Harwood Assembly band to open July 15 Do Good Fest at National Life

July 8, 2023 | By Lisa Scagliotti 

Harwood’s Assembly Band isn’t just popular in school. Based on a wide-reaching internet survey, the rock-jazz ensemble garnered enough support among Vermont music fans to land a spot as the first opening act at the July 15 Do Good music festival in Montpelier. 

The Harwood Assembly Band performs at the Battle of the Bands competition at Harwood last fall. Photo by Gordon Miller

Organized and hosted by National Life Group at the company’s headquarters, the annual summertime festival is a fundraiser for Branches of Hope, the cancer patient fund at Central Vermont Medical Center. 

Gates open at the one-day event at 1 p.m. The Harwood band starts off the lineup at 1:30 p.m. The evening headliner takes the stage at 7:45 p.m. with a fireworks show as a finale at 9 p.m. This year’s top act is Grammy-nominated rock band Plain White T’s best known for their 2007 hit song, “Hey There Delilah.” 

Festival organizers look to showcase local young musical talent each year and invite high school musical acts to enter a contest to win both a spot on stage as an opening act and funding for their school music programs. 

Ten youth bands and solo artists were chosen for the online ballot that included music videos for voters to watch. The winners were announced on June 30. All three will perform at the festival. 

The grand prize went to the band Ms Lee Fan Club from South Burlington High School. National Life Group will donate $5,000 to the school’s music program. Second place and $2,500 went to The Radiance comprised of students from Montpelier and Plainfield.

The Harwood Assembly Band landed third place and $1,000 for the school music program. And although several members graduated a few weeks ago, the entire band is preparing for the Montpelier gig.

The Do Good Fest is a free event but as a fundraiser, organizers suggest a donation when making a ticket reservation. See the music videos from the student bands and find more information about the lineup, tickets, parking, etc. at dogoodfest.com/beatsforgood.