Midwest Band Clinic

Toshio Akiyama was an internationally renowned figure, widely known for his contributions as the “father of the Japanese wind bands.” After receiving his education at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in the United States, Mr. Akiyama returned to Japan, where he served as Vice President of the All-Japan Band Association from 1961 to 1971 and later as President of the Japanese Band Directors’ Association from 1993 to 1997. After teaching in public schools for 19 years, Mr. Akiyama also conducted the Sony Concert Band.

Ryan Arp is the Associate Band Director at Iowa City High School in Iowa City, Iowa. He gives insights on networking and recruiting the help of fellow music education colleagues from the University of Iowa to make a beneficial impact to his music program.

Chuck Barnhouse is the third generation to own and operate the C. L. Barnhouse Publishing Company. His grandfather established the firm in 1886 and over the years the company has commissioned a rather impressive list of composers to create band and orchestral music. Among their most noted are composers, James Swearingen, Alfred Reed and Frank Mantooth. After outgrowing their facilities in 1987, Chuck oversaw the building of the new headquarters and improved production in all areas of the publishing process.

Harry Begian was one of the most respected band directors in the United States. Serving at the high school and college levels for over 45 years, Dr. Begian conducted his first band while he was in his teens. As the band director at Detroit’s Cass Technical High School and for 14 years at the University of Illinois, he taught his students respect for the classics and the power of team work. Acknowledging the importance of the Midwest Band Clinic on his career, he served on the board for the annual band conference and worked to improve the quality of its programs.  It was during the

Dr. Richard Brittain was invited to a small gathering of music educators in the months following World War II. The original goal of the meeting was to provide a venue for the music educators to distribute new music scores, which were difficult to obtain. The year was 1946. The first Midwest Band Clinic was born! Dr. Brittain was educated at VanderCook College, where he returned after the war and became one of the music college’s most esteemed professors. In addition to a rather distinguished teaching career, his work over the years included several noted arrangements for the Neil

Jason Brown is the Director of Fine Arts for District 219, Niles Township in Cook County, Illinois. A trumpet player, he graduated from the same high school as Miles Davis, and was later fortunate enough to play with Davis. Here, he speaks about his experience of returning to his high school music program in East St. Louis and how he brought the community together to rebuild the band program.

Anthony Camarda received his education at DePaul University and is the band teacher at Marlowe Middle School in Lake in the Hills, IL. His experience ranges across a number of different types of band classrooms, where he has learned the value of communication with other faculty and how to understand budgeting funds to best benefit students.

David Cole is the Director of Bands at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, Indiana and is a graduate of Indiana State University. Here, he speaks about having a relationship with the administration and finding support for his music program even during tough economic times.

Kevin Cottrill is the Director of Bands at Seymour Community Schools and the Band Director at Seymour High School in Seymour, Indiana. He received his education at Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Here, he provides insights into being a new teacher, and how to be an educator that places students first.

Jim DePriest has been teaching for 28 years, He has taught students at Stuart-Menlo Community Schools, West Burlington Independent Schools, Notre Dame Catholic Schools, and Mt. Pleasant Community School Districts. He joined the Mt. Pleasant District in 1992 where he has been the high school band director over 20 years. He is active in the Iowa Bandmasters Association and is past president of the Southeast Iowa Bandmasters Association. He has served as head advisor to the Iowa Ambassadors of Music European tour and has directed many honor bands around the state.

Chip DeStefano has served as the Director of Bands at McCracken Middle School for fifteen years now. Under his direction, the McCracken Middle School Symphonic Band has received first division ratings at all district and state organization contests of the Illinois Grade School Music Association (IGSMA) and has made multiple appearances at the Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) All-State Conference and the University of Illinois Superstate Concert Band Festival.

David Eccles is the Director of String Music Education at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois. He speaks here about the first steps for any new teacher and how to keep music culturally relevant in the lives of students.

John Espy teaches at Milford Exempted Village Schools in Milford, Ohio, where he teaches music at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Here, he speaks about transitions into middle and high school music programs and about how to retain students by continually seeking and showing the progress of the students.

Cheryl Filipek is the Band Director at Niles North High School. She speaks here about how to connect to students and how to create interest in music to recruit and retain for her program.

Colonel Arnald Gabriel proudly led the United States Air Force Band as well as the Symphony Orchestra, the Singing Sergeants and the McLean Orchestra over a long and celebrated career of musical service to his country. Playing for presidents, heads of states as well as service men and women, Col. Gabriel was an early supporter of the Midwest Band Clinic and the youngest person ever to be inducted into the National Band Association Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors.

Nancy Golden teaches band in four of the seven elementary schools in the Hinsdale District 181. She discusses various methods of recruiting new students for the band, such as showing recruitment films featuring children throughout their development as musicians in school, interactive programs with singing and dancing with middle school students interacting with elementary children,  and communication with parents.

Motohichi Harada led the movement that brought the very first marching band to Japan, which took place in 1963.  He has since worked for the NHK for over thirty years and formed the Japan Marching Band Directors Association in 1971 and the Japan Marching Band Association the following year.  Both groups focused on raising an awareness and application for marching band as well as training for directors and musicians alike. Igniting the marching band movement within Japan has been his life's mission and his main focus in his retirement, a dedication for which he is very proud.

Phillip Hash is the Associate Professor and Coordinator of Undergraduate Music Education at the School of Music - Illinois State University. He holds an Ed. D. in music education from the University of Illinois, a M.M. in wind conducting from Northwestern University, and a B.M. in music education from Millikin University. Phillip’s professional affiliations include MENC: The National Association for Music Education, and the National Band Association.

Jeff Heid is the Head Band Director at Muscatine High School in Muscatine, Iowa. He speaks here about rebuilding a program, that was once numbering in the two-hundreds, by focusing on retention and offering options to students.

Glenn Holtz was raised in the music products industry. His father, Ed, was a sales manager for Ludwig Drum Company. Glenn spent 9 years as Selmer District Manager then 2 years as Field Manager. He left to be President of Gemeinhardt Flutes for nearly 20 years, and as a sales manager for Selmer. In 2002, he established the G. Holtz Musical Instrument Company and a brand of products called Glenn Edward, which included flutes, piccolos, saxophones, trumpets and tuba.

Bryan Itzkowitz is the Director of Bands at Holmes Middle School in Wheeling, Illinois. He became interested in becoming a music educator in eighth grade when his band director gave him the opportunity to run rehearsals for a piece of music he had become interested in; he even got to conduct the piece at the next concert. Due to the large percentage of Latino and Spanish-speaking students and families associated with Holmes Middle School, Mr. Itzkowitz made the decision to travel to Costa Rica for a month and a half and Peru for two months to learn Spanish so that he could create

Dorothy Jacobi is the Instrumental Music Educator in the Solon Community School District. She is in her 15th year of teaching, and has taught everything from general music, instrumental music, and choral music at all K-12 levels. She received her education as a music educator at Jamestown College (now University of Jamestown) in Jamestown, North Dakota and at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Mark Kelly served on the Midwest Band Clinic board for over 30 years, beginning in the 1980s and played a vital role in the growth and popularity of the clinic and its programs. He attended his first Midwest program in 1954 and recalled with great details watching Harry Begain’s school band perform. 

Herman Knoll has had a breadth of experience over the years teaching instrumental music at the primary, secondary, and collegiate levels. After his tenure at Indiana State University, he went on to work at Hal Leonard as a band music editor, eventually taking charge of the entire educational catalog. Today, he is the senior vice president of Hal Leonard Corporation. 

Lisa Lang is the 5th and 6th Grade Band Director and Assistant High School Band Director in Independence, Iowa. Ms. Lang has taught for 25 years in both Iowa and Delaware and received her education at the University of Iowa. 

Frank Lestina has taught for eleven years at Vernon Hills High School in Vernon Hills, Illinois. He speaks here about attracting and retaining students and about the importance of visibility to incoming middle school students.

Beth Lyons is the 5th through 8th Grade Band Director at five different elementary schools and one middle school in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She has taught several elements of music, ranging from instrumental, choir, and general music. Ms. Lyons received her education at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.

Ray Ostwald Originally from Wisconsin, Mr. Ostwald has taught orchestra in Illinois for twenty years and has been at York Community High School in Elmhurst for the past sixteen. He comes from a musical family, and provides insights here about the hiring and interview process for music educators.

Glen Schneider teaches band, technique, and percussion classes at Metea Valley High School in Aurora, Illinois. He received his education at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has been teaching instrumental and general music for ten years across the K-12 spectrum.

Barbara Siler is the Assistant Director of Bands at Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools, a small but growing school system. She teaches grades six through twelve. At the beginning of her career, she served as a long-term substitute teacher. Here, she talks about the interview process for music educators in her district.

Todd Smith is the Band Director at River Trails Middle School in Mount Prospect, Illinois. He began teaching 17 years ago in River Grove, Illinois and moved to RTMS 12 years ago to his current position. He says he became inspired to become a music educator because of his passion for music and his high school band director, who gave him many opportunities that helped him develop within the field. 

Greg Snyder has been the Director of Bands at Lakota West High School in West Chester, Ohio for 25 years. He talks here about some challenges that come with leading a music program and how to overcome them.