Linard McCloud, director of bands at Burke High School in Charleston, has passed on his love of music not just to his students, but to communities across the state. The Palmetto Invitational Contest, which Mr. McCloud initiated ten years ago, brings together marching bands from small schools throughout South Carolina, helping students improve their musicianship and their self-esteem. Over the years, the audience for the program has grown to more than 8,000 people and has generated enough revenue to provide 75 new uniforms and three yearly $1,000 scholarships for Burke students. Mr. McCloud has also established a concert band exchange program, through which his students have performed as far away from home as Ontario, Canada.
1976 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, B.A.
