Inspiring Leaders Through Music: A Legacy for the Next Generation
Clinic Synopsis:
Learn from the experiences and expertise of successful, veteran band directors who have dedicated three or more decades to music education. Panelists will share a wealth of knowledge on topics including personal growth, managing common challenges, and building program culture, as they continue to evolve into mentorship for the next generation of directors. Gain invaluable insights from those who have shaped countless young musicians and guided their journeys through the world of music.
Rebecca Phillips
- Biographical Information
Dr. Rebecca Phillips is Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Colorado State University where she conducts the CSU Wind Symphony and guides all aspects of the band and graduate wind conducting programs. Prior to this appointment, she served as the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Phillips has served as guest-conductor, clinician, and performer throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Highlights include conductor-in-residence with the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C., the Department of Defense All-Europe High School Honor Band in Frankfurt, Germany, guest-conducting the “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, and both professional and collegiate musicians in Prague (Czech Republic) for the “Prague Multicultural Music Project.” In addition, she has conducted members of the Prague National Symphony at the inaugural "2017 American Spring Festival" (Prague, Czech Republic). In 2018, she conducted members of the Des Moines Symphony in a chamber concert for the Iowa Bandmasters Association annual conference. Dr. Phillips regularly conducts intercollegiate and collegiate honor bands, all-state bands, and festival bands across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Myra Rhoden - Biographical Information
Dr. Myra Rhoden is the founder of Athena Music and Leadership, an all-girls music program created to promote musical excellence while emphasizing leadership skills. Recently retired after serving thirty years as a high school band director in the public schools of Georgia and Alabama, she now serves on the faculty at the University of West Georgia where she conducts the Symphonic Band and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Music Education. Rhoden frequently serves as a guest conductor for state, regional, and university honor bands and is honored to have presented sessions at The Midwest Clinic, various national, state and regional conferences, and for school systems and professional development clinics throughout North America. She is the author of Through My Music: Inspiring the Next Generation of Leaders, published by GIA Publications. A native of Tuskegee, Alabama, Dr. Rhoden was named the NAfME 2018 National Band Director of the Year, has been awarded the Outstanding Service to Music Award from Tau Beta Sigma, the Golden Rose Award from Women Band Directors International, multiple Citations of Excellence from the National Band Association, and has been named STAR Teacher and Teacher of the Year. She had the distinct pleasure of being a guest conductor for the United States Air Force Band and the United States Army Field Band of Washington, D. C. and the Tara Winds of Atlanta, Georgia.
Linda Moorhouse - Biographical Information
Dr. Linda R. Moorhouse serves as Director of the School of Music at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she is the Suzanne and William Allen Distinguished Professor in Music. She contributes to the campus community through her roles with the University Senate, the University Senates Conference, the Athletic Board, and the University of Illinois System-wide Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Council. Before her current role, she served for eight years as the School’s Associate Director and Director of Undergraduate Studies, and prior to that, she led the University Bands program within the School of Music. She is also a Fellow in the Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program. Before joining the University of Illinois School of Music in fall 2010, Moorhouse served on the faculty at Louisiana State University for more than 20 years, where she was the recipient of LSU School of Music and several campus-wide awards for teaching excellence. Under her leadership, the LSU Tiger Band received the Sudler Trophy (the “Heisman trophy” of college marching bands) and won the 2008 ESPN/Paramount Pictures “Battle of the Bands” contest. She also managed the LSU Summer Music Camps. Moorhouse is active as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator both nationally and internationally and her service to the band profession is a matter of record.
Edna Grace - Biographical Information
During her career of thirty-six years, Edna Grace held posts as Band Director and General Music/Chorus teacher in Charleston County School District at Brentwood Middle (1981-1984 – General Music/Chorus; 1984-1991–Band) and Berkeley County School District at College Park Middle (1991-2007–Band) and Stratford High (2007-2017–Band/Chorus). The bands under her instruction received the highest ratings at the SCBDA Concert Festival and Solo and Ensemble Festival, while individual students were selected for membership in honor bands (All-County Concert Bands, All-County Jazz Band (BCSD), Region Honor Band, South Carolina All-State Band, and the SC All-State Jazz Bands). Both the middle and high school band programs were consistent recipients of the SCBDA Outstanding Performance Award. In addition, the College Park Band earned the honor of performance at the 2003 SCMEA conference. Edna has served as an honor band clinician and concert band adjudicator in South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, and Georgia. Since retirement in June 2017, Edna continues to contribute to music education as a private teacher of double reed players and other woodwinds, a band and orchestra adjudicator and clinician, a mentor to directors across the state, an artist in residence at schools in Berkeley County, and as a substitute teacher in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties.
Erin Steele - Biographical Information
Erin Cole Steele is the Director of the Division of Education and Senior Educational Clinician for Conn Selmer Inc. Erin also serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Arizona State University’s School of Music, Dance, and Theatre. Previously, Erin was the Director of Bands at Tapp Middle School in Cobb County, Georgia (1995-2017) where she was named Teacher of the Year. Under her leadership, the Tapp Band received numerous accolades including performing at the 58th annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. During her tenure at Tapp MS, she commissioned four pieces of music including Robert W. Smith's "The Great Locomotive Chase," Frank Ticheli's "Simple Gifts-Four Shaker Songs," Samuel R. Hazo’s ”Ascend," and was part of a consortium commissioning Eric Whitacre's "The Seal Lullaby." Erin is a contributing editor for Hal Leonard’s Essential Elements for Band. She has written chapters for three editions of the GIA publication series Teaching Music Through Performance and most recently wrote a chapter for the book Rehearsing the Middle School Band by Stephen Meyer. Erin is an active guest conductor and speaker. She has presented sessions at the Midwest Clinic on several occasions as well as state and international conferences. She has served as the guest conductor for numerous All-State and regional honor bands, appearing in over 30 states. She served as the conductor for Youth Bands of Atlanta from 2011-2017 and a conductor for the "Encore" Music Camp for several years.
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