the iowa bandmaster magazine · • the magazine editor, robert gower’s editorial promoted the...

TheIowa Bandmaster Magazine

Winter Issue 2018

The Iowa Bandmaster 1

Iowa Bandmaster MagazineDeadlines

Conference Issue ..........................March 2, 2018 Summer Issue .................................. June 8, 2018

Magazine StaffEditor

Dick Redman1016 Fountain View Dr.

Pella, Iowa 50219641-628-9380 (H)

[email protected]

Festival ResultsDenise Graettinger

1307 Country Meadows Dr.Waverly, IA 50677319-352-4003 (H)319-352-2087 (S)

[email protected]

AdvertisingChad Allard

434 Stoney Creek Rd NWCedar Rapids, IA 52405

319-521-1449 (H)319-558-4602 (S)

[email protected]

District NewsElaine Menke

1130 Rolling Hills Ct.Norwalk, Iowa 50211

515-669-5526 (H)515-669-5526 (S)

[email protected]

“We are the Music-Makers” “We are the Dreamers of Dreams”

COMMITTEE CHAIRSCONFERENCE EQUIPMENT

JAYSON GERTHNATHAN SLETTEN

CONFERENCE EXHIBITSCHRIS STROHMAIERJENNIFER WILLIAMS

ELECTIONSJERRY BERTRAND

HISTORIANMARY CRANDELL

PARLIAMENTARIANFRED STARK

WEBMASTERELIZABETH FRITZ

MENTORSHIP COORDINATORJIM FRITZ

ELEMENTARY AFFAIRSAUDRA BAILEY

J.H./M.S. AFFAIRSJILL DOBEL

CONCERT BAND AFFAIRSCARL COLLINS

MARCHING BAND AFFAIRSSCOTT WEBER

JAZZ BAND AFFAIRSRYAN MEYER

COLLEGE AFFAIRSMARK DOERFFEL

I.B.A.R.D.PAUL BRIZZI

MAJOR LANDERSDIANE TORDOFF

MENTORSHIP CHRIS EWAN

ENDOWMENT FUNDGENE GROSS

PUBLIC RELATIONSDANNY KLEINHEINZ

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENTDIANNE ABOUD

STUDENT AFFAIRSGRACE SCHEBLER

TECHNOLOGYCHARLES OLDENKAMP

DISTRICT PRESIDENTSNORTHWEST

JOSEPH VANNATTA

NORTH CENTRALJOAN PHILGREEN

NORTHEASTKYLE ENGELHARDT

SOUTHWESTCOURTNEY RIDGE

SOUTH CENTRALJENNIFER WILLIAMS

SOUTHEASTCRAIG McCLENAHAN

HONORARY MEMBERSRAY E. CRAMERMARK S. KELLY

Iowa Bandmasters Association, Inc.Promoting excellence in bands through professional development,

mentorship, performance and advocacy.www.bandmasters.org

CONTENTSPresident’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 7President-Elect’s Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Iowa Bandmaster Office & Awards Candidates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20Statewide Recommended Standards for Fine Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21In the Spotlight – West Lyon Community Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-24Circus Music Comes Alive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Band Talk with Jim & Liz Fritz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-28They Continue to Serve – Dalene O’Brien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29College Coroner: Creating Engaged Listeners by Erin Bodnar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31Meet the New IBA Committee Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Karl King Scholarship Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332017 All-State Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-36Award of Merit Plaque Order Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37IBA Conference Pre-Registration Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38SAI Scholarship and Outstanding Administrator Application Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39IBARD Retired Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Iowa Community Bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-43In Memoriam – Roger Claypool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44District News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45-47Festival Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50-52Jazz Band Festival Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53-54Financial Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55-58IBA Annual Fall Meeting Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59-68

ADVERTISERSCedar Valley Fundraising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Central College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Drake University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Drake University Clarinet Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Graceland University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1IASMD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Iowa Lakes Community College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63ISU Department of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Morningside College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front CoverRay’s Midbell Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Rieman Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Schmitt Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54St. Ambrose University Music Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Tubador Enterprises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47University of Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21University of Northern Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Wartburg College. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back CoverWest Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Yamaha Corporation of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

IBA MAGAZINE-OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IOWA BANDMASTERS ASSOCIATIONVol. 76 published by Pella Printing Co., Inc., Pella, Iowa 50219 NO. 3

2 The Iowa Bandmaster

PAST PRESIDENTRUSSELL KRAMER

MAGAZINE EDITORDICK REDMAN

PRESIDENTMYRON PETERSON

7005 FRANKLIN AVE.WINDSOR HEIGHTS, IA 50324

PRESIDENT-ELECTJANE TRIPLETT

865 GROUSE LANENORTH LIBERTY, IA 52317

SECRETARYSTEVEN COOK

TREASURERAARON NUSS


On A Mission – Part VIIShow of hands. Who feels the following statement would be true? Wow, it’s great to have the IBA archives in my house.This may come with regret down the road, but yours truly is raising his hand.

The 1968 volumes of The Iowa Bandmaster Magazine, which are celebrating their 50th birthday this year, have a story to tell. What progress has the IBA made over the course of 50 years? Where is the IBA headed in the next 50 years?

For starters, here are some interesting facts from IBA 1968:• IBA Membership was $5.00• The Major Landers Scholarship winner received $300.00• The magazine editor, Robert Gower’s editorial promoted the idea of building IBA’s membership to 1000 (from 679).

• A hot topic was the debate to keep or move away from mandatory solo memorization for state solo contest. The argument: What’s more important, memorizing facts or learning concepts?

• Our good friend Leonard Upham published an article on the Title I Band Project in the Crestwood Schools. It was one of two Title I projects approved in Iowa in 1966.

• The “convention” was held at the Savory Hotel in Des Moines from May 30-June 1, 1968.• The convention program contained a total of 24 performances, sessions and meetings.• At the convention, there was a mixer on Friday night for “all members and Lady guests.”

As character John Keating (played by Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society) said, “Thank you, Mr. Perry, for this stroll down amnesia lane.”

What progress has IBA made in the last 50 years?• Thankfully, we don’t use phrases like “Lady guests” anymore. Reading that phrase in the 1968 convention

schedule was quite strident. It was the inspiration for researching the following statistics. In 1968, IBA’s membership was 11% women – 89% men; men occupied all of the listed leadership positions. Today IBA’s membership is approximately 35% women – 65% men; today’s leadership mirrors that ratio with 32% of the leadership positions held by women. This is a step in the right direction. Let’s take more steps. (Thank you, Secretary Steve Cook, for researching this previously uncounted demographic.)

• The Major Landers Scholarship now invests $7500 annually in our future music educators, with $2000 going to the top recipient each year. (That’s a 2400% increase in 50 years.)

• IBA’s membership as January 4, 2018 is 1027.• Under President Kramer’s leadership the 90th Annual Conference included 24 live performances, 56 clinic

sessions, and too many meetings to count.• The Friday night mixer, and every function of the IBA, is open to all.

What progress will IBA make in the next 50 years?Time will tell. Perhaps in light of IBA’s new mission statement, progress will take the form of increased devel-opment of grass roots advocacy tools and support. Maybe IBA will develop additional high-quality performance opportunities to promote excellence in bands. And hopefully, IBA’s membership and leadership will fully reflect the demographic diversity of our state and communities. Two things are for sure:1. Even if we don’t see it from day to day, or if we hold steadfastly in tradition, progress has been made.2. We, the members of IBA, are the drivers of future progress – and driving is done most effectively moving forward.

The 91st Annual ConferenceIn the last Iowa Bandmaster Magazine, we introduced a few key players for the 91st Annual Conference – and promised there was more to their stories.Dr. Karl Paulnack, Dean of Music at Ithaca College will serve as our keynote speaker.Dr. Rebecca Phillips, Director of Bands at Colorado State University, will serve as our young conductor’s clinician.The Des Moines Symphony Winds will present the headline concert.

President’s MessageBy Myron Peterson

u continued on page 7


Don’t Forget to Make Reservations for the Annual IBA Spring Conference May 10-12, 2018.

Happy New Year 2018 to friends and colleagues! At the risk of sounding cliché, let us make 2018 the best year yet. While

many people are setting goals to exercise more, eat better or spend more time with family and friends…let us discuss ways to enhance our ability to inspire students. It is never too early or late in our careers to adjust the sails and try new things. Let me suggest you put the IBA Conference and Midwest Clinics (Chicago) on your 2018 calendar. These two events will make an undeniable difference in your efforts to impact students.

Whether you have taught two years or 32 years (speaking from experience on the latter), attending these conferences will be inspiring and add to your toolbox as a teacher. See if your school or booster organization can support you financially or include the expenses on your taxes. It is worth every penny. I have heard many colleagues refer to the Midwest Clinics as the “IBA Conference on steroids”. This is one of the best in the country and all within driving distance of Iowa!

Last year at the Midwest Clinics, my friend and I were sharing titles of various tunes that worked well with our concert bands. She mentioned, “any tune by Rob Grice works well”. Someone leaned over and said, “glad to hear”. Yes, it was Rob Grice. What a great opportunity to meet and talk to a composer, who creates the music for our classrooms. Meanwhile, Greg Pattillo was flute beatboxing at an exhibit booth, while Patrick Sheridan was rocking on his tuba in the lobby. Composers Ralph Hultgren, Johann DeMeij, and Jan Vander Roost travel abroad to visit with directors. Our Iowa music publisher, Barnhouse Music Publishers, always has a line up of composers to meet and greet you at their exhibit booth, including Ed Huckeby, James Swearingen, David Shaffer, Paul Clark, and Robert W. Smith, just to name a few. Doc Severinsen at 90 years old played an amazing concert with the Elmhurst College Jazz Band directed by Doug Beach. We can only dream about these events, unless we reach out and experience the Midwest Clinics.

Many clinics were outstanding this year, but two in particular will influence my instruction. I have already contacted these clinicians to present at our IBA Conference in 2019. Steve Smith from Hal Leonard Music Publishing in Wisconsin presented ideas about intonation to utilize with grades 5-12. University of Iowa graduate, Cormac Cannon, shared terrific approaches to balance family and music as well as making rehearsals the center of your music life.

So, start planning now to attend the IBA Conference and Midwest Clinics in 2018. You will never regret it. Meanwhile, during the course of winter and spring, please invite nearby directors and college professors to work with your ensembles. Learn from the best as you enhance your students’ musical knowledge and experience. As a dear colleague taught me, we want to create kind, loving and intelligent students because someday they will be our neighbors, doctors, nurses, lawyers, and dentists. Bottom line, all of our music making will certainly make the world a better place.

President-Elect’s ThoughtsBy Jane Triplett


On A Mission – Part VII (continued)

What else?These three often disparate pieces of the conference will converge in a massive artistic collaboration on Thursday evening. In addition to advising our young conductors, Dr. Phillips will also conduct the Des Moines Symphony Winds concert. In addition to serving as keynote speaker, Dr. Paulnack will also be the featured guest pianist for the headline concert.

Headline Concert Repertoire:Dukas: Fanfare from “La Peri” Dvorak: Serenade in D MinorKurka: Suite “The Good Soldier Schweik”Daugherty: Desi with guest pianist Dr. Karl Paulnack

But wait, there’s more. The concert will also feature a World Premier Commission for Piano and Winds by composer James David, featuring Dr. Paulnack on piano.

Additionally, Dr. Paulnack will present a unique and inspiring session on Fulfilling Your Personal Mission In Life, and Dr. Phillips will present a truly refreshing session on the Individual Development of Ears, Hearts, and Minds in the Large Ensemble. Both of these sessions target musicians and music educators at all levels.

Even more spotlight sessions will be presented by Richard Saucedo, Scott Casagrande, Brian Covey, Frank Troyka, Dean Sorenson, and Antonio Garcia to name a few. Furthermore, the JEI All-State Jazz Band Clinicians (plus one) will perform as a quartet at the Friday night mixer. These are Sherrie Maricle, Alexa Tarantino, and Robert Washut.

RecognitionIf it’s possible to imagine a moment when you actually have a moment, go to the IBA website (bandmasters.org), log in, click on the “resources” menu and select “The Bandmaster Magazine Archive.” Here you will find most of the Iowa Bandmaster Magazines published from 1938-1947 and 2002-2017. Special thanks to IBA Historian Mary Crandell for her diligent digital work scanning the IBA archives one issue at a time. Thanks also to Webmaster Liz Fritz for making space on the website to house this important piece of IBA’s history. This work is ongoing. Check back occasionally to enjoy a “stroll down amnesia lane.”

For most musicians, it is natural to look forward. What’s next? When’s the next performance? Every once in a while, it’s also healthy to pause and look back at all that has been accomplished so far – and be proud.

Until the next time, enjoy the stroll. – Myron Peterson

Pictured in its entirety is the 41st Annual IBA Convention Program from 1968.


IBA ELECTIONS 2018Jerry BertrandElections Chair

The following are candidates for the of-fices and awards that will be presented at the 2018 IBA Conference. District nomi-nees are as follows:

PRESIDENT-ELECTNorth Central: No CandidateNortheast: Jim MillerNorthwest: No CandidateSouth Central: Jayson GerthSoutheast: No CandidateSouthwest: Ruben Newell

TREASURERSince the position of IBA Treasurer was recently appointed, there will be no confirmation vote for this position in 2018.

IBA MAGAZINE EDITORConfirmation vote for this position in the 2019 election.

SECRETARYConfirmation vote for this position in the 2020 election.

KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHEDSERVICE AWARD – ACTIVENorth Central: Paul BloomquistNortheast: David LangNorthwest: Kurt SchwarckSouth Central: Jacquelyn MeunierSoutheast: Tara DaurerSouthwest: Jeff Schoening

KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHEDSERVICE AWARD – RETIREDNorth Central: Tim MillerNortheast: David LawNorthwest: Greg ForneySouth Central: Scott KeeseSoutheast: Ron CoberleySouthwest: Terry Hanzlik

Electronic voting will begin on March 15 and close April 1.

Requests for paper ballots must be made and postmarked to Jerry Bertrand by March 1:

Jerry BertrandBuena Vista University610 West 4th StStorm Lake, IA 50588

NEIBA CANDIDATE FOR IBA PRESIDENT-ELECT

Jim Miller

CURRENT TEACHING ASSIGNMENT:Jim is in his 17th year of managing the

band program at Cedar Rapids Washing-ton High School. Teaching assignments include the wind symphony, marching band, small ensembles/choirs, and brass, woodwind and percussion lessons. He also serves as Fine Arts Department Chair.

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:Jim began his career in Montezuma,

Iowa and then moved to Bellevue. Jim has taught in Class 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A schools which allows for great insight into the unique challenges and opportuni-ties associated with each setting. He has experience teaching at all levels of sec-ondary music grades 5 – 12. Following his years at Bellevue, Jim was Director of Bands at D.C. Everest High School in Schofield, Wisconsin, teaching several concert bands, jazz band and marching band. He spent six years on the horn staff with the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps. In 1989, Jim accepted the position of Direc-tor of Bands and Fine Arts Department Head for Ponderosa High School (Parker, Colorado) in suburban Denver, invest-ing 12 years in the highly competitive program. The Ponderosa Marching Band consistently earned a top-three standing and was state champion several times as well as earning international recognition, featured in the 1999 St. Patrick’s Day

Parade (Dublin, Ireland) and the Limmerick (Ireland) International Band Festival. The marching band enjoyed performance opportunities as the featured half time band for the NFL Denver Broncos.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:Jim graduated from Dysart-Geneseo

High School in 1976 (now Union HS) learning trombone while playing in his father’s band, John Miller. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Wartburg College (Waverly, Iowa) and obtained a Master of Arts degree from Adams State College (Alamosa, Colorado).

HONORS AND AWARDS:Under Jim’s direction, the Wind Sym-

phony at Cedar Rapids Washington has performed as the selected 4A band at the IBA Conference five times, with those honors coming in 2003, 2007, 2010, 2014 and 2015. In 2008 the Wind Symphony was selected to perform at the National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Wind Symphony has been invited multiple times to the University of Northern Iowa to participate in the wind band clinic. Jim has conducted honor bands across the state including the Northern Festival of Bands at the University of Northern Iowa and the Iowa State Honor Band. Jim was named an Outstanding Teacher of Instrumental Music in the Douglas Co. School Dis-trict (Colorado) for three consecutive years. Jim has been honored by NEIBA receiving the Phillip Sehmann Excel-lence in Teaching award in 2008 and the Karl King Distinguished Service Active Award in 2011 and 2012.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS:

Jim is active as a clinician and judge throughout Iowa. He is currently or was previously a member of the Wisconsin Bandmasters Association, Music Educa-tors National Conference, the Colorado Bandmasters Association, and the Iowa Bandmasters Association. Jim served as president of the Northeast Iowa Bandmas-ters Association.

Iowa Bandmaster Office & Awards CandidatesJerry Bertrand, Elections Chair


FAMILY:Jim met his wife Pam while teaching

with the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps. Jim and Pam share their love of music with their two college-age sons, Jonathon, age 20, and Ryan, age 19. Jonathon (trombone) is in his third year at Pittsburg State (Kansas) studying automotive technol-ogy/business and Ryan (horn/bass) is a sophomore studying music education at the University of Northern Iowa.

CAMPAIGN STATEMENT:I would like to express my thanks

and appreciation to the members of the Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Association for nominating me for the position of President-elect of the Iowa Bandmasters Association. I am humbled to receive the nomination and would be honored to serve the band directors of Iowa in this position.

Having passed the milestone of more than 35 years of teaching I am grateful of the many rich relationships I have had with numerous directors and shared experiences over those years. I recall attending my first IBA conference with much anticipation and some angst over how I would fit in with other directors and the icons of the day. Myron Welch had just been hired as Director of Bands at the University of Iowa. The keynote speaker was Frank Piersol. His message was the importance of the esthetic value of music. Having played in my father’s high school band at IBA in 1976, I was aware of how it felt to perform at the conference. My dad was still teaching and began introducing me to everyone he knew – which turned out to be a lot of people! I mention this now as it made a huge impression on me and helped shape the start of my career.

As members of IBA and band direc-tors we all began somewhere. I’m sure we all remember someone who helped us when we most needed it. It’s a fact that your degrees do little to prepare you for the day-to-day of running a band program. How could they? There isn’t enough time! I know my early days were chaotic and often inefficient and I made many mistakes. The great thing about our organization is help is only a phone call or email away. While many of us know that, I wonder how many of us pick up the phone proactively and reach out. We are all extremely busy and focused on our students. Taking the time to give a kind

word, share a successful experience, or an offer to listen to a recorded rehearsal goes a long way.

As professionals with a common vision for excellence in music education, our strength comes from a consistent message, made strong and clear by a united front. We know and embrace the importance of music and the arts in stu-dents’ lives. We must continue to cham-pion our shared values. We must continue the ongoing campaign for our own per-manence. Administrators need our advice and our advocacy as they face choices that will affect our programs for years to come. Parents need our continued support as they make difficult decisions about the future of their children. Students in our programs face tough choices as they prepare for their futures. As dedicated educators it is our responsibility to guide others through these choices. Our interac-tion and leadership must provide direc-tion and a strong sense of purpose.

To effectively broadcast our message of the importance of the arts, we must actively involve students in our band programs each day. Our ongoing chal-lenge continues to be to engage students in learning, inspire passion and share our knowledge. Each day in our band rooms, auditoriums, gymnasiums, classrooms, and even our football fields, we can affect the process and the performance of music.

IBA is a needed organization with a mission to facilitate and support all instrumental music educators specifically so they can achieve their goals while leading through innovative ideas and motivational concepts. If elected I would use my years of experience to engage all directors in moving forward together. It would be my privilege to embrace these challenges and to provide strong leader-ship for our members. It would be my honor to serve the World’s Finest Band-master’s organization!

SCIBA CANDIDATE FOR IBA PRESIDENT-ELECT

Jayson Gerth CURRENT TEACHING ASSIGNMENT:

Jayson is Co-Director of Bands for the Southeast Polk Community School District.

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

Jayson began his career in 1995 teach-

ing 5-12 Instrumental Music for the Guttenberg (now Clayton Ridge) Com-munity Schools. He left Guttenberg in 1998 to accept a Graduate Teach-ing Assistantship at the University of Wyoming, where he conducted the sym-phonic band, directed the basketball pep bands, and was the director of the UW Summer Music Camp. Upon graduating with a Master of Music degree in 2000, Jayson moved to teach at Natrona County High School in Casper, Wyoming. After his first child was born, Jayson was drawn back to the Midwest to be closer to family. He moved to central Iowa for the 2004-05 school year and taught at Saydel High School in Des Moines. Following that school year, Jayson accepted a posi-tion as Co-Director of Bands at Southeast Polk High School, a post he’s held since 2005.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:Jayson holds a Bachelor of Music

Education Degree from Drake University and a Master of Music Degree from the University of Wyoming.

HONORS AND AWARDS:Jayson is honored to have served in

local, regional, and statewide leadership roles. He was President of the Wyoming Music Education Association Northeast District from 2003 to 2004, was Head Marching Director for the Wyoming All-State Marching Band’s appearance in the 2004 Tournament of Roses Parade, was the SCIBA Jazz Affairs Chair from 2011 to 2013, was selected to participate in the Iowa Arts Education Leadership Institute in 2014, was President of the South Central Iowa Bandmasters Associ-ation from 2014 to 2015, and is currently serving in his thirteenth year as IBA


Conference Equipment Co-Chair. Addi-tionally, Jayson is a “Model Teacher” for the Southeast Polk Schools under the Iowa TLC grant program, is a district leader in Music Curriculum Develop-ment, and a lead PLC facilitator for his district’s secondary-level vocal, instru-mental, and general music teachers.

Jayson received the US Bank/Casper Star-Tribune “Star Teacher” Award in 2001 and received the “Outstanding Educator Award” from Natrona County School District #1 (Casper, WY) in 2002 and 2004.

Since 2004, students from Jayson’s private low brass studio have been accepted into Iowa All State Bands and Orchestras more than 20 times. Bands under his direction have performed at the Iowa Bandmasters Conference and the Jazz Education Network National Conference. Southeast Polk’s “Jazz One” is consistently among the top finishers at jazz festivals, and has appeared at the Iowa Jazz Championships for eight con-secutive years, finishing among the top 4A bands each year.

Finally, Jayson is honored to have conducted elementary, middle school, and high school honor bands in Iowa, Wyoming, and Minnesota. He has also presented clinics for the Iowa Bandmas-ters Association and the Wyoming Music Education Association at their annual conferences.


Jayson is a member of the Iowa Bandmasters Association, the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education, the Iowa Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education, Jazz Educators of Iowa, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Professional Music Fraternity.

FAMILY:Jayson and his wife Krista live in

Ankeny with their three children: Abby (15), Tyler (12), and Nathan (9). While Krista and the children are all black belts (or nearly black belts) in Tae Kwon Do, Jayson spends much of his free time reading, writing, and cycling. The whole family is also quite active in the music and youth ministries of their church.

CAMPAIGN STATEMENT:

Like you, I am a proud member of

the Iowa Bandmasters Association. The IBA puts people first, binds us together, and is a positive force in our professional lives. I wish to express my deep gratitude to the members of SCIBA for their trust in nominating me, and I congratulate the nominees from all districts of our organization.

Our new mission statement, formed through an organic, grassroots effort, should be considered a powerful mandate for the future of the IBA. It puts into writing what we believe. The IBA …promotes excellence in bands through professional development, mentorship, performance, and advocacy.

In partnership with the Iowa Alli-ance for Arts Education, our nationally recognized mentorship program makes a tremendous difference for over 50 first and second-year teachers annually. Beyond those first years, and regardless of age or experience, the IBA is a mentor-ing resource for every band director who desires to improve. Striving to be better can only have positive results for our students, and I believe the IBA should expand its role by actively encouraging members to reach out for help and to fund mentoring opportunities beyond the first two years of teaching.

Our annual conference is among the finest band-centered professional devel-opment opportunities in the country and gives us an incredible return on invest-ment. As a Conference Equipment Co-Chair since 2005, I work closely with IBA presidents to help ensure their visions for your conference experience are real-ized. Through my experience behind the scenes, I am fortunate to make meaning-ful professional relationships with local and national leaders in music educa-tion and performance. Assisting with the implementation of 13 state conferences uniquely prepares me to fulfill the largest responsibility of the IBA President: crafting a rich and worthy conference experience for every member.

Central to that experience will be the idea of self-improvement, both in and out of the classroom. Through my weekly emails while president of SCIBA, I made a point of encouraging and challenging members to think about how they can bet-ter take care of themselves both mentally and physically. Ongoing professional development and personal development are keys to becoming better educators.

Teaching in the 21st century is tough – often requiring us to do more with less. I hope to incorporate conference sessions designed to appeal to our whole being.

Advocacy is central to IBA’s role in music education. Through association activities, we advocate for band per-formance. We advocate for teachers. We advocate for Iowa school children. I believe advocacy is not something we merely do; advocacy is who we are. To support your grassroots advocacy efforts in rehearsal halls, school districts, and communities, I believe it is in our best interest for IBA to establish a standing Advocacy Committee whose job is to serve as a liaison with state and national arts organizations, lead association initiatives, act as a resource for members, and support the work of other standing committees. If we don’t advocate for music’s importance in our schools, we may lose opportunities to serve our students and to serve music. We must direct the conversation, and the IBA can be more integral to the process.

Thanks to the work by many state and local arts leaders including IBA Past Presidents Leon Kuehner and David Law, the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education led the way in advocating for a better, thriving arts environment in Iowa. Last November the Iowa State School Board adopted the National Arts Standards for our schools. At long last, decision-makers at the state level codified the legitimacy of the arts in Iowa schools. The work can’t end there, however. The IBA, together with other Iowa fine arts organizations, must remain a clear and present financial and ideological contributor to the Alliance and ensure there is plentiful and healthy support for music in our schools.

While we celebrate the effort of President Myron Peterson and the committee that developed a focused and cohesive mission statement, the hard work has only begun. We are now challenged to carefully examine the priorities of the IBA as expressed by our committee structure, activities, sponsorships, and financial investments, and re-frame them within a new paradigm. If granted the opportunity to serve as your president-elect, you can expect my diligent effort to guide our association in this process.

The IBA brings us together and provides support, education, and perfor-mance opportunities for its members.


I am proud and humbled to contribute and serve our organization, and l look ahead with anticipation to the work yet to come. It is by serving others that we as educators realize our calling, and the IBA has been – and will continue to be – an association serving those who serve.

SWIBA CANDIDATE FOR IBA PRESIDENT-ELECT

Ruben Newell CURRENT TEACHING ASSIGNMENT:

9-12 Instrumental Music at Denison High School

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:• 2000-2002 – 7-12 Band director at

Corning Community Schools• 2002-2009 – 9-12 Band director at

Atlantic High School• 2009-present – 9-12 Instrumental

Music at Denison High School

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:• Graduated from Prairie Valley High

School (Gowrie, IA) in 1996 • Earned a Bachelor of Music degree

from Iowa State University (Ames, IA) in 2000

HONORS AND AWARDS:• National Board Certification (2008) • DeLucia Award for Music Education

(2017) • Grammy Signature Schools Commu-

nity Award (2017)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS:• SWIBA (a past-president, currently

treasurer)

• SWIHMB (Southwest Iowa Honor Marching Band) Administrative Board (past head director, currently assistant director)

• Crawford County Arts Council • Denison Education Association/ISEA • IMEA/NAfME

FAMILY:Wife - Sarah Newell

CAMPAIGN STATEMENT:The Iowa Bandmasters Association

has maintained a reputation, nation-wide, as a world-class organization, supporting instrumental music endeavors in districts all over the state. I know that I have gained much from the mentorship of some of IBA’s best educators and the guidance and support from IBA and SWIBA through festivals, conferences, and professional development. This truly is the world’s finest bandmasters organi-zation, and I am proud of my profession and proud to call Iowa my home.

Over the years, IBA has done a tre-mendous job keeping Iowa at the fore-front of instrumental music education, and when I speak to colleagues from around the nation, there is a fair amount of envy in regards to what we have here in Iowa. However, Iowa is changing, and I fear that if we don’t change as well, Iowa may not remain in a position of envy.

My personal philosophy when it comes to music education revolves around the fact that every student is better off for having music in their life, no matter at what level they are able to participate. This is true from my best all-state musi-cian down to the last chair clarinet player in the 9-10 concert band. Neither one of them “deserves” more nor less of my attention or effort than the other. The same is true for our band programs in all communities in Iowa. None of them deserves more or less attention or effort from our great bandmasters association, no matter what size their community is, how involved their band program is, or what demographics comprise their student body.

While IBA has been, as I said, a tre-mendous catalyst for instrumental music education in the state of Iowa, there is room to grow, and it is amongst our com-munities who aren’t always in the spot-light. The growth is in our small schools

where one director is teaching all music in the district, and in our rural communi-ties where changing demographics and unchanged music education philosophies are slowly choking out our music programs.

I applaud the leadership of IBA for the excellent work they have done to main-tain high standards and help push the upper limits of what instrumental music education can be in the great state of Iowa. If I am fortunate enough to garner your vote and get the tremendous oppor-tunity to help give back to all that IBA has given to me, I will work my hardest to keep that tradition. At the same time, however, I would focus my energy on working to provide support to all of our band programs across the state, regard-less of size, financial stability, or the diversity of their student body.

We have incredible music educators in Iowa. When I think about the list of people who have been there to answer questions for me, I am in awe of their accomplishments, their professionalism, their experience and their passion for music education. I am lucky to call myself a former student of educators like Alan Greiner, Joseph Messenger, Michael Golemo, and Joseph Christensen, as well as names you may not all know: names like Mary Egger, Martin Province, Carl Bleyle, Jeff Prater, Chad Przymus, and Julie Peterson. I am lucky, throughout my life I have had the complete “Iowa” music education. I had the privilege of playing in the Karl King Band under the direction of the great Reggie Schive and Keith Altemeier; I had the distinct plea-sure of hearing Duane “Oley” Olson tell stories about the King pieces we played and about Mr. King himself. I marched in the ISUCF’V’MB. I even had a chance to sing in an honor choir with Weston Noble conducting and played Harold Hill in a production of “The Music Man” in high school. I am a true product of Iowa music education, through and through, and I’m very proud of that. The chance to help lead instrumental music education in Iowa for the next generation of students, no matter their background or ethnicity, is exciting and humbling.

I am honored by my nomination to IBA President-Elect by my incredible colleagues in southwest Iowa, and I thank you for the opportunity to earn your vote and the opportunity to serve IBA, the world’s finest bandmasters organization.


NCIBA CANDIDATE FOR IBA KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHED

SERVICE AWARD – ACTIVE

Paul Bloomquist

CURRENT TEACHING ASSIGNMENT:Paul is the Director of Bands at Iowa

Central Community College in Fort Dodge.

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:Paul is in his 18th year of teach-

ing after leading bands at Meservey- Thorton Middle School, Lake Mills Middle School and Manson Northwest Webster High School. He also led some of Iowa’s top high school jazz musicians for four summers, 2002 – 2005, while serving as the jazz band director for the Celebration Iowa Singers and Jazz Band summer program through Luther College.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:Paul holds an M.A. degree from

Southern Oregon University through the American Band College in Ashland, Oregon and a B.M. degree from Simpson College where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Prior to any degrees, Paul started his musical training from his late father, Marlan. Since fifth grade he has had three influential band directors, Larry Hansen, Bob Hoffman and Ross Leeper. In addition, two private instructors, Dan Cassady and John Benoit, helped his musicianship. At each teaching position, he has had a strong mentor, including: Sue Bunting, Frank Dahn, Jerrold Jimmerson and Dan Cassady.

HONORS:Paul has been nominated and included

multiple times in the Who’s Who Among American Teachers. He received a Golden Apple Teaching Award in 2003 and has served as guest conductor and clinician at numerous concert band and jazz band festivals. Paul is honored when his private students continue playing their instruments in college and beyond, and equally humbled when his students pursue a career in music education.

As a director, Paul’s most humbling musical experiences has been through the Brushy Creek Honor Flight Program out of Fort Dodge. Paul has assembled instru-mental musicians of all ages and abilities to perform at the Fort Dodge Regional Airport upon the return of the veterans landing of the plane.


Paul has served as President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer for the North Central Iowa Band Association and chair of the College Band Affairs Com-mittee for the Iowa Bandmasters Asso-ciation. Out of 12 years at the college level, Paul has spent nine of those years in a leadership role with Iowa Collegiate Honor Band that occurs in Nevada, Iowa each November. Paul is an elected board member of Karl King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge. As a performing musician, Paul plays tuba and trombone in Jive for Five Brass Quintet, The Karl King Municipal Band, The Dick Bauman Big Band, Bad to the Bone Trombone Quar-tet, Comedia Musica Players Pit Orchestra and is on call for various other groups, such as the Bally-Hoo Foxtrot Hotshots and the Fort Dodge Area Symphony.

FAMILY:Paul and his wife, Kelli, have six

children: Grace, Emilia, Noah, Blake, Landon and MeiLi. Paul is the fourth generation Bloomquist to live on the fam-ily’s century farm south of Dayton, Iowa.

STATEMENT:I am honored to be nominated by the

district. My first IBA Conference experi-ence was at the age of twelve when my sister performed in the first All-Iowa Middle School Honor Band. I could tell through my dad’s friendships that IBA was a top-notch organization. The net-work of musicians and resources avail-able through IBA have offered teaching resources and real world experiences

from master teachers that are priceless. With humility, I say, “Thank you.”

NEIBA CANDIDATE FOR IBA KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHED


David Lang

CURRENT TEACHING ASSIGNMENT:Independence High School Band

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:David Lang is currently in his 25th year

of teaching at Independence High School. He taught at Central City Community Schools for three years and one year at East Buchanan Community Schools.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:Lang, a graduate of Dubuque Senior

High School, holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Iowa.

HONORS:David’s ensembles have appeared

at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference nine times: 1993 Central City H.S. Concert Band; 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2011 Indepen-dence H.S. Concert Bands; the 1997 Independence M.S. Jazz Ensemble; and the 2004 Independence Jazz Orchestra. The Independence Jazz Orchestra was selected to perform at the 2005 IAJE Regional Conference in Chicago. The 2005-06 Jazz Orchestra was selected to perform at the Iowa Association of School Boards Annual Convention in November of 2005. Bands under his direction have received Division I ratings at the I.H.S.M.A. State Contests in every

The Iowa Bandmaster 13The Iowa Bandmaster 13

category including marching band, con-cert band, and jazz band. David has had nine state champion jazz bands including the 1993 Central City Jazz Band and the Independence Jazz Orchestra in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2014. He has also been guest conductor for many conference and IBA District Honor Bands, and has been a guest con-ductor at the All-State Music Camp at the University of Iowa.

David is a frequent guest soloist with area community bands and high schools. While studying at the University of Iowa, he performed as a guest soloist with all three of the School of Music Concert Bands. He was the first-place winner in the Leonard Falcone International Bari-tone Horn Competition and was granted a performance with the Michigan State Symphonic Band. He was also the Grand Prize Winner in the Des Moines Sym-phony Young Artist Competition and per-formed a Concerto with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra. He has toured Europe with “The Iowa’s Ambassadors of Music” as a low brass instructor and euphonium soloist ten times. David was the recipient of the NEIBA Distinguished Service Award in 2002, 2005 and 2017. He also was awarded the NEIBA Phillip Sehmann Excellence in Teaching Award in 2008. Lang also received the VFW Teacher of the Year award for 2008 and the Independence Chamber of Commerce Community Hero award in 2000.


Lang’s professional affiliations include Iowa Bandmasters Association, Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Associa-tion, Jazz Educators of Iowa, NEA, ISEA and Independence Teachers Association. David served as the NEIBA jazz chair for nine years. He has hosted countless state and district jazz festivals, All-State auditions, IHSMA solo and ensemble and large group festivals.

FAMILY:David and his wife, Lisa live in

Independence where they share their home with three beautiful cats named CoCo, Louis and Meowsers and a sun conure bird named Kita.

STATEMENT:I knew I wanted to become a band

director when I was in 8th grade. I started my musical career through the drum

corps activity, followed by joining band and was influenced greatly by my band directors and the Colts Drum Corps staff. The enthusiasm that I have for teaching music comes directly from witnessing the passion of those incredible teachers. Thank you to the members of NEIBA for nominating me for the Karl King Distinguished Service Award. I am the director I am today, because of the encouragement and advice from the many outstanding educators of the Iowa Bandmasters Association.

NWIBA CANDIDATE FOR IBA KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHED


Kurt Schwarck

CURRENT TEACHING ASSIGNMENT:Director of Bands at Spencer High

School

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:Kurt Schwarck began his teaching

career in the Walnut Community Schools in Walnut, Iowa and served there from the fall of 1981 to the spring of 1985. In 1985, he began teaching 7 - 12 Instru-mental Music for East Union Community Schools in Afton, Iowa and served there through the spring of 1988 His next teaching assignment was in the Creston Community Schools of Creston, Iowa from 1988 – 1995. Kurt is currently in his 22nd year as high school band director in his home town of Spencer, Iowa.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:Kurt received his Bachelor of Music

Education degree from Morningside Col-lege in 1981 and his Master of Science in Education degree from Buena Vista

University in 2002. His Capstone Project for his MSE degree studied the difference in academic achievement between instru-mental music students and non-music students.

HONORS:During his 36 years of service in the

Walnut, East Union, Creston and Spencer school systems, Schwarck’s bands have made many successful appearances in various contests and festivals. This record includes multiple Division I ratings at the State Marching Band, Jazz Band, Small Group and Large Group Contests offered by the IHSMA. His students have participated in the Iowa All-State Festi-val, the SWIBA, NWIBA Honor Band Festivals as well as the NW Iowa Honor Orchestra Festival, the Northern Festival of Band at the University of North-ern Iowa and the Buena Vista Honor Band Festival. Over the years, Kurt’s jazz bands have also made 11 appear-ances at the Iowa Jazz Championships. In 2000, he helped give Spencer students the unique experience of being involved in commissioning and premiering works by composer Stephen Melillo. This proj-ect involved all 250+ instrumental music students from 5th through 12th grade in the Spencer Schools. This experience culminated with two days of workshops with the composer and a premiere concert with Mr. Melillo conducting each of the bands.

Kurt’s Spencer bands have performed in the Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, Texas, the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Florida and have entertained at Disney’s Magic King-dom, Epcot Center and also appeared at Universal Studios Orlando.

Mr. Schwarck has also had the honor of directing the 1991 Southwest Iowa Honor Marching Band, the 1994 SWIBA 9-10 Honor Band, as well as the 19th Annual Diocese of Sioux City festival Band and the Cornbelt Conference Honor Band.


Schwarck is a past president of the northwest and southwest districts of the Iowa Bandmasters Association and has been a member of the Iowa Bandmasters Association since 1981. He has had the privilege of serving for three years on the District Advisory Group for the Iowa


High School Music Association and is currently vice president of the execu-tive board for the IHSMA. Kurt is also a member of the National Federation of High School Associations. This orga-nization strives to develop and oversee education-based interscholastic activities for our nation’s high school students. Outside of his teaching duties at SHS, he is one of two co-directors for the Spencer Municipal Band and also per-forms weekly during the summer months at the Pearson Lakes Art Center at Lake Okoboji with the Dick Bauman Big Band.

FAMILY:Kurt and his wife Julie are the parents

of two daughters. Lauren is a senior Agronomy/Seed Science major at Iowa State University. Emma is a senior at Spencer High School and is planning on attending Iowa State as well to pursue a degree is Biological Systems Engineering.

STATEMENT:

The philosophy Kurt tries to instill in his program is one in which learning, per-severance and integrity are highly valued. The program’s goal is to provide students with opportunities and experiences that nurture these three life-skills and to assist them in becoming skilled consumers of music in whatever capacity they choose.

SCIBA CANDIDATE FOR IBA KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHED


Jacquelyn Meunier

CURRENT TEACHING ASSIGNMENT:Director of Bands, Southeast Polk

High School in Pleasant Hill, Iowa.

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:• Fall 1996 - Spring 1998: Band Director

for nine Catholic middle schools under the auspices of Wahlert High School in Dubuque, Iowa

• Fall 1998 - Spring 1999: Director of Bands, Ogden High School in Ogden, Iowa.

• Fall 1999 - present: Director of Bands, Southeast Polk High School in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. Duties include conducting the wind ensemble, sym-phonic band, pep band, show choir band and co-directing the March-ing Rams. Jacquelyn is active as a Model Teacher and works with various committees. Additional professional activities include solo and ensemble festival adjudication, guest conducting, and private clarinet instructor.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:Jacquelyn graduated from Boone High

School in Boone, Iowa in 1990 where she was a student of David Richard-son. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Iowa State Uni-versity in 1995. Jacquelyn has completed graduate courses in Music Education at the University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa, Drake University, Iowa State University and Bethel College in Indiana. She has attended conducting symposiums at the University of North Texas, Central Missouri University and Drake University where she participated as both an observer and conductor. She has been a frequent attendee of the Conn Selmer Institute.

HONORS:Jacquelyn is a past-president of the

Iowa Bandmasters Association, having served her term as president in 2014-2015. She is a past-president of the South Central Iowa Bandmasters Association and has served as SCIBA’s district chair for the Major Landers Scholarship and the High School Honor Band commit-tees. Currently she serves as one of the founders and coordinators of the All-Iowa Concert Band Festival and as the SCIBA representative for the Concert Band Affairs Committee.

Jacquelyn has guest conducted numer-ous honor bands throughout Iowa as well as in Kansas and remains active as a guest clinician. In 2006, she served as an advisor for the Iowa Ambassadors of Music European Tour.

Since 1998, ensembles under her direction, including Ogden High School band, SEP Wind Ensemble and SEP Symphonic Band have won Best in Class awards and runner-up honors at numer-ous Adventureland Festival of Bands. The SEP Wind Ensemble was selected as the 4A high school honor band for the 2008, 2013, and 2017 Iowa Band-masters State Conferences, and has per-formed as a clinic/rehearsal ensemble at the conference with featured clinicians, David Holsinger (2009), Scott Lubaroff (2012), and Joseph Hermann (2016). Most recently, the SEP Wind Ensemble was invited to be one of three featured ensembles to perform at the Western Illinois University Showcase of Bands in February 2016 and received the honor of working closely with Dr. Richard Floyd.

During her tenure at SEP, the Wind Ensemble received Division I ratings at IHSMA State Large Group Festival. The Marching Rams have consistent-ly received Division I ratings at State Marching Contest and have received first-place honors at the Urbandale Marching Contest and Valleyfest.


Jacquelyn is a member of the South Central Iowa Bandmasters Association, Iowa Bandmasters Association, Iowa Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference and the Iowa Association of Arts Alliance.

FAMILY:Jacquelyn’s husband Robert is the

Director of Bands at Drake University. Their daughter Katy is a junior attending Southeast Polk High School. Katy contin-ues to refine her skills in horn and piano performance.

STATEMENT:

I would like to thank the members of the South Central Iowa Bandmas-ters Association for nominating me for the prestigious Karl King Distinguished Service - Active award. I am humbled by this tremendous honor and by the con-tinuing support of my colleagues. I am thankful for the opportunities that I have had to serve our profession throughout my career. My service as president of IBA and of SCIBA was rewarding, and it offered me many unforgettable experi-ences. Those opportunities have afforded


me a much deeper understanding of what my role in this profession can and should be. Not only is it my mission to continue to learn and improve myself as a teacher but also it has become even more appar-ent that I need to share my knowledge and experiences with the young teachers of today. After all, they are our future, the future of “band”! We MUST invest in them every opportunity we get. I have learned and gained so much that has helped me become a better teacher, mother, wife, mentor, and friend through my connection with IBA and SCIBA. My appreciation for these organizations is endless and I will continue to serve our profession with relentless passion and pay it all forward.

SEIBA CANDIDATE FOR IBA KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHED


Tara Daurer

CURRENT TEACHING ASSIGNMENT: Since 2010, Tara has been the 9th

grade band director, teaches woodwind lessons, and is currently serving as the Lead Teacher for Instrumental Music in the Pleasant Valley Community School District.

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:From 1996 to 2006, Tara was the

instrumental music director at Assump-tion High School in Davenport, where she also taught lessons for all band instruments, served as the Fine Arts Department Chair and Assistant Dean of Students. From 2008-2010, Tara was the 8th grade band director at North Scott Junior High School as well as teaching woodwind and percussion lessons.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:Tara received her Bachelor of Music

Education degree from the University of Northern Iowa and received her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from St. Ambrose University.

HONORS:Under her direction, concert bands,

jazz bands, and chamber ensembles have participated at several festivals, honor bands, and community events throughout the state as well as in California, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, and New York. Her ensembles have also commissioned origi-nal band works alone and in consortiums. Her ensembles have received numerous division one ratings at the Iowa Large Group and Solo and Ensemble Festivals and have been selected to perform at the Iowa Music Educators Conference. Tara remains active as a clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator for festivals at the local, district, and state level for junior high and high school. She has also participated in conducting and wind band seminars/workshops in Hungary, Minne-sota, Illinois and Iowa. Tara has written and received over $350,000 in grants for instruments and improvements in fine arts facilities and has been nominated for the WQAD Favorite Teacher Award and to Who’s Who of America’s Teachers five times. She also serves as a Girl Scout Troop Leader.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS:• SE Iowa Bandmasters Association: - Treasurer (2009-2012) - District Honor Band Chair (2005- 2006; 2012-2017) - Membership Chair (2002-2005) • Iowa Bandmasters Association • National Association for Music Educa-

tion • World Association of Symphonic

Bands and Ensembles • National Flute Association • Sigma Alpha Iota life member and

Sword of Honor Recipient • Pleasant Valley Education Association.

FAMILY:Tara is married to Drew Anderson,

director of bands at Pleasant Valley High School. They have a son, Gabriel and a daughter, Jacqueline. Gabriel is in 7th grade at Pleasant Valley Junior High and plays horn, string bass, and has a

black belt in taekwondo. Jacqueline is in 5th grade at Cody Elementary and plays piano, cello, loves to dance, and is very excited to begin band this summer. They have one dog named Zoe.

STATEMENT:

It is an honor to be nominated for the Karl L. King Distinguished Service Award Active. I want to thank the SEIBA membership for their support and nomi-nation for this award. I feel humbled and blessed to have had the opportu-nity to work with and learn from so many fine music educators throughout the Iowa Bandmasters Association. It was the incredible teachers and role models I had as a student in SEIBA: Jack King, Clara Mortiboy, Bill Kessinger, and Dan Anderson, who instilled in me a love and passion for music which led me to this incredible calling in the profession of music education.

SWIBA CANDIDATE FOR IBAKARL L. KING DISTINGUISHED


Jeff Schoening

CURRENT TEACHING ASSIGNMENT:Jeff Schoening is currently in his 30th

year as the 5-12 band director at Treynor Community Schools in Treynor, Iowa. The program currently has over two hundred students participating in instru-mental music.

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:Before coming to Treynor, Jeff taught

for four years in Ponca, Nebraska. He also served as an adjunct faculty member for four years at Morningside, teaching


percussion pedagogy and private percus-sion lessons.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:Schoening is a 1980 graduate of Lewis

Central High School in Council Bluffs, and a 1984 graduate of Morningside College in Sioux City.

HONORS:The Treynor music department stress-

es a balanced program in the areas of marching, jazz, concert, and solo and ensemble performances in order for all of its students to participate in the many facets of instrumental music. The Treynor Marching, Jazz and Concert bands have received consistent Division I ratings since 1990 at Iowa High School Music Association festivals. The Cardinal Marching Band was named top overall band in all classes at the 1997, 2007, 2016 and 2017 Loess Hills Fieldfest in Glenwood. Treynor jazz bands have com-peted in the Iowa Jazz Championships for 26 consecutive years, with first-place finishes in 1994 (Class A), 1996 (Class 1A) and 2000 (Class A), and 2010 (Class 1A). Schoening served as a drum line instructor for the Southwest Iowa Honor Marching Band, a 200-member group auditioned and selected every two years to perform at major bowl parades for 25 years. He has also made two trips to Europe as the southwest district advisor for Iowa’s Ambassadors of Music. He is an active clinician, judge and private instructor in the southwest Iowa area and performs regularly as a drummer with the Prairie Cats, an original swing band based out of Omaha, Nebraska. In 2008, he was selected as one of two recipients of the first annual Charles E. Lakin Outstanding Teacher Award, given to emphasize the role of teachers in rural communities.


Schoening has been active in the IBA on both district and statewide levels. He is a past president SWIBA, and served on the IBA Mentorship Committee for three years. He has also served as a negotiation team member for the Treynor Education Association for the past 27 years.

FAMILY:Jeff and his wife, Patty, have two sons.

Keith is currently a teaching assistant

in the master’s degree program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Alec is a student at DMACC in Ames.

STATEMENT:It is a pleasure to work with the

directors of southwest Iowa, and I am honored to be nominated by them for the Karl King Active Award. The support of my family, the community of Treynor, the outstanding band students in our program makes the job of teaching a deeply rewarding experience.

NCIBA CANDIDATE FOR KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

AWARD – RETIRED

Tim Miller

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:• 1976-1985: 5-12 Band Director with

the Sheffield-Chapin School District. • 1985-1992: Humboldt High School

Band Director • 1992-2016: Humboldt Middle School

Band Director

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Tim received his B.M.E. degree from

Iowa Wesleyan College, then completed his advanced degree work at the Univer-sity of Iowa, Drake University, and the University of South Dakota-Vermillion, S.D.

HONORS, PROFESSIONAL AFFILIA-TIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS:

Tim is a 42-year member of IBA and NCIBA, and a long-time member of NEA, ISEA, and HEA. He is very active as a performer, playing trumpet with the brass quintet Jive For Five, the rock band

Lone Tree Revival, the Karl L. King Band, the Fort Dodge Area Symphony, the Humboldt Big Band, the Fort Dodge Comedia Musica Players pit orchestra, and has played with the Dick Baumann Big Band in Okoboji and the Jazz Coali-tion Big Band in Mason City. He is also a member of the Humboldt Pistol and Rifle Club and Oak Hill Church, where he has served on the elder board, and currently plays guitar, bass, and trumpet on the worship teams.

While at Sheffield-Chapin, his bands were consistent Div. I winners at State Large Group and Solo/Ensemble Con-test. His jazz band often earned a spot in the Iowa Jazz Championships, winning 1st place in 1984 and 1985. While at Humboldt, the jazz band was frequently in the Iowa Jazz Championships, and the students received numerous Division I ratings at state contests, and winning various marching invitationals, includ-ing the Veishea Parade in Ames and the Algona Band Days. Tim has been both the Karl L. King Distinguished Active and now the Retired Director nomi-nee from the NCIBA District, and has on multiple occasions been named to “Who’s Who Among America’s Teach-ers”, but he has taken the most pride in the accomplishments of his students, and the high percentage of students that par-ticipated in his bands.

FAMILY: Tim and his wife Debra have been

married 41 years, and have three chil-dren: Ethan and his wife Rebecca teach in the Central Springs School District and have two children (Gretta and Margo), Carly and her husband Brent live in Bloomington/Normal, Illinois where she works in the HR Dept. in the corporate offices of Country Financial and he is a mechanical engineer with the Caterpillar Corp., and Levi teaches in the Nashua/Plainfield School District.

STATEMENT: I cannot believe how fast 40 years of

teaching has gone by! When I think of all the people that contributed to my growth as a person, musician, and teacher, the list was more than I could write here, but I would be remiss if I didn’t include a few. I have been blessed to have been guided and mentored by some great educators at every level of my development. I attend-ed the Danville School District, and had


such fine mentors and teachers as Dick Ballard, Ron Coberley, and Jim Smith. I student taught in Burlington, and was guided by such fine educators as James Priebe, Arnold Rabe, and Marcia Korb. I feel blessed to have spent all 40 years in the NCIBA District, which was home to such greats as Meredith Willson and Karl L. King. What a legacy they left! To have great mentors like Bob Dean and Gil Lettow at Mason City were priceless. To follow the fine teaching of Jon Engel-hardt at Sheffield-Chapin, and to all the dedicated teachers across this great state who have influenced me and my teaching in so many ways, I thank you. You all have helped shape me into the educator I became, for I found something in each of you that I incorporated into my own teaching. Little did I know that when I was watching and learning from Gary Currie, Reggie Schive, and Dick Jenkins at Humboldt, that I would be taking the baton from them. What musical monsters they were, and what big shoes I had to fill!

I looked back in some old IBA maga-zines and saw retired nominees whose names appeared on the bottom of our State Large Group ballots when I first started this career, and I am humbled that my colleagues have nominated me for this honor. To all of my NCIBA colleagues, I say thank you. To be nomi-nated for the Karl L. King Distinguished Service Award is a tremendous honor.

To you directors who still have a baton in your hands, I cheer you on. You’re not just teaching music – you’re changing lives.

NEIBA CANDIDATE FOR KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

AWARD – RETIRED

David Law

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:David Law is the retired 7-8th grade

band director at Vernon Middle School in Marion, Iowa. He has taught instru-mental music grades 5-12 in all sizes of schools in Iowa.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

David received his BA in Music Edu-cation from William Penn College and his MA in Conducting from Truman State University. In 2003, David received his National Board Certification in Music.


David is a National Board Certified Teacher and a member of the Music Educator’s National Conference, Iowa Music Educator’s Conference serving as – Past President, Iowa Bandmasters Association - Past President, Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Past President, Asso-ciation for School Curriculum Develop-ment, National Education Association, Iowa State Education Association, and Marion Education Association – Trea-surer, and the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education – Chair. In 2004 he was select-ed as the Educator of the Year from Linn County and in 2011 was selected as the Karl King Distinguished Service Award winner from the Northeast Iowa Bandmasters District. He is the founder and conductor of the Marion Commu-nity Bands. In 2015, David was inducted into the Marion Performing Arts Hall of Fame.

David has had articles published in a national music education magazine, 14 state music education journals and was a presenter at the National Music Edu-cators Conference in Washington D.C. He is an adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor throughout Iowa. Bands under David’s direction have played at the Iowa Bandmasters Conference, the Iowa Music Educators Conference and were twice selected to play for President Reagan.

David started the Marion Junior Honor Band and also founded the 5 Seasons Honor Band while at Kennedy High School. The Marion Marching Invita-tional was also created under David’s direction. David is currently the president of the Marion Independent School Board

and serves on the board of the Iowa Asso-ciation of School Boards. In October of 2013, David was presented with the Dis-tinguished Career Award from William Penn University and is a member of the Hall of Fame. David is active as a super-viser of student teachers with Cornell College and Iowa State University. He is an adjunct faculty member at Cornell College. In addition, he is a bugler for the Marion post of the American Legion.

FAMILY:David is married to Jill and has a

daughter, Stephanie a professor of Phys-ics at the University of Delaware, and a son, William, a genetics professor at Johns Hopkins.

NWIBA CANDIDATE FOR KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

AWARD – RETIRED

Greg Forney

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:Greg began teaching 5-12 band at Ter-

ril and enjoyed eight wonderful years in the Terril district. Greg became the Oko-boji High School band director in 1989 and enjoyed working with his wife Julie team teaching at Okoboji for the past 26 years. Greg was responsible for all bands and instrumental lessons at Okoboji High School, taught all middle percussion lessons, and assisted with a few other lessons at Okoboji Middle School. Julie assisted with lessons at the high school and was a huge help with honor band, All-State and IHSMA solo/small ensemble preparations. Greg is remaining active in music by teaching private percussion lessons from home, works occasionally as


a guest clinician with area bands, enjoys performing for musicals at the Okoboji Summer Theatre and playing drums and leading the Dick Bauman Big Band.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:Greg earned his BFA degree in music

education from the University of South Dakota in 1981. He has also done addi-tional graduate studies at the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Iowa, and the University of South Dakota.


Okoboji instrumental music students have been very active and successful in All-State Band, NWIBA Honor Band, Jazz Band, All-State Jazz Band, IHSMA Solo/Small Ensemble, and IHSMA Large Group. Okoboji does not march com-petitively but does march at local parades and performs a different set of music on the field at each home football game. The Okoboji High School Concert Band has earned Division I Ratings at IHSMA Large Group Festival 17 of the past 18 years. The OHS Jazz Band has been Iowa Jazz Championships Class 2A state champions four times, has performed in the IJC finals eight times, and has placed no lower than fifth at IJC since 1996. In 2014, Okoboji had five students selected to perform in the 2014 All-State Band/Orchestra.

FAMILY:Greg and Julie have three sons, a

daughter-in-law, two grandsons and one granddaughter.

After retiring after 34 years of full time teaching Greg misses his time with his students but is staying busy substitute teaching, teaching private lessons, and is enjoying a slower pace that allows for more time to spend with grandchildren and family.

SCIBA CANDIDATE FOR KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

AWARD – RETIRED

Scott Keese

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:• 1974 -1977 – Princeton Missouri

Schools 6-12 Instrumental Music • 1977-1983 – Manning Community

Schools 5-12 Instrumental Music• 1983- 2016 – Ballard Community

Schools 7-12 Instrumental Music

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:• 1970 graduate of Roosevelt HS in Des

Moines. • BS in Music Education in 1974 from

Northwest Missouri State University in 1974

• MS in Music Education in1977, also from NWMSU

HONORS, PROFESSIONALAFFILIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS:• State Large Group Concert Band Divi-

sion I ratings 27 consecutive years• 8th grade band selected to perform at

1995 IMEA Conference• High school bands traveled to Chicago,

Nashville, Colorado Springs, Toronto, Dallas, and St. Louis

• Ballard bands hosted composer Belinda Takahashi from the Eastman School of Music for a one-year residency

• Hosted the Skyline Brass for a two-year residency in our district.

• Ballard bands hosted the Eastman Wind Ensemble for a two-day residency which included master classes and a concert in which Ballard students per-formed Holst’s 1st Suite in Eb along with the Eastman Wind Ensemble.

• Commissioned a concert band piece entitled “The Dragoon Trail” by Roger Cichy, which is published by MSB Publishing Co.

• Received the Karl King Distinguished Service Award Active in 2012

• IMEA Distinguished Service Award • Founded and directed the Ballard

Community Band for 23 years.• Member of IBA, SCIBA, BEA• Continues to be active as an adjudica-

tor and clinician.• Has served as a church musician for

forty years.• Plays piano in the High Society Big

Band.

FAMILY:My wife Jan has retired as a 3rd grade

teacher from the Ankeny school district. She also spent five years in the curricu-lum office and was selected as the 2007 Iowa Teacher of the Year. We have two daughters, who along with their husbands all teach in the Waukee school district. We also have eight grandchildren from ages 1-12

STATEMENT:It’s an honor and privilege to represent

my fellow directors in SCIBA for the Karl King Distinguished Service Award-Retired. It was truly a unique pleasure to work in a discipline where we were supported, mentored, and encouraged by our colleagues who work to provide their students with the best that instrumental music education has to offer. I know that in the Ballard district, the success of our program was the result of a consistent team effort. I was fortunate to work with both Carolyn Fair and Cheryl Pittman for 30 years, and our district allowed us to blend our different strengths for the betterment of our students. I’d like to thank the band directors in the SCIBA district for their confidence in me as their representative for this award. Lastly, I’d like to recognize the support of my family, who over the years provided me with the support and flexibility neces-sary to successfully do what’s required of a school band director. Thanks to my wife Jan, and daughters Megan and Alli-son, and their families for their continued support.

SEIBA CANDIDATE FOR KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

AWARD – RETIRED

Ron Coberley


PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:• Drake University Prep. Dept – 1965• Taught lessons in the Des Moines

Public Schools - 1963-65• Director of Bands New London Com-

munity Schools - 1966-2006• Adjunct brass instructor at Iowa

Wesleyan University – 2008-2010• Substitutes for the Burlington, West

Burlington, Mt. Pleasant, and New London School Districts.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:A graduate of Danville, IA high school

in 1961, Ron earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree (1965) and a Master of Music Education degree (1966) from Drake University.


Professional organizations include: SEIBA – Past President, IBA – Conven-tion Exhibits Chairperson and many com-mittees, IBARD, NEA, ISEA, NLEA–Past President, IHSMA District Advisory Board, United Methodist Church, Jay-cees, Lions Club, Burlington Municipal Band – co-director, and vice president of the band foundation board of directors.

Honors include: Teacher Tenure Award form IHSMA, Who’s Who Among American Teachers, SEIBA Karl King Award, Outstanding Educator Award from Jaycees and NLEA, invitations to guest conduct many district, conference and college honor bands, Iowa Band at 50th National Jaycees National Conven-tion Parade in St. Louis, MO. Selected on two occasions to be the Class 1A honor band to perform at IBA Conferences, invitation from Sen. John Culver to take his 108-member Class 1A band to Wash-ington, D.C. and performed at the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial.

FAMILY:Ron and his wife Claudia, retired

office manager, have two children. Son, Mark, is the Director of Sports Medicine at Iowa State University in Ames and daughter, Pam, teaches in the Houston, TX area. Ron and Claudia have four grandchildren – Kylee, Mackenzie, Braden and Beau.

STATEMENT:I am one of a number of people who

have completed long teaching careers thanks to the great preparation given to us by Don Marcouiller and Bob Weast while

at Drake University. I am also thankful for IBA and SEIBA offering such great assistance and opportunities to all Iowa band directors. I continue to play trumpet at area events, be a volunteer assistant in the Mt. Pleasant band department – espe-cially marching band, volunteer to cri-tique and work with area bands, and help many area young people become better musicians through substitute teaching in four area districts.

It is a great honor for me to be the SEIBA nominee for the IBA Karl King Distinguished Service Award – Retired, and I sincerely thank my colleagues in SEIBA for the nomination.

SWIBA CANDIDATE FOR KARL L. KING DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

AWARD – RETIRED

Terry Hanzlik

PAST TEACHING EXPERIENCE:• Mt. Ayr Iowa Public Schools 1976-78• Lenox Iowa Public Schools 1978-1983• Keokuk Iowa Public Schools 1983-84• Des Moines Iowa Hoover High School

1984-1989• Norwalk Iowa Public Schools 1989-

1997• University of Nebraska-Lincoln 1995-

1996 and 1998-1999• Council Bluffs Iowa Abraham Lincoln

High School 1999-2017• Schmitt Music, Educational Represen-

tative for Iowa, 2016-Present

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:• Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree, Wayne

State College, Wayne, Nebraska 1976• Masters of Science in Music

Education, Northwest Missouri State University, 1983

• PhD in Music Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2001

HONORS, PROFESSIONAL AFFILIA-TIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS:• 2009 Excellence in Teaching Award,

presented by the Nelson Family Foundation

• 1994 State of Iowa Exemplary Music Program Award presented by Iowa Music Educators Conference

• 2008 SBO Magazine recognized as one of the “50 Directors Who Make A Difference” in the December issue.

• 1994 Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference, Des Moines, Iowa. Norwalk High School Concert Band, guest soloist; Allen Vizzutti, trumpet.

• 1993 Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference, Des Moines, Iowa. Norwalk High School Jazz Ensemble, guest soloist; Robert Meunier, vibra-phone

• 1989 Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference, Des Moines, Iowa. Des Moines Hoover High School Wind Ensemble, guest conductor; Frank Erickson

• 1983 Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference, Des Moines, Iowa. Lenox High School Concert Band

• 1994 Iowa State University Honor Band Festival, Ames, Iowa. Norwalk High School Concert Band was featured high school honor band

• 1988 Iowa State University Honor Band Festival, Ames, Iowa. Des Moines Hoover High School Wind Ensemble was featured high school honor band.

• 1987 Iowa State University Clarinet Choir Festival, Ames, Iowa. Des Moines Hoover High School Clarinet Choir was featured high school clarinet choir

• 1993 Iowa Jazz Championships. Des Moines, Iowa. State Jazz Band Champions, Class 3A

• 1994 Iowa Jazz Championships. Des Moines, Iowa. State Jazz Band Champions, Class 3A

• 1988 Orange Bowl Parade, Miami, Florida. Des Moines Hoover Marching Band.

Organizations include:• Librarian and member of the Omaha

Symphonic Winds, Omaha, Nebraska• President of Westin Hills West II

Townhome Association• Past President of Southwest Iowa

Bandmasters Association


• Past State Chairman of Research Committee, Iowa Bandmasters Asso-ciation

• Past Co-Chairman of the Iowa Jazz Championships

• Past District Chairman of SWIBA District Jazz Festival

• Member of the National Association for Music Education and the Nebraska Music Educators Conference

• Member of the Iowa Bandmasters Association

FAMILY:My family consists of Teresa Hanzlik,

my wife, and our children consist of: Son: Louis and wife Amanda Hanzlik of Storrs, Connecticut with children Ethan and Grace; Daughter: Megan Manning and son Conner of Houston Texas; Daughter: Emily Robinson of College Park, Maryland; Stepson: Kerry and Erin Burns of Columbus, Nebras-ka with children Jack and Jordan; and stepson: David Burns of New York City, New York.

STATEMENT:I want to thank the Southwest Iowa

Bandmasters Association for recogniz-ing me with this nomination. I have had the opportunity to work with and teach

some of the finest people in the state of Iowa throughout my 41 years of being involved in the music education field. Many of those former students are teach-ers, musicians and band directors in Iowa and throughout the nation. This has to be the greatest reward of all, seeing your work, values and beliefs continue in the work of others. I have had the opportu-nity to work with great band directors who served as friends and mentors over the years. Ray Kelton, Dick Bauman, Richard Simpson, Merrill Perry, Lee Nelson, Robert Meunier, Joe Christensen and Everett Johnson are just a few of the people who were encouraging people in shaping my career as a band director. My family was a significant force in my work as a teacher and I swell with great pride in seeing them be successful in their careers and with their families.

Since I have retired from being a band director, I served as a Fine Arts Consultant for the Council Bluffs Community School District on a part-time basis. I am now employed as an Educational Representative for Schmitt Music of Omaha. I assist some of the finest teachers I know. I have helped many directors develop new curriculum ideas for drama, music and visual arts. I have worked with many directors in

the development of various scope and sequence, curriculum maps, unpacking planners and comprehensive examina-tions for fine arts classes. As we all know music curriculum was created for the typical performance based ensemble classes, but now it should include music classes such as Piano Class, History of Rock and Roll and American Culture classes and Music Through Technology classes. All music educators must be committed to improving fine arts educa-tion for their students through the devel-opment of these comprehensive classes and the purchase of equipment. I am so fortunate to be able to continue to help these music educators.

One final statement, the Iowa Band-master’s Association has always been a model of excellence for my teaching. The first year I taught in Iowa, I attended the state conference and heard many wonder-ful bands. That experience became the goal for all of my bands. I wanted those bands to be good enough to play at the state conference in Des Moines. I was lucky and four times I had that experience of performing for my fellow bandmasters at the state convention. I have had a great career with many great memories; I wouldn’t trade it for anything.


The West Lyon Community School District is located in the far northwest corner of Lyon County, Iowa. Ours was one of the first districts in the region to consolidate in 1964, uniting four small, rural towns—Alvord (pop. 200), Lester (pop. 400), Larchwood (pop. 900), and Inwood (pop. 800)—into one school centered community. These towns, combined with the many farms in our district, allow West Lyon to currently serve a student population of 952 in grades PreK-12.

5th Grade Band:Beginning band at West Lyon CSD starts the first week

of school in the fall of 5th grade. All students are tested and screened at the end of 4th grade. 5th grade band members receive a 25-minute small group band lesson each week and (2) 35-minute large group rehearsals, all during the school day. The Beginning Band performs at three events throughout the school year: the Fall Turkey Supper Concert in November, the Mid-Winter Concert in February and the Spring Concert in May. The main goals for the West Lyon Beginning Band are to learn the basics about playing an instrument, to learn to work together in rehearsal, and to have fun doing it. The Beginning Band has 63 members out of the 81 students in the 5th grade class!

6th grade BandThe West Lyon 6th grade Intermediate Band meets twice

each week for a 35-minute large group rehearsal and once a week for 25-minute small group lessons. The Intermediate Band performs at three events throughout the year: the Fall Turkey Supper Concert in November, the Mid-Winter Concert in February and the Spring Concert in May.

Junior High BandThe West Lyon Junior High Concert Band is comprised

of students in the 7th and 8th grades. This ensemble

the iowa bandmaster magazine · • the magazine editor, robert gower’s editorial promoted the...

Documents