John Aylsworth has already been awarded several honors for his many years of teaching in the field of music education. On Saturday, John received yet another honor for his years of outstanding service. The Indiana Music Education Association (IMEA) awarded John the 2007 Outstanding Hoosier Musician Award.

On Monday, the Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade hosted a Christmas concert at the Springs Valley Jr./Sr. High School Auditorium in front of a crowd of family and friends to enjoy some holiday cheer.

On Sunday, November 12, three members of the Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade joined 91 others from southwest Indiana schools in the Indiana Band Masters Association All-District Honor Band.

Last Wednesday, Springs Valley Director of Bands Luke Aylsworth was named the IndianaMarching.com Director of the Year.

Springs Valley took to the RCA Dome in Indianapolis on Saturday as a fan favorite and came back to French Lick with a fourth place trophy and smiles on their faces after the ISSMA State Marching Band Finals.

The Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade has accomplished a task no other band has done since 1994, that is advance the ISSMA State Finals at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This past weekend, the Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade performed at the Center Grove and Martinsville Invitational. In all, the Brigade won first at Center Grove in Class “D” competition and second at Martinsville in Class “2A” competition. They also won music, general effect, auxiliary, percussion and tied for visual at Center Grove. Music and Percussion were tops for Springs Valley at Martinsville.

The Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade is making final preparation for this weekends ISSMA’s (Indiana State School Music Association) District Marching Contest at Alumni Stadium in Jasper, Indiana.

The Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade participated in the 25th annual Pride of Paoli Invitational on Saturday night. The Brigade marched away with first place in Class “2A” competition and won the best music, visual, and drum major caption awards.

The Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade opened up their 2006 contest season with a second place finish at the 26th Annual Heritage Hills contest on Saturday Evening. Springs Valley also won the best percussion and auxiliary caption awards and tied for best music with the Pride of Paoli.

Springs Valley High School came into being in the fall of 1957. One of the problems was how to meld the two separate schools with the least rancor. Each school had its own band program with its own distribution of first,second,and third players. I probably would have had tryouts but my father had a stroke of genius. On the first day of school he announced that what ever part a member had played in the previous band, they would play that part in the new Springs Valley Band. That decision intergrated the band seamlessly with little hurt feelings. The uniforms were another problem as there was no money for new ones.They dyed all the West Baden and French Lick ones black and those were used for several years.They also needed a new school song, so the band learned all the songs in the yellow school song book and played them for the combined student body, A vote was taken and "Wave The Flag" was chosen.

When Helen and Gilbert Aylsworth arrived in French Lick in 1938, there was no Springs Valley High School. The Blackhawks were still twenty years in the future. There was no band program at French Lick High School, so the superintendent had summoned the Aylsworths from Hazard High School in Kentucky. So began an almost seventy year odyssey and three generations of music educators in the "Valley".

The years have passed and the faces and places that surround the Blackhawk Brigade have changed. Students, that literally grew up in the band room, graduated and became members of a larger family and society. The old practice lot dissapeared under new construction. Staff names that once elicited fear, respect and love are now only distant memories. Gilbert's stool where he patiently repaired students' instruments now sits forever empty.

That may be the question of the year during fall competitions this season. The Blackhawk Brigade will be almost unrecognizable this competition season. The band has been fortunate enough to purchase new band uniforms, new guard uniforms, new flags, and new props for the 2005 season. The school board also approved a new instrument purchase that will bring forty-five new instruments to the band program.