UMD Bands: High School Honors Bands

Each fall, the UMD Bands host their annual high school honor band festival. This festival typically features 2 or 3 honors bands each totalling between 60 and 100 musicians.

Our Honors Band Philosophy

The purpose of this festival is to give the best students in your program a chance to participate in an ensemble that not only performs well but provides the students an opportunity to learn more about music and hopefully inspire them to become more excited about music. While we want bands that play well at the concert, we are more concerned about what your students learn while they are here at UMD. The level of performance does not always reflect what has been learned. Having said that, I would like you to consider the following when you are nominating your students.

1. Nominate only those who you know have achieved a level of skill beyond beginner level.
2. Please nominate students who have good attitudes and want to learn.
3. Please nominate students who want to work hard.
4. Nominate those who will appreciate the opportunity you/we are providing them and want to take there experiences back home to help improve your program.

Guest Artists

Frank Ticheli – Composer, Conductor
Rhythm and Brass – One of Americas Finest Brass Ensembles

Fall Festival

On Friday, November 2 and Saturday, November 3, the University of Minnesota Duluth, Department of Music will be hosting its Fifty-Fifth Annual Senior High Honor Band Festival. As always, our hope is to provide you and your students with the best experience possible. nThis year there will be two bands, the Gold Band and the Maroon Band. We will keep membership for the Gold Band to around 65-70 members. Our guest artists this year will be Frank Ticheli and a most exciting brass group Rhythm and Brass. We will be featuring both of them at the festival.

THE GOLD BAND

Mark Whitlock, Director of Bands, will again conduct the Gold Band. I am anxious to work with your talented students. Membership in this ensemble should be limited to only the best musicians in the state. In most cases, students should have been members of one of the All-State ensembles, be in the first section of your band and/or have received a I rating at solo and ensemble contest. If you have a student that you feel is truly outstanding you may submit their name. Be sure to document the student's accomplishments. Students not selected for this band will automatically be considered for the Maroon Band.

THE MAROON BAND

This ensemble will be conducted by Mr. Rich Mowers. Rich is the Director of Bands at the Esko High School. If you don’t know him, he is a fine musician, person and has a wonderful program. I know he’ll do wonderful work with this group. I am asking that you recommend other outstanding students from your band program for this ensemble. Your strongest juniors and seniors, other students who have attended honors bands or students who are serious musicians in your program should be considered.

Our Guest Artist: Frank Ticheli – Composer, Conductor

As I mentioned above, the guest clinicians for this event will be Frank Ticheli and Rhythm and Brass. As you are aware, Frank is considered to be one of our best composers and we are lucky to have him here at UMD. If you don’t know about Rhythm and Brass you need to go to their website at www.rhythmandbrass.com

I consider them to be one of the best and most diverse brass groups around today. They will be here on Thursday evening, November 1 to give a concert in Weber Music Hall at 7:30 pm. We will be offering discounted tickets to Honor Band participants and their directors for this concert. Also they will be performing with the UMD Symphonic Wind Ensemble on the Friday night concert.

How to Nominate

Nominations for the Senior High Honor Band can be done online (see link below) You can also download the fillable PDFs in documents (below).
Entry Deadline: Monday, October 8 , 2012. Acceptance Notification: Friday, October 19, 2012

Please be specific about percussionist's strengths (timp, mallets, snare, etc.) and also indicate whether the baritone players read bass clef or treble clef.

Please nominate only students who have expressed an interest in participating and who can guarantee that they will attend if selected. We would like to make this event as musical and memorable as possible. So a commitment is essential.

Entry Deadline: Monday, October 8, 2012
Acceptance Notification: Monday, October 19, 2012

Please click on the following link to submit on-line nominations. Also please remember that must fill out and submit a form for EACH student that you would like to nominate.
Nomination Form
If you have questions or problems please email: mwhitloc@d.umn.edu.

Housing

Arrangements are different this year. This year we have made arrangements with the Edgewater Hotel in Duluth for those of you who need housing for this event. We have reserved a block of rooms. The rate for the weekend will be $69.00 per room per night on Thursday, November 1 and $79.00 per night for Friday and Saturday. This offer is good for up to 4 students per room. Also, each student will receive a wristband for admission into the water park and a free continental breakfast. You may pay for your room upon arrival. When you call ask for Sarah Warner and mention that you are making reservations for the UMD Honor Band Festival. For more information you may look at their web site at: http://duluthwaterpark.com/ or call:
Edgewater Resort & Waterpark
2400 London Road
Duluth, MN 55812
218.728.3601
800.777.7925 (toll free)
Please make your reservations by October 29 to make sure you have a room for your students.

Both Frank Ticheli and Rhythm and Brass will be here to give clinic sessions during the clinic. The UMD Faculty will also be on hand to give clinics and performances throughout the weekend. A more complete biography is available in the honor band information packet. I am looking forward to having the chance to meet your fine students. All of us at UMD sincerely hope that you can find the time to become involved with this special festival.

Payment and Final Concert

There will be an $25.00 charge per student for participation in the UMD Senior High Honor Band Festival. Payment will be due on the day of registration. Checks should be made payable to UMD Bands.

Documents

Contact Information

Mark Whitlock, Director of Bands
p: 218.726.6124
f: 218.726.8210
mwhitloc@d.umn.edu

231 Humanities Building
1201 Ordean Court
Duluth, MN 55812

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For Information about music department programs and upcoming concerts, please call 218-726-8877