ALTON - Alton High alum Charles Musgrave has made an impressive life for himself that will be documented in a new film titled “Jewel of the Desert.” Musgrave, who attended Alton High in the 1940s, never forgot his roots even as he planted new ones in Sun City, Arizona, as the director of the Desert Brass Band, a band of 30 senior citizens ages 58–91. Director and producer Mary Apick was so moved by the band’s story that she decided to create a documentary about the Desert Brass Band, set to premiere on Jan 19, 2024, in Sun City. The documentary follows Musgrave and a few of his instrumentalists as they share how they became musicians, their lives as performers, and their experience in the Desert Brass Band. The band started in 1998, and Musgrave took over as the conductor and music director in 2000. After graduating from Alton High in 1950, Musgrave received a bachelor’s degree in music education from the Conservatory of Music at Shurtleff College,
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