Scout House offering $500 in prizes to festival participants

Preston Scout House Band Inc. is again offering prizes to participants in the Kitchener-Waterloo Kiwanis Music Festival, in memory of Band founder Wilf Blum. A total of $500 in various awards will be presented during the Festival’s grand finale concert on Friday May 2 at Knox Presbyterian Church in Waterloo.

Competitions for bands, orchestras and choirs run from April 7 to 11; for solos, duets and trios from April 12 to 17.

Scout House is one of 14 community Festival sponsors. Since its youth music scholarship program was established in 2014, Scout House has awarded about $12,000 in scholarships and prizes. Up until 2024, scholarships were awarded through the Waterloo Region boards of education.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Kiwanis Music Festival is the largest annual music education event in Waterloo region, running since 1948 as a Kiwanis Club service project. Between 1,200 and1,600 public school and private music students perform in solo and group classes.

The Festival offers classes in a wide range of instruments and musical styles, including voice and Chinese instruments, and offers both competitive and non-competitive opportunities to students. Every participant receives feedback from an adjudicator: a professional musician and educator. Each year the Festival distributes $8,000 to $20,000, with individual awards ranging from $25 to $500.

Each year, the Festival selects about 150 participants to represent Kitchener-Waterloo at the Ontario Music Festivals Association (OMFA) provincial competition, which the Festival will host this year from June 9 to 14.

Preston Scout House Band Inc. is a non-profit corporation with registered charity status able to issue tax receipts to donors, incorporated under the Corporations Act of the Province of Ontario on November 29, 1956. Community partners include: Kitchener Access Storage, the City of Cambridge, Waterloo Region Community Foundation, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 530 Waterloo and Royal Canadian Legion Branch 126 Preston.

The current active unit is Silver Leaves Brass, an all-age award-winning ensemble scheduled to appear in more than 15 parades and concerts in Waterloo Region and beyond from May to December.

For more information about Preston Scout House Band Inc. activities, contact telephone (519) 653-3376, email PSHBAND [dot] INC [at] outlook [dot] com