the instrumental performance group who come together and perform at various locations in Lowndes County and have an annual “traveling concert” to various locations in the South called Sites and Sounds.

Music instructor Ms. Dawn Barham explains the goal of the Sites and Sounds program is to “help break down social and cultural barriers by bringing students together from across the state to participate in making music together, while engaging them in an open and interactive conversation about diversity, culture, music and history.”

Barham explains the Blue Notes group as “The vocal and instrumental performing ensembles, collectively known as the MSMS Blue Notes, prepare a program of music which includes early jazz, spirituals, blues, country, gospel, soul and early rock and roll  all with ties to the birthplace of America’s music: Mississippi.”

Recently, the Blue Notes performed at the Lion Hills Country Club in Columbus for its regular attendees and a few guest teachers and parents. They performed Blues and Gospel music.

At Lion Hills, the Blue Notes also picked the winner of the iPad raffle. The proceeds of the raffle went to help pay for the tour, the iPad, and any future expenses for the group.

The winner was MSMS junior Olga Goupalova. Goupalova had leftover raffle tickets that she could not sell, so she bought the rest of them and took Barham’s advice to put her name on the rest of the tickets. She was not expecting to win, so she was in shock when her name was called out.

“I am very happy to have won, and would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who participated. Our trip was amazing, and you are the ones who made it possible,” Goupalova said.

This year, the Sites and Sounds tour visited Tunica, Cleveland, and Indianola, Mississippi. The group also took some breaks from performing to visit places such as Greenwood and Clarksdale, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee.

Some of their tourist stops included the Hopson farm in Clarksdale. the Memphis Rock and Soul Museum in Memphis, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, the BB King Museum in Indianola and the Grammy Museum in Cleveland.

Junior Jackson Sparkman appreciates what Mississippi has to offer.

“Sites and Sounds is an amazing experience as a Mississippi resident…I truly believe Mississippi is the birthplace of music,” Sparkman said. He looks forward to touring again with the Blue Notes next fall.

Senior Emily Hook shows her excitement of getting to perform for the second year in a row by stating, “It was a good time. 10 out of 10. Would recommend.”

Senior Noah Hunt makes a conclusion of the trip by saying, “Of all the things I learned on this trip, the most important was that there was little correlation between instrumental talent and bowling abilities.”

The Blue Notes also travelled down to the coast to perform in the annual Veteran’s Day Parade in D’iberville, Mississippi. This trip was made possible by a generous Veteran, Col. (Ret.) Phyllis Luttman.

With the support of the people who appreciates the Blue Notes (parents, fans, students and faculty), the music that its members create will continue to be made for years.

For those who would like to experience the Blue Notes first-hand, there will be a Winter Holiday Concert on December 11, 2016 at 2 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) for anyone to attend.