NSBA STATE CONCERT BAND FESTIVAL
STRAUSS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA - OMAHA
APRIL 14, 2012

Application Deadline: Feb. 25, 2012

CONCERT BAND FESTIVAL APPLICATION

EVALUATION FORM

PREVIOUS REPERTOIRE

It’s not too soon to be thinking about the NSBA Concert Band Festival 2012!

Yes, you do want your ensemble to participate in the annual NSBA Concert Band Festival. Why? Because you want the best for your band, and you want your band to be the best it can be. Where else can you get supportive and constructive commentary from excellent clinicians of national reputation, plus a high quality digital recording of your ensemble in performance, plus a video of your band at work in rehearsal, all for an amazingly low cost? Nowhere. You can look in all fifty states and you won't find a better value for your educational dollar. Administrators appreciate a sound investment, and this is the single best investment in the sound of your band that you can make this year – guaranteed.

What is the NSBA Concert Band Festival?

The Nebraska State Bandmasters Association sponsors an annual non-competitive festival for high school and middle school concert bands. The 2012 event will be April 14th in the Strauss Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Participants include bands from across the state of Nebraska, with guest clinicians selected from music educators around the country. A pair of clinicians record helpful commentary during each performance while a third clinician works with each band in an informal rehearsal setting. Every performance is also recorded direct to CD without commentary, and each clinic/rehearsal is video recorded as a helpful resource for students and directors alike. The variety and depth of feedback to each ensemble is an invaluable tool for musical growth, and the experience of performing for discerning yet supportive clinicians without the pressure of ratings or rankings helps build confidence and artistry.

Who are the clinicians for 2012?

Dr. R. Mark Heidel is Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music in the School of Music at The University of Iowa where he conducts the Symphony Band, teaches graduate courses in conducting and wind band literature, guides the graduate band conducting program, and coordinates the University of Iowa band program. Ensembles under Dr. Heidel's direction have performed at state, regional, and national conferences including those of the College Band Directors National Association, Music Educators National Conference, Wisconsin Music Educators Association, Illinois Music Educators Association, and National Band Association-Wisconsin Chapter. He has also led concert tours to Ireland and England as well as throughout the upper Midwest. A native of Texas, Heidel holds the Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Conducting from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas as well as the Doctor of Education in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to his appointment to The University of Iowa faculty in 2008, Dr. Heidel served as Director of Bands at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, and as a teaching assistant in the School of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition to his university teaching experiences, Heidel was a high school band director in Texas for nine years.

Dr. Steven D. Davis is Director of Bands and Wind Ensembles, Associate Professor of Conducting, Conservatory Faculty and Large Ensembles Chair, and Conductor of the Conservatory Wind Symphony. He coordinates the graduate program in wind ensemble conducting and guides all aspects of the UMKC band program. He is the founding director of the UMKC Wind Band Teaching Symposium, one of the largest summer conducting symposiums of its type in the country. He is also the conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the Kansas City Youth Symphony. Davis is conductor of newEar, Kansas City's professional contemporary chamber ensemble. He also regularly conducts the Kansas City Symphony Brass. Before joining the UMKC faculty, he was the Associate Director of University Bands at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Douglas R. Overmier is in his second year as Director of Bands at Northwest Missouri State University where he is responsible for all aspects of the band program. Prior to his appointment at NMSU, he was Director of Bands and Instructor of Percussion at the University of West Georgia, and Director of Percussion Studies at Angelo State University in Texas. He has held teaching positions in Ohio's public schools, as well as Concord College, North Carolina State University, and Meredith College. Dr. Overmier holds a Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music from Ohio University, as well as a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. As a performer, Overmier has appeared with nationally renowned artists including Steve Houghton, Dizzy Gillespie, Mary Wilson, and David Samuels as well as in drum corps, recording studios, and with national touring productions of musicals and operas. His numerous performance credits include The North Carolina Symphony, Triangle Opera Company Orchestra, North Carolina Wind Symphony, the West Virginia Symphony, San Angelo Symphony and Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra. He is a published composer of band, jazz, and percussion works and has authored numerous articles.

How can my band apply to participate in the festival?

An invitation will be emailed to your school in January. You may also check the NSBA website for information and application forms (http://www.nsbma.org). Participation in the festival will be limited so get your application and $150 registration fee in early. Bands are selected on a first come, first served basis until all the time slots are filled. There are no quotas or preferences given based on school size, age, or ability of ensemble – all are welcome.
If you have not previously participated in the Concert Band Festival, I encourage you to apply. Your students will have the opportunity to perform in a wonderful venue, hear some truly outstanding performances and work with some of the nations best clinicians. If you have participated in the Concert Band Festival in the past, I hope you found it rewarding and are planning to join us again in 2012.
That’s it. No gimmicks – just a great festival. If you have questions or would like to request an application, contact Carolyn Barber, cbarber2@unl.edu (402) 472-2505.