The magical music of Glenn Miller is bringing Big Band lovers from around the world to southwest Iowa this week. *The band leader died more than six decades ago, but his toe-tapping tunes live on, especially in Clarinda, his hometown which will double in population this week. Arlene Leonard, of the Glenn Miller Birthplace Society, says there are picnics, displays, concerts and dances — some that start as early as 7 A-M. Leonard says featured big bands include one the Hunter Fuerste Orchestra from Dubuque and the “Little Cherries Big Band” from Kagoshima, Japan. They’re an elementary school band of 4th, 5th and 6th graders from Japan, whose band leader is interested in Glenn Miller and uses the original charts. While the bands hail from around the globe, Leonard says the audience does too. Last year they had visitors from 13 countries and some 35 states in the U-S. The festival runs Thursday through Sunday. For more details, swing on to the website “www.glennmiller.org”.
