On Tuesday, Kalispell high school guitar students will come together for the first time on the same stage at the Crosstown High School Guitar Showcase.

The concert is not a competition, but rather a collaboration. Or, as guitar teacher Steve Eckels put it, a “bonding experience.”

“Instead of looking at having two programs as a disadvantage, we turned it into an opportunity,” Eckels said.

Eckels explained that when Glacier High School opened in 2007, the existing Flathead High School guitar program had numbers drop and interest wane. Eight years later, both high schools have enough students to support two strong guitar programs.

Eckels splits his time teaching guitar between both schools. He said that the two programs combined include about 90 students this year, ranging from freshmen to seniors and beginning players to advanced musicians.

“I like being part of both schools,” Eckels said. “The teachers and staff ... We take what we do very seriously.

“We are so fortunate in this school district for the support of music and the arts.”

This year, that support allowed for the purchase of 16 new, classical-style guitars for Flathead High School students. Half of the money needed for the guitars came from the music department budget and the district picked up the other half.

Eckels stressed the importance of funding new equipment and instruments in school music programs.

“Many students who might be interested [in playing music] can’t afford instruments of their own, and that deters them,” Eckels said.

He added that students also encountered problems with substandard instruments that were difficult to play or maintain, which is just one more reason to invest in quality instruments for them to use.

“I want there to be a guitar for every student who wants one,” Eckels said.

Eckels said that from the guitar classes, he hopes students take away “happiness” in the form of stronger mental concentration, manual dexterity (he referred to taking a guitar class as “hand gym”), and mindfulness, all of which are applicable outside the classroom.

“It’s a great opportunity, to be able to offer guitar at both schools,” Flathead High School Principal Peter Fusaro said. “It makes for well-rounded education.

“[The concert] is a chance to showcase all our very talented kids.”

The Crosstown High School Guitar Showcase is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Flathead High School Auditorium in Kalispell. The show is free, open to the public, and appropriate for audiences of all ages.

The evening will be presented in parts. The first segment will feature Eckels performing some pieces from his “American Sampler” album, including “Deep River Blues,” “Keep Your Hand on the Plow,” “Wade in the Water,” and “The Red River Valley.”

Part two of the program will feature students performing selections of their own choice. During part three, the audience will be invited to sing along with guitar standards such as “Blowing in the Wind,” “Stand by Me,” “Puff the Magic Dragon” and others.

Eckels said he hopes the combined showcase performance becomes a tradition, allowing students from both schools to come together and focus on playing music.

For more information, contact Eckels at 406-751-3623.

The guitar show combining musicians from both schools is a continuation of other collaborative efforts this year. Previously choir and orchestra performances featured Glacier and Flathead musicians on stage together.

Entertainment Editor Stefanie Thompson can be reached at 758-4439 or [email protected].