All wind band directors strive for musical excellence. But when students struggle to play correct notes, rhythms, dynamics, and articulations, it’s easy to miss opportunities for higher level musicianship (expression, phrasing, and style). In this session, we present a systematic, research-based approach to help wind band directors detect errors accurately and efficiently, allowing both performers and directors to focus on high-level musicianship and experience the joy of music making.
Catheryn Foster
- Biographical Information
Catheryn Foster is an Assistant Professor of Practice and graduate program leader at Virginia Tech. Her responsibilities include advising and instructing graduate students in the Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction program. Foster received her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, her Master of Music Education (MMEd) from Valdosta State University, and her Bachelor of Music Education (BMEd) from Columbus State University. She taught middle and high school band in Georgia prior to entering the field of higher education. Foster serves as a clinician, adjudicator, professional development facilitator, and guest lecturer throughout the southeast. She is the co-author of Developing Error Detection Skills in the Wind Band Educator, published by GIA Publications, Inc. Her research is published in Journal of Music Teacher Education, Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education, and Qualitative Research in Music Education. She is also the co-founder of the Rural Band Director Alliance, a national organization to support and empower rural band directors. Most recently, Dr. Foster was named as part of the 2025 class of “40 Under 40 Yamaha Music Educators.”
Ward Miller earned his bachelors of music education from Auburn University, where he served as webmaster, arranger, and an undergraduate teaching assistant with the Auburn University Marching Band. He earned a masters in Trombone Performance from Arizona State University and a DMA in Band Conducting from the University of Iowa. Dr. Miller served as the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of South Alabama (2008-2013). Dr. Miller served as the Musical Arranger, Drill Writer, and Assistant Director of the Macy's Great American Marching Band in New York City from 2006 through 2018. He has appeared as a guest conductor and clinician to multiple concert honor bands throughout the United States. In addition to his writing and his many appearances across the country, Dr. Miller has ongoing educational consultancies with multiple college and high school programs throughout the United States. From 2018-2023, Dr. Miller served as the Education Director for Youth in Music, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization that hosts marching band events and clinics throughout the upper Midwest. He still serves in an ancillary capacity at Youth in Music. In 2023, Dr. Miller co-authored a textbook with Dr. Catheryn Foster entitled Developing Error Detection Skills in the Wind Band Educator, published by GIA Publications, Inc.