Greetings to the band parents of Nation Ford HS in Fort Mill,

I am Richard Wagner and asked Mr. Dickey to send you this e-mail. York County has the best bands in SC. I am the son of a long time band director and recognize the effort needed to have a successful high school band program. I place wind and percussion players who are exchange students from all over the world who come to spend a school year with an American host family. I have two excellent German trumpet players, a boy from China who plays saxophone, and a boy from Hong Kong who plays the trombone and others who play clarinet, flute, and drums.

Marching band is a unique American high school experience and my students love it as they come early for band camp in July to learn the marching routine and music. I am currently seeking host families for these talented musicians for the 2008-2009 school year. A host family can be a single parent or married. You provide a bed (sharing a room is fine), the usual meals, and include the student in school, band of course, church, trips, holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. The students speak English well, are AB students, are insured for medical, and have spending money to buy clothes or pay band fees. He or she becomes a working part of your family with chores, etc. I am coming this Monday night (January 28^th) to the Nation Ford Band Booster club meeting. If you are interested or have questions, please contact me via e-mail at francorw@aol.com or call me on my cell at 864-607-5339. Thanks for your commitment to the Nation Ford Band.

Richard Wagner