The Midwest Clinic Chat Rooms provide an arena where teachers will learn from and dialogue with expert practitioners. These brief ‘chats’ allow directors a forum for collaboration in a relaxed, intimate environment. The Chat Rooms have limited seating so attendance is granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
John Benzer
- Biographical Information
John Benzer semi-retired, after twenty years as an Instrumental Music Education and University Bands Affiliate faculty member at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music in 2020, where he taught undergraduate woodwind instrument pedagogy classes and band director methods classes, assisted the performing ensembles and was the Student Teacher Coordinator Currently, he is a full-time band clinician/consultant and adjudicator, and provides conceptual instrumental pedagogy information through johnbenzer.com. Mr. Benzer is also co-author of Essential Musicianship-Ensemble Concepts, a published band method consisting of three textbooks. Before moving to Houston in 2000, Mr. Benzer taught for twelve years at Griffin Middle School in the Lewisville ISD. During his ten years as Director of Bands, the Griffin MS Symphonic Band was twice named the Texas Class CC Middle School Honor Band, in 1993 and 1997. In 1997, the Griffin Middle School Band Program was awarded the Sudler Cup. At the 1995 Texas Bandmasters Association Convention, Mr. Benzer was named the 1995 “Texas Young Bandmaster of the Year.” In 2001 he was inducted as a member of the Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, and was honored as the Distinguished Alumnus in Music Education through the UH Moores School of Music in 2012. In December of 2022, he was recognized and presented at Midwest as an Honorary Member of Women Band Directors International for his mentorship and support of women band directors across Texas and our country. Most recently, Mr. Benzer received a Meritorious Achievement Award at the 2023 Texas Bandmasters Association Convention.