[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 14204]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DR. HARRY BEGIAN

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, today I have the honor of 
recognizing a great musician and educator from my home State of 
Michigan. During a career that has spanned more than 50 years, Dr. 
Harry Begian has made numerous contributions to the music and education 
communities across the country and around the world. He has greatly 
influenced both high school and collegiate bands throughout the Midwest 
and the Nation. On June 21, 2003, a reunion and banquet will be held at 
Cass Technical High School in Detroit to honor not only Dr. Begian's 17 
prolific years as Director of Bands at Cass Technical High School but 
also his lifetime of musical contributions that have touched so many.
  Dr. Begian's early involvement with music included studying trumpet 
and flute with famed musicians Leonard Smith and Larry Teal. Dr. Begian 
completed his undergraduate and master's degrees at Wayne State 
University. He also earned a doctorate in music at the University of 
Michigan.
  Dr. Begian became Director of Bands at Cass Technical High School in 
1947, where he built one of the preeminent high school bands in the 
country. During the following 20 years, he served as Director of Bands 
at Wayne State University, Michigan State University, and the 
University of Illinois. In addition to his work as a band director, Dr. 
Begian has served as a guest conductor and lecturer throughout the 
United States, Canada, and Australia. In 1987, the Detroit Symphony 
Orchestra invited him to conduct a formal concert in Detroit's 
Orchestra Hall.
  The Music Division of the Library of Congress created the Harry 
Begian Collection in tribute to his accomplishments. The permanent 
collection currently contains 26 reel-to-reel recordings of Dr. 
Begian's performances at Cass Tech. In addition, the collection also 
includes 50 records and 15 compact discs from Dr. Begian's time with 
the University of Illinois Symphonic Band.
  Dr. Begian is a charter member of the American School Band Directors 
Association and a past president of the American Bandmasters 
Association. He has won the National Band Association's Citation of 
Excellence, the Edwin Franko Goldman Award, and the Norte Dame St. 
Cecelia Award. I know that my Senate colleagues will be pleased to join 
me in saluting Dr. Harry Begian's lifetime full of contributions to the 
world of music.

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