Mark Spede is the band director at Clemson University and the current president of the College Band Directors National Association. In this episode he shares his story and talks about CBDNA’s role in funding the aerosol study at the University of Colorado. Topics: Mark’s background and musical origin story. His journey from marching band novice to the director of the Clemson University band. Mark’s path to becoming president of CBDNA and the work that the organization has done with the COVID-19 ...
Nov 24, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Season 4Ep. 181
Michael Giannetta is the band director at Oyster Bay High School on Long Island. He has been a band director for 18 years and joins the show to talk about his program and also the Long Island Wind Ensemble. Topics: Michael’s background and the program at Oyster Bay High School. Thoughts about switching beginners. Michael’s experience at the American Band College. Teaching music and band on Long Island as compared to other regions. Links: Long Island Wind Ensemble Grainger: Lincolnshire Posy ----...
Nov 10, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 4Ep. 180
Susan L. Smith has taught general, choral, and instrumental music at the elementary through collegiate level in Florida, Virginia and Alabama and has served as an author, clinician, conductor, and adjudicator across the United States Topics: Susan’s early career and education, including the lessons she learned from her mother, who was a high school band director in Virginia. The importance of teaching the students who are in front of you, especially now when everything is so uncertain from the C...
Nov 02, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 4Ep. 179
Scott Rush is the Director of Fine and Performing Arts in Dorchester School District Two in South Carolina and is the former Director of Bands at Wando High School. He is the lead author of the "Habits" series published by GIA and is an active conductor, adjudicator and clinician. Topics: Scott’s background and early teaching career. Studying with Frank Battisti at the New England Conservatory. How to build a band culture, and the program at Wando High School while Scott was the director. The Ha...
Oct 05, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 4Ep. 178
Nicholas Williams is an Associate Professor of Music, Music Director and Conductor of the Wind Symphony and Concert Band at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. He joins the show to talk about growing up and starting his career in Texas and his recent move to Australia. Topics: Nick’s origin story growing up in Texas, the role of the church in his early musical development, and why his Mom wouldn’t let him play the clarinet. Going to the University of North Texas as an undergraduate and Nick’s...
Sep 22, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 4Ep. 177
Curtis Gaesser has been the band director at Folsom High School in Sacramento, one of the most successful jazz programs in the country, for the past 37 years. Topics: Curtis’ background growing up in Hawai’i and the story of how he ended up at Folsom High School The importance of good administrators. The band program at Folsom High School, particularly the jazz ensembles and choir. What do you do with 51 saxophones? Teaching improvisation. Building a jazz program. Links: Folsom High School Music...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 4Ep. 176
Mike Howard is the band director at Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas. Under his direction, the Vandegrift Band has won numerous awards and honors and most recently was the 2019 BOA Grand National Champion. Topics: Mike’s background in Texas and his early career, including the story of how he opened Vandegrift High School. Advice from Eddie Green as a young band director. Teaching jazz. Advice for those who are looking to build their programs. Links: Mike Howard & the Vandegrift Band G...
Sep 01, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 4Ep. 175
Daniel Morrison is the Director of Bands at Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio, Texas where he and the the bands under his direction have performed at the Midwest Clinic, marched in both the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rose Parade, and been consistent Bands of America Regional, Super Regional and Grand National Finalists. Topics: Daniel’s background growing up in suburban Chicago as the son of a very successful high school band director. The story of how Dan ended up graduating ...
Aug 24, 2020•59 min•Season 4Ep. 174
Scott Edgar is a music education professor and band director at Lake Forest College and the author of Music Education and Social Emotional Learning. Topics: Scott’s background, education, and early teaching positions. The basics of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) The application of SEL concepts at each level of band teaching. Using SEL to teach equity and justice. Creating a safe space for all students in the band room. Scott’s book and other resources for further study in SEL. Links: Scott Edga...
Aug 17, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 4Ep. 173
Christian Michael Folk is a graduate student in music education at the University of South Carolina and the creator of the Diverse Composers of Wind Band Music database. He joins the show to tell the story of his young career and to share the story of how the database came to exist, some of the criticisms he faces, and thoughts about diversity in music education practice. Topics : Christian’s background and his early teaching experiences. The Diverse Composers of Wind Band Music database. A LONG...
Aug 10, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Season 4Ep. 172
Eric Jimenez is a co-host of The Score podcast and assistant band director at Prairie View A&M University. He joins the show for an exceptional conversation about his career, being a Latino band director, and ways that we can create more culturally responsive classrooms. Topics: The score podcast and the story of Eric’s music journey, including the story of being a student at Prairie View A & M, the HBCU traditions, and his early career as a band director. Band director turnover in Title...
Jul 27, 2020•1 hr 47 min•Season 4Ep. 171
Theresa Hoover Ducassoux is the band director at Dorothy Hamm Middle School in Arlington, Virginia and co-author of a forthcoming book titled Pass the Baton: Empowering All Music Students Topics: Theresa tells the story of how she turned her piano skills into an instrumental music education track despite not playing a traditional band instrument. Following in the footsteps of a legend for her first job and the trials and tribulations of that experience. Using Solfege to teach students sound to s...
Jul 20, 2020•53 min•Season 4Ep. 170
Justin McClean is a band director in Houston, Texas and co-host of the “The Score”, which is an urban music education podcast. He joins the show for a very remarkable conversation about how we build a better band community. Topics: Justin’s background story growing up in Texas and the role of the church in his background and why the church is so relevant to so many African-American musicians. Making connections to kids with the music that they listen to and some lessons that Justin took from his...
Jul 14, 2020•1 hr 41 min•Season 4Ep. 169
Major Joseph Hansen is the commander and conductor of the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West based at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California. Topics: Joseph’s early career growing up in Western Colorado and attending Brigham Young University. His early career as a teacher and the story of how he transitioned from teaching in Colorado Springs to joining the Air Force. A broad discussion of the Air Force Bands including careers in the Air Force, the organization the Air Force ba...
Jul 06, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 168
Cheryl Floyd has taught middle school band in Austin, TX for over 30 years and is one of the most highly regarded middle school band directors in the country. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors and has commissioned or been part of the consortium for 14 works for band. Topics: Cheryl's background growing up in Texas, going to Baylor University and starting her career as a teacher. The importance of encouraging students and giving them the type of positive feedback that keeps them ...
Jun 29, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 4Ep. 167
Richard Floyd has been involved in music education for 58 years. His accolades and achievements are too numerous to list and he is a legendary name not only in Texas, but throughout the entire band community. Topics: Richard’s background growing up in the Dallas area, his early band experiences, marching in Eisenhower’s inauguration, and how he got involved in music education. Thoughts about building connections and growing during your career. The Texas band tradition and the University Intersch...
Jun 22, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 166
Andrew David Perkins is a band director and composer. He joins the show and offers a very clear-eyed view of our profession and offers some wisdom and advice earned from his own career. Topics: Andy’s background, his early high school teaching experiences and how being in Phantom Regiment and the Michigan State Marching Band helped to shape his success teaching a marching band. The balance between over programming and under programming and how it can set students up for success or failure. Movin...
Jun 15, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 165
Robert Ambrose is the director of bands at Georgia State University, the conductor of the Atlanta Chamber Winds and the National Chamber Winds, founder of the Digital Director's Lounge, and is the chair of the CBDNA Covid-19 Response Committee. Topics: Robert’s journey from guitarist to college band director and all of the people who took an interest in his career and helped to push him along. Having the courage to ask for what you want and a brief discussion of impostor syndrome. The band progr...
Jun 01, 2020•1 hr 36 min•Season 4Ep. 164
Aaron Perrine is a composer and two-time winner of the American Bandmasters Association Sousa/Ostwald Award. He joins the show to talk about his career and shares some remarkable anecdotes from his journey so far. Topics: Aaron’s daughter and keeping kids motivated during the period of online learning. Aaron’s background in music and growing up in Minnesota as the grandson and son of band directors. Aaron’s experiences at the University of Minnesota Morris and the importance of jazz in his music...
May 26, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 163
Oscar Dames is a music educator in Nassau, Bahamas where he serves as a lecturer at the University of the Bahamas after recently retiring as the band director of C.R. Walker Senior High School. He has a fascinating story and is also the author of book titled Oscar's A+ Band Director Guide: A Veteran Band Teacher's Guide to Teaching Music. Topics: The unique logistical challenges of living and teaching in the Bahamas and the nature of the school situation in the islands. Oscar’s background growin...
May 18, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Season 4Ep. 162
Travis Cross is the director of the wind ensemble and the Chair of Music at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. He is a champion for greater diversity in the band community and an especially strong advocate for Asian composers, conductors, and teachers. Topics: Adopted from Korea as a baby, Travis grew up in a middle class home in the middle of Iowa. He tells the story of how his choir teacher pushed him to take a trip to see Starlight Express in Des Moines and how it changed his life. How he ...
May 12, 2020•1 hr 42 min•Season 4Ep. 161
Adrian Barnes is a music education professor at Rowan University. He joins the show for a discussion about his career and culturally responsive teaching. Topics: How hip hop and growing up playing music in the church were foundational experiences to Adrian’s musical career and how an important teacher helped him put it all together. Adrian’s experiences at Bethune-Cookman and Florida State University before his first job in Manatee County, Florida. Going back to earn his doctorate at Texas Tech ...
May 04, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 160
Julie Giroux joins the show to talk about her remarkable career as a composer and orchestrator as well as her generosity, love of video games, and diversity in music. Topics: Julie’s background growing up in Louisiana and how she went from playing the piano by ear to Los Angeles orchestrating for one of the biggest mini-series of the 1980’s just days after her graduation from LSU. Some stories and anecdotes from her time writing for film and television, including the why she stopped playing her ...
Apr 27, 2020•1 hr 55 min•Season 4Ep. 159
Craig Kirchhoff is emeritus professor of conducting at the University of Minnesota. He joins the show to offer advice about conducting and teaching, and to discuss a career that included working with Frederick Fennell and the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra. Topics: Craig’s lakefront cabin on the Canadian border and the legacy of Jim Croft. Craig’s background and training growing up in Milwaukee, some early teachers that influenced his career, and his first teaching jobs. Thoughts about teacher prepa...
Apr 20, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Season 4Ep. 158
Colonel Jason K. Fettig is the 28th Director of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. In this episode we discuss his career, the Marine Band, and even talk performance practice for Sousa marches. Topics: Jason’s background growing up as a clarinet player and what are some of the important early lessons he learned. The audition process for the Marine Band and the story of how he almost didn’t go to the audition and how he was able to finish up his student teaching after winning that gi...
Apr 13, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 4Ep. 157
Randall Coleman is the Associate Director of Bands at the University of Alabama and the director of the exceptional Alabama Winds. Topics: Randall’s background growing up just north of Birmingham, Alabama and his journey back to the University of Alabama. The impact of that the football success of Nick Saban has had on the music program and Alabama’s Million Dollar Band. The Alabama Winds and the their stunning performance at the 2017 Midwest Clinic. Good advice about communication with administ...
Apr 06, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 4Ep. 156
Mickey Smith Jr. is as inspirational a music educator as you will ever meet. He is a middle school band director in Louisiana and the most recent recipient of the Grammy Music Educator Award. Topics: Growing up in a “forgotten town” in Louisiana and how he started out practicing his saxophone outside in the forest and how it took him out of that town and into a career. “You can con a con, fool a fool, but you can never kid a kid” - A conversation on perspective. “First Days, Lasting Ways” and th...
Mar 30, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Season 4Ep. 155
Anthony Mazzaferro was the band director at Fullerton College for 29 years. He joins the show to talk about his current career and his current gig at the Orange County School of the Arts. Topics: Anthony’s background and the story of how he ended up with a Navy surplus tuba and a career was born. Studying conducting with John Paynter at Northwestern and some tips for score study. Earning his doctorate at Arizona State University and studying tuba with Dan Perantoni and conducting with Richard St...
Mar 23, 2020•53 min•Season 4Ep. 154
David Biedenbender is an Assistant Professor of Composition at Michigan State and a member of the Blue Dot Collective. He joins the show to talk about his music and share his thoughts about composing for band. Topics: David’s background growing up in Michigan and learning music by watching his mother play organ, and how a high school band director gave him his first big break that led to him studying music. Studying at Central Michigan University and how he didn’t write a single band piece while...
Mar 16, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 4Ep. 153
Damien Crutcher is the founder of Crescendo Detroit and the conductor of the Farmington Community Band, Civic Concert Band, and the Detroit Community Concert Band. He joins the show to share the stories of the remarkable people in his life and the decisions to help make his home city of Detroit an even better better musical place. Topics: Damien’s early story growing up in Detroit including going to the legendary Cass Technical High School and meeting a horn teacher that changed the course of hi...
Mar 10, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 152
