Martinson to lead Vikingland Band Fest

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The Vikingland Band Festival committee reports that Ken Martinson has been named grand marshal of the 2008 Vikingland Band Festival parade marching championship.

Martinson is well-known for his involvement with marching bands on both the local and national level. He was a co-founder of the Vikingland Band Festival in 1985 with Jim Clayton and John Anderson, and was an instructor of Alexandria’s Jefferson High School Marching Band.

He has judged marching competitions in 10 states and he is the founder of the popular Web site, marching.com.

Martinson is a native of Alexandria and graduate of both Jefferson High School and Concordia College. He now lives in Nashville, Tennessee where he operates a Web site development and marketing company.

According to Debbi Rydberg of the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, Martinson served as the festival's coordinator for more than 10 years.

“Ken continues to play an important role in the vision of the Vikingland Band Festival by serving as an advisor to the committee,” Rydberg said.

The Vikingland Band Festival takes place the last weekend of June and is Minnesota’s original summer parade marching competition for high school bands.

This year’s 24th annual Festival will feature the Stabekk School Band from Oslo, Norway as the honor band.

The Norwegian band is traveling to Alexandria to help celebrate Minnesota's sesquicentennial and to provide its students a cross-cultural experience with American band students.

The Vikingland Band Festival parade begins at 1:30 on Sunday, June 29 and travels down Alexandria’s main street (Broadway). For more information visit www.VikinglandBandFestival.com.

Tags: vikingland, band, fest, grand, marshal, ken, martinson