Eau Claire middle school band instructor, Bill Simon, has one heck of a reason to toot his horn. For 30 years Simon has been teaching band and arranging music to inspire young musicians. All his hard work has rewarded him with several pleased audiences as a performer and a director, publication in the Leblanc Bell, an adjudicator in music contests, and his most recent accomplishment, an honorable recognition by the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA). Every year, WSMA compiles a prestigious music list known as the Music Festival List, with more than 5,000 titles in an effort to encourage musical growth in schools. Students from around the state use the music from the Music Festival List for various contests. This year several of Simon’s arrangements have been included on the list and have the potential to be played by over 220,000 students. Now that is music to the ears!