47th Annual Convention
Feb. 28-March 1, 2008
Embassy Suites, Lincoln, NE

2008 Clinicians & Sessions

The Soul of the Big Band: The Rhythm Section – Steve Houghton – Clinician
This session will focus on developing a strong rhythm section for your big band, combo, or vocal jazz group. The individual roles of each member will be discussed and demonstrations of all the important styles ( jazz, rock and Latin) will be presented. Rhythm section concepts, listening suggestions, practice routines, and performance tips will also be addressed through performance. A must for players and jazz directors . . . or future jazz directors. This session is sponsored by Alfred Publishing.

Steve Houghton is one of the most versatile percussionists in the business. Be it big band, small combo, fusion or orchestra, Houghton has amassed an unusual amount of professional experience. After studies at North Texas State University, Houghton began his professional career with the Woody Herman Band at the age of 20. Since then, he has performed and recorded with an impressive list of players including Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Billy Childs, Scott Henderson, Jeff Berlin, Lyle Mays and Carl Fontana. Steve is a highly sought-after clinician and enjoys a busy and exciting studio schedule in Los Angeles, recording music for TV, movies and jingles. Houghton is also on the board of directors of the Percussive Arts Society and co-chairman of the International Association of Jazz Educators. He endorses Pearl/Adams, Zildjian, Calato, Innovative Percussion and Remo products.

Diagnostic Instrumental Assessment Tools:
Maximizing the Potential for Beginners’ Success.
– Glenn Nierman – Clinician
You would not accept a recommendation from your doctor unless he/she had done some careful preliminary diagnostic testing. Why should the parents of beginning instrumentalists expect anything less from us? This session will preview tools designed to assess steady beat, timbre preference, aptitude, and eye-hand coordination soon to be on the market.

Dr. Glenn Nierman (Associate Director & Steinhart Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. BM, Washburn, 1972; MM, Cincinnati, 1977; DME, Cincinnati, 1979) has authored numerous journal articles and made multiple presentations at MENC and ISME Conferences. Dr. Nierman has recently authored a chapter in The New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning published by Oxford University Press, and four of his articles on assessment appear in MENC’s Spotlight on Assessment. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education and currently President-Elect of the MENC North Central Division. He has received the University’s Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award and the Steinhart Distinguished Endowed Professorship.

Rehearsing in Rhythm – Jeremy Lane – Clinician with the Doane Symphonic Band
This session describes and models an engaging approach to teaching that provides multiple benefits for both teacher and student. The many benefits to this approach include increased time on task for students, increased opportunities for teacher feedback, and simple, effective ways to assess and evaluate students during full ensemble rehearsal. 

NSBA is grateful to Dr. Jay Gilbert and Doane College for financial support
to make today’s clinic possible and to the members of the Doane Symphonic Band for sharing their time and talents.

Meaningful Assessment – Jeremy Lane – Clinician
This session provides several techniques for obtaining meaningful information from students, and communicating this information to students, parents, and colleagues. Included are descriptions of evaluation and assessment tools using a backwards design approach, and the resulting benefits for the band director and the band program. 

Dr. Jeremy Lane teaches courses in music education and research at the University of South Carolina. Other duties include supervision of student teachers and sponsoring the USC student chapter of MENC. In addition to his duties at USC, Dr. Lance recently formed the Congaree New Horizons Band, a group that provides opportunities for adults age 50 and over to learn to play a band instruments. He is a graduate of New Mexico State University and Baylor University, and holds the Ph.D. in Music Education from Louisiana State University. Prior to his appointment at USC, Dr. Lane taught instrumental music in the Texas public schools. Dr. Lane has published research in leading journals, including the Journal of Research in Music Education, and has presented research at numerous conventions in South Carolina, Texas, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His research interests include instrumental conducting, teacher effectiveness, and qualitative methods in music education. He has been elected College Division President for the South Carolina Music Educators Association, and organized the research activities for the Southern Division MENC Conference in 2007.

Successful Strategies for Exceptional Learners in
Instrumental Music – Kevin Mixon – Clinician
Every student counts!  Field-tested modifications, adaptations, and other practical solutions will be shared that will help directors meet challenges presented by diverse learners and help them become productive, valued members of the instrumental music ensemble. 

Alternate Rehearsal Techniques for Beginners –
Kevin Mixon – Clinician
Frustrated with the progress of your beginning instrumental music students?  Strategies will be shared to help
you teach music notation reading while reinforcing executive skills, introduce improvisation and composition
while reinforcing performance skills, and account for diverse learning styles in order to maximize rehearsal time and student learning. Kevin Mixon's sessions are sponsored by Alfred Publishing.

Kevin Mixon's compositions for band and orchestra are rapidly gaining international recognition. Written for all age levels, his pieces are available exclusively through Alfred Publishing Company Inc. He is author of a forthcoming book entitled Reaching and Teaching All Instrumental Music Students and also a contributing author for Perspectives on Music in Urban Schools (both MENC: The National Association for Music Education Publications, available in Spring 2006). Several of his articles have appeared in Music Educators Journal, Teaching Music, The Instrumentalist, and The National Band Association Journal. As a clinician, Mr. Mixon is in high demand and regularly presents sessions at state and national conventions including The Midwest Clinic and MENC regional and national conferences. His clinic topics include instrumental music in urban and rural schools, instrumental music for special learners, and alternate rehearsal techniques. He began his teaching career in rural schools in Illinois and currently teaches instrumental music at Blodgett K-8 School, Syracuse City Schools, New York. His urban instrumental groups have received the highest ratings at regional festivals and have been honored by the Syracuse City Schools and the New York State Band Directors Association for achievement. Mr. Mixon holds degrees, summa cum laude, from Syracuse University and the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign).

Vocal Tips and Strategies for Instrumental Teachers
– David Sackschewsky – Clinician
This session is designed for instrumental directors who also teach choir and/or those instrumental directors that perform band literature featuring vocal parts. Participants will learn a variety of strategies that will enable students to easily sing more maturely. They will also leave with a packet that has at least 8-10 years worth of songs to program, warm-up books, recommended CDs, easy voice techniques to utilize in rehearsals, and tips to help make it through the year in choir or skillfully perform band literature with vocal sections.

David Sackschewsky is Director of Choirs at Northwest High School in Grand Island where he conducts seven choirs with over 300 students. He also teaches Music Theater Coaching, drama, and oversees the private voice studios of over 100 students with five voice teachers. In 2000, Sackschewsky was selected as the Outstanding Young Choral Director of the Year by NCDA and in 2002, was awarded the Outstanding Young Music Educator of the Year by NMEA. In 2004, he was chosen and filmed as a model teacher for the production of the Educator’s Virtual Mentor, used across the nation for an internet based teaching website. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater Performance from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and a Master in Music Education degree from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Teaching and Conducting: Making Ourselves DISPENSABLE
– Dennis Glocke – Clinician
The old adage “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man HOW to fish and he eats for a lifetime” can and should be applied to the teaching and conducting of music. This session will explore ways conductors can empower their students, providing them with the skills and knowledge necessary to enjoy a lifetime of making and appreciating great music.

Dennis Glocke was appointed Director of Concert Bands at the Pennsylvania State University in 1996. He earned degrees in conducting from Northwestern University, where he studied with John P. Paynter, and in music education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where his principal conducting teachers were H. Robert Reynolds and Eugene Corporon. Prior to joining the Penn State faculty, Mr. Glocke was Associate Director of Bands at the University of Michigan, Director of Bands at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and a band director in the Oconomowoc (WI) public schools. Mr. Glocke is frequently invited to serve as a guest conductor and clinician throughout the United States. His ensembles have performed at the Eastern Division Conference of the College Band Directors National Association, the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association State Conference and the Mid-West Clinic in Chicago. The Penn State Symphonic Wind Ensemble was invited to open the2005 Flicorno D’Oro international band festival in Riva del Garda, Italy, the first American band to be so honored. He has also conducted and taught at the Michigan All-State program at Interlochen, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Summer Music Camp, the Point Music Camp of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the Iron County (MI) Band Camp, the Band Conductor’s Art conducting workshop of the University of Michigan, and Summer Music at Penn State.

Finding the Perfect Match/Then What Do You Do? – Diane Lewis & Julie Krueger – Clinicians
Tips on how to match beginners with the right instruments. What should those first couple of lessons look like? Diane and Julie will share ideas on how to best match up beginners and the right instrument choice. Once the students have selected their instruments – where do you go next?

Julie Krueger received her Bachelor of Music in Education degree in 1982 from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has been teaching for 25 years. Julie has taught in the Lincoln Public Schools since 1985. Her teaching assignments have included Holmes, Sheridan, Riley, McPhee, Hartley and Dawes Elementary schools. Currently, she teaches 5th grade band and lessons at Cavett Elementary and 6th grade band and lessons at Scott Middle School. In December 1998, School Band and Orchestra listed Julie as the Nebraska teacher in their report titled “50 Directors Who Make A Difference”. Julie performs regularly with the Lincoln Municipal Band and has a private clarinet studio. She is a member of MENC/NMEA and NSBA. Julie’s husband Bob is also an instrumental music teacher in LPS. They have three children that keep them very busy. Paul is a sophomore music education major at UNL, Tommy is a senior at Lincoln Southeast High School and Kayla is a eighth grader at Scott Middle School.

Diane Lewis received her Bachelor of Music in Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1986. In 1987, as part of her Master’s Degree, she participated in a middle school intern project which was a joint venture between Lincoln Public Schools and UN-L. Diane was awarded her Master in Education in 1993 and completed her certification in Educational Administration in 2004. Diane has taught in LPS since 1988. Her teaching assignments have included Humann, Hawthorne, Saratoga, Clinton, Lakeview, and Dawes Elementaries. Currently, she teaches 6th grade band and lessons at Pound Middle School, and 5th grade band and lessons at Rousseau Elementary. Diane has team taught the LPS Summer Band for 5th/6th grade instrumentalists in 1999, and 2001-2006. She has also been a clinician/counselor for Mid-America’s “SuperCamp” in 1988-1990, and 2002-2005. In 1990, Diane received the Jack R. Snider Young Director Award from the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association. Diane has been a member of the 43rd Army Band of the Nebraska National Guard since 1986 and currently is the Concert Coordinator/Concert Promoter for the unit. Additionally, Diane is a member of MENC/NMEA, NSBA, and ASCD. Diane resides in Unadilla with her husband, Clayton and two daughters, Kirsten and Corryn.