Students & Parents: We have extended the online Student Registration deadline to Wednesday, November 4, 2009. If you encounter problems with the online registration system, please call the Peck School of the Arts Box Office (414-229-4308) to confirm your registration status or complete your registration by phone.

Students: Student registration is now closed.

School Band Directors: Student nominations are now closed.

Liability Release Form Click here.

Percussion Student Reqirements & Auditiion Information Click here.

If you have any questions, please contact the UWM Bands office at honors-band@uwm.edu or (414) 229-5641.

High School Audition Excerpts:
Flute
Oboe
Clarinet
Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Trumpet
Horn
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Bands will host the 43rd Annual UWM Honors Band Festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 20 through November 22, 2009 on the UWM campus. The Festival takes place in the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts and in the Music Building of the Arts Center, just west of beautiful Lake Michigan. The festival serves about 600 students in two concurrent programs: one for high school (grades 9-12) and the other for middle school (grades 6-8).

We believe that experiences like the UWM Honors Band Festival help young musicians grow. The festival provides the region's top middle and high school students with an opportunity to work with each other and with nationally recognized wind band conductors. In addition, students participate in master classes with the UWM Department of Music’s performance faculty and they have the opportunity to hear performances by many UWM ensembles.

DIRECTORS
Directors, we hope that you will consider nominating your finest students to join us for the festival.

Nominations will be accepted between September 21 and October 14, 2009.

Click here to view the letter to directors. After reading the letter, you may begin nominating your students by clicking on the "Nominate Your Students" link below.

PARENTS & STUDENTS
Students who are nominated by their school band director and accepted by the festival will be mailed a registration packet by October 21, 2009. The packet will include instructions for registering and fee information. Registrations must be received by November 2, 2009.

Tickets for the final festival performances on Sunday, November 22, 2009 will be available for purchase at the time of registration.

Choose from the following below:
Nominate Your Students
Map & Directions
Registration
Placement Audition
Items to Prepare for your Audition
Lodging
Parking
Meals
Music
Concerts
Recordings
Featured Conductor-Clinicians
Hosts
Tentative Schedule

NOMINATE YOUR STUDENTS top
School Band Directors Only
Nominations for the 43rd Annual UWM Honors Band Festival will be accepted from September 21-October 14, 2009.

Map & Directions top
Click here for map and directions to campus.

Registration top
Students who are nominated by their school band teacher and accepted by the festival will be mailed a registration packet by October 21, 2009. The letter will include instructions for registering fee information. Registrations must be received by November 2, 2009. The registration fee is $66 per student; students are responsible for the cost of all local transportation needs, meals and housing.

Placement Audition top
All students who participate in the festival will play a short audition upon their arrival to determine their ensemble and chair placement.

Items to Prepare for your Audition top

Middle School Students
Prepare major scales in (your instrument's) keys of C, F, B-flat, G, and D. Not all scales will be performed at the audition, but students should prepare all 5 keys. Students should perform as many octaves as is possible for their own capabilities.

Prepare a portion of an etude or solo of a Wisconsin State Music Association Class-B or Class-C solo totaling no more than 3-4 minutes.

High School Students
Prepare major scales in (your instrument's) keys of C, F, B-flat, G, and D. Not all scales will be performed at the audition, but students should prepare all 5 keys. Students should perform as many octaves as is possible for their instrument and their own capabilities.

Additional high school audition music will be posted here by October 30, 2009. The additional material will consist of excerpts from the planned repertoire for the High School Honors Wind Ensemble and the High School Honors Symphonic Band.

Lodging top
Housing can be arranged at local Milwaukee hotels and motels for students who live outside of reasonable commuting distance. Click here for a list of the recommended hotels and ask for the UWM Honors Band rate.

Parking top
You are encouraged to use metered street parking or the underground parking garage at the UWM Union. All parking venues are free on Sundays for the performances.

Meals top
Various dining options are available in the UWM Student Union. A wide variety of restaurants are within four-block radius of campus. Participating students will not be accompanied by Festival staff to and from meals. Click here for a list of options near campus.

Music top
All music will be furnished by the UWM Band Department. Students must provide their own pencils, folding music stand, and all other necessary equipment for rehearsals.

Concerts top
All of the festival concerts will take place in the Bader Concert Hall of the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts. All seats at all concerts are reserved. Tickets may be ordered at the time of registration, or by contacting the Peck School of the Arts box office at (414) 229-4308.

The UWM Symphony Band and Jazz Ensemble will perform on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 4pm. No tickets are necessary for this concert for festival participants and their parents.

Each middle school ensemble will perform a separate concert on Sunday, November 22, 2009 starting at 1:00 pm. Watch the festival schedule for exact times. The high school concert will begin at 4:00 pm on Sunday, November 22, 2009 with the UWM Wind Ensemble.

Recordings top
All final festival concerts will be recorded. A CD for the high school performances and another CD for the middle school performances will be available for purchase online at the time of registration. Students may purchase CDs in advance for $15 per CD; if ordered on the day of the performance, the cost will be $20 per CD.

Featured Conductors-Clinicians top

STEPHEN W. PRATT
Conductor – High School Honors Wind Ensemble

Prof. Stephen W. Pratt is currently in his twenty-sixth year on the faculty of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he serves as chairman of the Department of Bands/Wind Conducting, personally conducting the internationally acclaimed Wind Ensemble, and teaches graduate courses in wind conducting and wind band history. He is in constant demand as a clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator across the nation and internationally. Recent appearances have included guest conducting the US Army Field Band, all state orchestras and/or bands in Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Indiana, Illinois and Nevada, as well as at the International School in Beijing, China. Professor Pratt has extensive experience teaching in the public schools of Sturgis, Michigan, where he was responsible for bands and orchestras at the high school and middle school level. He holds degrees from Indiana University and The University of Michigan.

ALFRED L. WATKINS
Conductor – High School Honors Symphonic Band

Alfred L. Watkins has been Director of Bands at Lassiter (Marietta, GA) High School since 1982. He has established a fine reputation as an adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor throughout the United States. Mr. Watkins, a native of Jackson, Georgia, received his Bachelor of Music Education from Florida A & M University, with honors in 1976 where he was a conducting student of Dr. William P. Foster and Dr. Julian E. White. Prior to his arrival at Lassiter, he served for six years as Director of Bands at Murphy High School in the Atlanta Public School System. As much a teacher as he is a musician, Mr. Watkins was named "Teacher of the Year" in 1978 and STAR TEACHER in 1982, 1983, 1989, 1994 and 1997. Under Mr. Watkins' baton, the Lassiter Symphonic Band has acquired a fine reputation of musical excellence. In 1997, the Sousa Foundation listed the Lassiter Symphonic Band in the HISTORIC ROLL OF HONOR OF DISTINGUISHED HIGH SCHOOL CONCERT BANDS IN AMERICA, 1920-1997.

CLINTON C. MARHSALL
Conductor – The "South Carolina" Middle School Honors Band

Clinton Marshall is the former Coordinator of Music for the Baltimore County (MD) Public School System, but now resides in the Lake Murray region of South Carolina. In Baltimore, he supervised the instrumental and vocal music programs in over 160 schools. Under Mr. Marshall's leadership, the Baltimore County Public Schools developed and implemented creative and unique curricular programs. Prior to this assignment, Clinton Marshall taught instrumental music at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. His concert bands earned a reputation for excellence by consistently receiving superior ratings at District, State, and National Festivals. His contributions to the instrumental music program have been recognized by the National Band Directors Association and the American School Band Directors Association. The Maryland State Senate honored Mr. Marshall in a special proclamation for "his efforts and accomplishments in producing award-winning music students." Mr. Marshall is active as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor.

KIM COUGHLIN
Conductor – The "Illinois" Middle School Honors Band

Ms. Coughlin has taught band in the Summit Hill School District in Frankfort, IL since 1981. She graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Music Education, at which time she accepted the position of the district's first formally employed band director for students in grades four through eight. As the program grew, more staff has been added, and Kim currently teaches at the junior high level. She presently works with the Junior High Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Marching Band and Pep Band. In addition, she implemented a Percussion Ensemble program several years ago that involves both percussionists and wind players, already in the band program, who wish to learn to play percussion. Kim received her Master's Degree in 2002 from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, IL. She has served as an adjudicator for IGSMA (Illinois Grade School Music Association) Solo and Ensemble Contests as well as for the high school level Solo and Ensemble Contest. Her bands annually compete in the IGSMA Organizational Competitions at both the district and state level, and regularly receive superior ratings for their performances. Ms. Coughlin is a member of MENC and actively participates in IMEA (Illinois Music Educators Association) concert band and jazz festivals with her students. She has served multiple times as the IMEA District I festival chair and band division chairperson.

DR. JON B. GILLILAND
Conductor – The "Wisconsin" Middle School Honors Band

Dr. Jon Gilliland recently retired after 19 years in fine arts administration with the Appleton (where he is Coordinator of Fine Arts – Emeritus) and Fond du Lac school districts. He is currently the President of the Wisconsin Music Educators Association, is a member of its publications committee, and serves on the board of directors for the Wisconsin School Music Association, the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, the Fond du Lac Symphonic Band, and recently retired from the Fox Valley Symphony Board. He has been an adjunct instructor at Marian College and UW-Oshkosh and has presented clinics and workshops at state, regional, and national conferences. Presently, Dr. Gilliland is a consultant with several Wisconsin school districts in the areas of arts advocacy and teacher development.

FESTIVAL HOSTS top
JOHN CLIMER – Professor of Music and Director of Bands; Conductor, UWM Wind Ensemble; Music Advisor, UWM Youth Music Ensemble program

SCOTT CORLEY – Senior Lecturer in Music and Assistant Director of Bands; Music Director, UWM Youth Wind Ensembles; Conductor, UWM Symphony Band

Tentative Schedule top
The final schedule will be included in the acceptance packet, which will be sent by October 27, to all students accepted to the festival.

Friday, November 20, 2009

2:00 pm - 5:30 pm – Placement Auditions
5:30 pm - 6:45 pm – Dinner
6:45 pm – Seating of Ensembles
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm – Rehearsal I


Saturday, November 21, 2009

8:30 am - 10:15 am – Middle School Ensemble Rehearsal II
10:30 am - 11:30 am – Middle School Master Classes by UWM Faculty
8:30 am - 9:30 am – High School Master Classes by UWM Faculty
9:45 am - 11:30 am – High School Ensemble Rehearsal II
11:30 pm - 12:45 pm – Lunch
1:00 pm - 3:45 pm – Rehearsal III
4:00 pm – UWM Jazz Ensemble & UWM Symphony Band performance
5:30 pm - 6:45 pm – Dinner
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm – Rehearsal IV


Sunday, November 22, 2009

9:00 am - 11:00 am – Rehearsal V
11:00 am - 12:30 am – Break until performances begin
1:00 pm – Middle School Groups begin performances
4:00 pm – UWM Wind Ensemble Performance
4:40 pm – High School groups begin performances