See photos from past Midwest Clinics

The Midwest Clinic began on December 7, 1946, when approximately 120 directors from the Chicago area assembled in a YWCA gymnasium on Chicago’s West Side for a six-hour clinic and new music reading session. In 1947, the event was expanded to two days and moved to the Hotel Sherman to take advantage of the larger facilities and accommodations for out-of-town directors. Besides the two-day format, this second installment brought many new features, including a printed program, an additional band, and a new name: The Mid-West Band Clinic. The VanderCook School of Music, Neil A. Kjos Music Company and Lyons Band Instrument Company sponsored the event. For the next 25 years, the Hotel Sherman was home to The Midwest Clinic. In the 1950s, orchestras and jazz ensembles were introduced, and in 1962, The Midwest Clinic held its first official Orchestra Day. In 1963, the clinic expanded to its present format of four and a half days. In 1973, The Midwest Clinic moved to the Hilton Chicago, where, with several nearby venues, it was held until 2008. In 1995, the Blackstone Hotel was used in addition to the Hilton for hosting clinic events. With the addition of this facility, The Midwest Clinic was able to present more clinics than ever in its history. In 1999, the Congress Plaza replaced the Blackstone Hotel as the second site of conference events. The Blackstone Hotel and Merle Reskin Theatre were used as additional sites in 2008. In 2009, The Midwest Clinic moved to McCormick Place West, bringing all the conference programs and exhibits under one roof.

In the earliest years of the "Mid-West Band Clinic," the organizers – H.E. Nutt, Howard Lyons and Neil Kjos, Sr. – invited outstanding bands to perform, based upon the reputations of the organization and its director. In addition to giving a formal concert, the bands were also expected to provide a sight-reading session, with the selections being requested by audience members on the spur of the moment. Today, The Midwest Clinic continues to feature performances by outstanding organizations, but now every group that desires to perform must first apply to do so.

Over the years, the focus of The Midwest Clinic has remained on bringing music directors into contact with not only the best published music, but also with new and established teaching techniques, and the latest products and services for the music educator.

Additional Highlights:

1962 — The Midwest Clinic Medal of Honor is created to recognize outstanding contributions to music education.
1983 — The Executive Director position is increased from part-time to full-time.
1988 — College Night is instituted, bringing representatives of colleges and universities into contact with students and teachers
                looking for undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
1989 — The Teacher Resource Center is created.
1990 — The Midwest Motifs newsletter is first published.
1991 — The Midwest Clinic Industry Award is created to recognize outstanding contributions to music education through the music
                industry.
1992 — The Midwest Clinic International Award is created to recognize outstanding contributions to music education internationally.
1995 — A new Executive Assistant position increases the full-time staff to two.
1996 — The Midwest Clinic commissions its first two pieces of music, in honor of its 50th anniversary.
1997 — The United States Coasts Guard Band presents two concerts on Wednesday night to meet the growing audience demand for
                the featured United States military band performances.
2001 — Pre-registration for the conference is first offered, through this website, and orchestra events are expanded into Thursday.
2002 — Streaming video selections from concert performances are archived on The Midwest Clinic website, and the College Student
                and Beginning Teacher Track series of events provides a core curriculum specifically aimed at teachers at the beginning of
                their careers.
2004 — Rehearsal labs are introduced at the Palmer House and the Merle Reskin Theatre is added to the venues hosting Midwest
                Clinic events.
2006 — A new Office Manager position increases the full-time staff to three, clinics created specifically for high school students
                are added to the program, and the 60th anniversary conference is attended by a record-setting 17,000 people from 36                 countries.
2007 — For the first time, the conference is given a specific theme: Mentoring in Music Education.

Timeline: What Growth Has Meant to Our Name

1946 Band Clinic
1947 Mid-West Band Clinic
1951 Mid-West National Band Clinic
1968 Mid-West National Band and Orchestra Clinic
1986 Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic
1996 The Midwest Clinic, An International Band and Orchestra Conference
2009 The Midwest Clinic moves to a new venue, McCormick Place West, which provides opportunities to improve every aspect of the conference.

This historical overview was adapted from The First Fifty Years, by Midwest Clinic Secretary Victor Zajec, and from additional commentary provided by Victor and Marilea Zajec.

The Midwest Clinic archive is housed at the University of Maryland. For information, please visit the archive page.