Washington library hosts concert

The Washington Public Library held a two-person tuba concert Thursday, featuring Gary McCurdy and two-year Iowa All State Band member Kevin Flannery.

“I’m friends with several of the librarians here, and they are always on the lookout for stuff they can program,” McCurdy said. “Actually, I came to them and suggested that Kevin and I could do a program, and they were receptive of that, so here we are.”

McCurdy said he was a private tuba teacher for Flannery. The two play together around once a week at regular sessions.

Adult services librarian Tammy Valentine, who organized the event, said the two were natural picks for the library concert.

“Mr. McCurdy has been a teacher and a patron of the library, and has had performances here for years and years, so he’s part of the family basically,” she said. “Kevin is very accomplished musically, as is his whole family, and they play together and have for quite a long time.”

Valentine said it was the second concert she had put together at the library, despite her nearly two-year tenure.

“I only worked for about six weeks before COVID hit,” she said. “We’re very excited to have people back in the building, overly excited, maybe. We have a million and one ideas, and we want to do them all.”