February 14, 2023

Dear TVW Members,
Thank you so much for a wonderful concert on Friday, February 10th. I
enjoyed every moment we had together in rehearsal and during the
concert. The opportunity to make music together and to share our
efforts on Friday night was a joy to me and I’m thankful that you invited
me to be a part of this experience.
As I shared during our time together, TVW holds a special place in my
heart and I’m very thankful for the experiences and opportunities that
have come my way from my involvement in this very special group.
I am very impressed with the age diversity of the group right now as well
as the musicianship on display. So much potential to do so many things
with the level of players currently involved. I wish you the best at every
endeavor.
Thank you again for the invitation. It was a joy!
Sincerely,
Terry Jolley

On behalf of the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Alvin C. York VA Medical Center patients and staff, we would like to thank you for taking the time to provide a performance of Christmas music for our Veterans on 12/16/2017. Many of our Veterans depend on support such as yours for the every day comforts so many of us take for granted.

Your selfless contribution serves as an invaluable symbol to our Veterans that they have not been forgotten. The coalition between the VA and our stakeholders is vital to the continued effort of caring for our nations heroes. We deeply appreciate your loyalty to our Veterans, and hope to hear from you again in the future.

It is a true pleasure to make music with the Tennessee Valley Winds. The purpose and joy behind the music making is pure, and I had a wonderful time in their company!

I just wanted to tell you how much I thoroughly enjoyed the Tribute Concert this past Saturday! First of all, I doubt there are many "community" bands of the same caliber as the TVW. The amount of talent and experience on that stage was quite impressive. It was great to see colleagues and some of my mentors performing great music at such a high level. Secondly, the choice of music was fantastic! From the first measure of Esprit Des Corps I was taken back to the many times that I played that under Mr. Smith. To hear it played that well in that venue and with Mr. Smith in attendance was awesome. I guess the idea of a tribute concert is to bring the person being honored to mind. I don't think you could have chosen better selections to do that. Each one reminded me of playing under Mr. Smith and the things that he would talk about when we were rehearsing them. Lastly, I appreciate the efforts that you, the TVW board, and the wonderful musicians in the TVW dedicate to making great live music in our area. Live music is an important pastime in our country and I'm glad TVW exists to help keep it alive. I know the pay isn't very good :) for you all and it's hard to find a place to rehearse a full wind ensemble but... please keep it up!

...

Bravo and well done!

... I enjoyed hearing the Tennessee Valley Winds play in rehearsals on Tuesday and Wednesday nights; you sounded great, and looked as if you were enjoying working with Dario Sotelo. We're so glad to be in a setting where there is such a vibrant community wind band!

Please let the members of the Tennessee Valley Winds know how much we appreciate the concert this past week at our 57th Annual National Convention of the American School Band Directors Association. The attendees at this year's convention were really impressed with the quality of the group and the programming was perfect for our membership! Many of our members also play in various ensembles around the country and this is not an "automatic standing ovation" crowd; these are band directors who know the music, many that even played under the greats such as Goldman, Sousa, and Harding (who were, by the way, also founders of our Association): they KNOW a fine band when they hear it!

Thanks again and best wishes!

Tennessee Valley Winds is composed of a group of exceptionally fine professional musicians. They come from all walks of life and take time from their busy lives to provide the community with a musical source unlike any other. It has been my pleasure to work with them on numerous occasions in Murfreesboro and other locations as they share their love of music with others. I commend them to you without reservation.