2006 Summer Convention Highlights

The 2006 Annual Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Summer Convention was held July 6th - 8th at the New World Inn in Columbus, Nebraska. In addition to offering great clinics for both new and veteran band directors, these summer conventions provide a wonderful opportunity for family activities such as swimming, golf, and softball. Nebraska is one of the few states that hold both a summer and a winter convention. This summer, there were 156 participants, including 91 members, clinicians and student leader workshop participants.

Rex Barker, our golfing guru, organized the annual Thursday morning convention opening NSBA golf tournament with 31 participants. Tom Jaworski & AJ Bowen tied for first place. Other winners were Bryan Regier and Scott Morris.

Our new mother, Gail Carpenter-Johnson, Omaha middle school band director, again organized and facilitated our NSBA Band Director Boot Camp. The boot camp is a project of the Alpha Theta Chapter of Phi Beta Mu, and was first organized by Ann Davis, a former Millard Middle School director. This clinic is designed for new teachers and those just completing their first year of teaching. Five new and two returning teachers attended the sessions. NSBA provides these new directors one night's hotel room and free convention registration.

Joe Lapka, assistant director of bands at Center Grove, Indiana High School presented three sessions entitled 1) "Challenges and Rewards of Small School Programs," 2) "Competition, Keeping Perspective," and 3) "Music Fundamentals." Prior to coming to Center Grove last year, Joe was the Director of Bands for five years at Norwell High School in Ossian, Indiana. Under Lapka's direction, the concert bands at Norwell consistently received superior ratings. While at Norwell, a smaller school, Lapka created a comprehensive chamber music program, and expanded the jazz and percussion curriculums.

Tony Falcone, the Associate Director of Bands at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, presented a clinic entitled "Marching & Concert Percussion." Mr. Falcone, director of the Cornhusker Marching Band, is very active as a marching and concert band clinician, arranger, and adjudicator for school music programs throughout the country. He also serves regularly as a guest conductor for honor bands. He has presented clinics at several state conventions and at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Arranger's Publishing Company and Warner Brothers Publications have published his arrangements. He has also performed across the nation as a percussionist and percussion soloist appearing on national television, radio and in motion pictures

Dr. Paul Harr, Assistant Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, presented a Jazz Session with the Directors' Band. Paul is actively involved as an educator, and has presented featured clinics and master classes at the 31st and 32nd Annual International Association for Jazz Education Conferences, the 59th Annual Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, Tennessee Music Educators Association, Arizona Music Educators Association, Nebraska Music Educators Association, and the North American Saxophone Alliance Region 3 Conference at Drake University. Dr. Harr has contributed articles to such publications as the Tennessee Musician, The Instrumentalist, Jazz Times Magazine, Jazz Times Jazz Education Editions (2003, 2004, 2005) and the Saxophone Journal, where he is a featured columnist.

Lindsey Richmond, the director of the color guard for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhusker Marching Band, the 'pride of all Nebraska," presented a "hands on" auxiliary clinic entitled "Getting started with your Auxiliary Unit." Prior to coming to UNL Lindsey taught color guard in Florida, was a frequent clinician around the country, and marched as a guard soloist in Spirit Drum and Bugle Corps for four years.

Ron Allen of the Kansas City JW Pepper Store compiled the library of music to be read by the Directors' Jazz Band and the Directors' Concert Band. Greg Olsen, band director at Nebraska City, directed the Jazz Reading Session, and Robert Sheldon, active composer, clinician, and guest director, directed the Concert Band Reading Session. Robert Sheldon is an editor for the Alfred Publishing Company, who sponsored his appearance. Mr. Sheldon also presented a session on Friday entitled "Preparing Your Group for Contest."

Two sessions on "Middle Level Sharing" were hosted by Dick Marolf, Scott Middle School, Lincoln; Chris Tucker, Gretna Middle School; and Marla Janek of the Springfield-Platteview School System. Fifteen directors attended these sharing sessions.

Frank Troyka, new director of bands at Berkner High School in Richardson, Texas, was back by popular demand. Mr. Troyka has presented the Saturday "Student Leadership Workshop" for several years. He also presented a participatory clinic for directors on "Marching Fundamentals." Since 1999, Frank had been the Director of Bands at Cypress Falls High School in the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD until moving to Berkner High School in May of 2006. Under his leadership, the Cypress Falls Band was selected as a finalist in the Texas Music Educators Association Honor Band Competition, a featured ensemble at the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival, a featured ensemble at The Midwest Clinic, and was one of only two band programs world-wide to receive the 2005 Sudler Flag of Honor from the John Philip Sousa Foundation. The percussion ensemble was a showcase group at the 2004 Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Nashville, and has captured five state championship titles in concert and marching percussion competition in the Texas Color Guard Circuit percussion division. His association with Nebraska goes back many years to when he was an instructor with the Omaha based Railmen Drum and Bugle Corps.

Tom Jaworski, Adams Central High School in Hastings and the current Nebraska Music Educators Auditions Chairman, hosted an open forum discussion on "NMEA All-State Audition procedures."

Two sessions entitled "Tone Quality Basics" by Lance Nielsen, Lincoln East High School and current NMEA President, and "Repair Basics" by Kevin Palmer of Dietze Music Store in Lincoln concluded the clinic sessions on Friday.

The annual family softball game (OR nap time) concluded the afternoon activities. The convention then moved to downtown Columbus for a catered family picnic followed by a concert by a group called Crossroads. The members of Crossroads are almost all music teachers except for an English teacher and a transport manager at a local fuel company. Members are: Eric Snyder - Instrumental Music Teacher at Wahoo Public, Kim Snyder - High School English Teacher at Wahoo Public, Jason Stevens - Vocal Director at Millard South High School, Julie Baker-Anderson - Vocal Director at Monroe Middle School in Omaha, Brian Botsford - Vocal Director at Bishop Neumann High School in Wahoo, Tom Bankers - Vocal & Instrumental Music Director at Cedar Rapids Public Schools in Cedar Rapids, Nebraska, and Steve Olson - Transport Manager at Opp Oil in Wahoo.

Milt Bemis and his wife of Deli International of Omaha provided the food for the reception and social time in the Pirate's Den.

The convention concluded on Saturday with the Directors' Reading Band and the Student Leadership Workshop.

The 2007 Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Summer Convention will again be held at the New World Inn in Columbus July 5-7. Out of state directors are welcome. For more information about 2007, contact Dr. Neal Schnoor at schnoorn@unk.edu.
.