Tips, Tricks, and Techniques
Clinic Synopsis:
The small school band director is often the only fine arts connection in entire communities. In an effort to help offer solutions to issues facing small school bands, the panel will discuss these issues based on their expertise and experience in the area of teaching in small school bands. This session will be interactive utilizing both live questions from the audience and via Twitter.
Jim Cude
- Biographical Information
Jim Cude is in his 28th year of teaching and his 13th year in Whitesboro. His teaching responsibilities include, the high school Marching Band, Honors Band, Jazz Band, and WMS Varsity Band. He is also responsible for the instrumental music program at WISD and fine arts chair at Whitesboro High School. Bands under his direction have consistently received the UIL Sweepstakes award and the Whitesboro Band qualified for the UIL State Marching Contest in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2013. The Whitesboro Band was a finalist in 2006, and was named the 2013 Class AA and 2015 Class AAA State Marching Champion. Mr. Cude’s professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association and the Association of Texas Small School Bands. Mr. Cude has served on the TMEA State Board as the Region 2 President and ATSSB Executive Board as 3A representative. He is currently serving as President of ATSSB. He also serves as an adjudicator and clinician across the state of Texas. He also serves as contemporary worship leader at First Baptist Church in Whitesboro. Mr. Cude is married to Linda and they have two children, Lauren 23 and Caleb, 18.
Jon Bubbett - Biographical Information
Jon Bubbett is a native of Dothan, AL. He attended Dothan High School, graduating in 1977. He also attended Troy State University, graduating with a BMEd. in 1981. Mr. Bubbett received the MMEd. from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, IL in 1989 Mr. Bubbett is in his 34th year of teaching. Mr. Bubbett began his teaching career in Washington, GA, at Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School. He also served as band director at Demopolis High School, Demopolis, AL and at Erwin High School, Birmingham, AL before coming to Thompson High School in Alabaster, AL. Mr. Bubbett has served as band director at Thompson High School since 1993. Mr. Bubbett’s bands have performed in a variety of venues across the southeast, most notably, Southeastern United States Concert Band Clinic held on the campus of Troy University in February 2007, the Alabama Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in January 1997, 2009 and 2014, Alabama Honor Band Festival in February of 2010, the Music for All National Concert Band Festival in 2011, the 2012 CBDNA / NBA Southern Division Conference at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA, and the 2013 JanFest at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA. Most recently the Thompson Wind Ensemble performed for the Alabama Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in January of 2014 and has been selected to perform for the Music for All National Concert Band Festival in 2015. Mr. Bubbett is also a five time recipient of the NBA Citation of Excellence Award. In addition the Thompson Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Mr. Bubbett, is one of the recipients of the NBA Program of Excellence “Blue Ribbon” Award for 2014. Mr. Bubbett is a member of National Association for Music Education, Alabama Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, National Band Association, Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, Celebration Winds Community Concert Band, and the Alabama Winds Community Concert Band. Mr. Bubbett is married to the former Jeannie Hardwick from Alabaster, AL, and they have two children, Miles and Mallory. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church (Cumberland) in Alabaster, AL.
Brandon Crawford - Biographical Information
Mr. Crawford has been an active clinician and adjudicator in the Chicagoland area and various areas in Missouri and Kansas. A native of Chester, Illinois, he holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois where he studied under Dr. Robert Sinclair and Dr. Charles Menghini. Mr. Crawford is an active member in the Illinois Music Educators Association where he serves as Senior Chorus Organization Chair for District II, the American Choral Directors Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Professional Music Fraternity.
In 2005, Mr. Crawford served as Director of Choral Music for Mexico High School in Mexico, Missouri. He held that position until 2007 when he relocated to the Kansas City Metro. In 2008, Mr. Crawford held the position of Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Percussion for Unit School District 416 in Louisburg, Kansas.
In the spring of 2010, Mr. Crawford was offered his current position of Director of Music at Princeton High School in Princeton, Illinois. Under his direction, his ensembles and students have received numerous Division I "Superior" ratings at the Illinois High School Association Music Organizational Contest and the Illinois High School Solo and Ensemble Contest receiving high remarks in musicianship and musicality. In 2014, the Princeton High School Concert Choir was selected to perform at the Illinois Music Education Conference in Peoria, Illinois.
John Cisetti - Biographical Information
John Cisetti has led the band program at Louisburg, Kansas for 37 years. He teaches more than 400 students per day in grades five through twelve at three different buildings and produces more than 50 public performances per year. His groups consistently receive first-division ratings. Mr. Cisetti was named the Louisburg Master Teacher of the Year in 2000, was a semifinalist for the 2001 Kansas Teacher of the Year, and was named the 2007 Wal-Mart Local Teacher of the Year. He was an applicant in the 1985-1986 NASA Teacher in Space Program. Mr. Cisetti was named the 2015-2016 Northeast Kansas Music Educators Association Outstanding High School Band Director.
Mr. Cisetti holds a Bachelor of Music Education, a Master of Arts, and an Educational Specialist degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and School of Education. Mr. Cisetti has served on the Board of Directors of the Kansas Bandmasters Association. He is also a member of the National Band Association, the Kansas Music Educators Association, and the National Association for Music Education. Mr. Cisetti lives near Louisburg with his wife Veronica. Mr. and Mrs. Cisetti have three adult children: Cathy Cisetti, Steve Cisetti (and his wife Ashley), and Mary Patonai (and her husband Nick).
The Wildcat Band includes 139 members and is the largest organization at Louisburg High School, representing more than one-fourth of the student body. Enjoying wide support in the school and the community, the Louisburg High School Wildcat Band appears frequently at local, regional, and national events. Reaching out from the heart of America, the band has performed in New York City, The District of Columbia, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Chicago, and Dallas.
In keeping with its distinguishing mission of positive patriotism, the Wildcat Band has led wreath-laying ceremonies at the tombs of Abraham Lincoln and John Philip Sousa, at the Navy Memorial in Washington, DC, and at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, PA. The Louisburg Band frequently performs at regional and national sporting events. These have included appearances at RFK Stadium for the Washington Nationals, Busch Stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kauffman Stadium for the Kansas City Royals, and the Indy 500 Race.
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