Contact: Margaret Kovar
More than 200 high school musicians from throughout the region will converge on campus Jan. 24 to participate in the 61st annual Mississippi State University Honor Band Clinic.
One of the oldest and largest in the Southeast, the three-day clinic was founded in 1953 by former music department head W. Thomas West.
Participants were selected from more than 300 students who auditioned in November for the clinic, which will have one jazz band and three concert band workshops.
Clinicians for this year's honor band are Keith Bearden, Myra Rhoden and Richard Suk.
Tuscaloosa County High School Band director Jed Smart will present a special clinic for the band directors attending, titled "What's App'ening--Current Trends in iPad/Tablet Use for the Instrumental Music Educator."
Three free public performances also are scheduled, all in the McComas Hall main theater. They include:
--Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Honors Jazz Band and MSU Jazz Band;
--Friday, 7:30 p.m., MSU Wind Ensemble;
--Saturday, 1 p.m., Honor Band final concert.
Bearden retired from Texas Tech University in May 2003 after 23 years as director of the "Goin' Band from Raiderland" and associate director of bands. In addition, he conducted the University Concert Band, the Court Jesters Basketball Band and played trumpet in the Faculty Brass Quintet. He taught classes in conducting and music education and was co-director of the Texas Tech summer band & orchestra camps. His bands performed for the Dallas Cowboys, the Denver Broncos and bowl games under his direction.
Since 2007, Rhoden has directed the Fayette County High School Band in Fayetteville, Ga. Under her leadership, the band program has continued its longstanding tradition of excellence, receiving a top five finish in 2009-2010 in a Bands of America Regional Championship. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees in music education from the University of Alabama and her doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Suk is director of the Ohio University Marching Band, known throughout the United States as one of the finest show bands. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in music education from the University of Southern Mississippi and his doctorate in education from the University of Illinois. He taught in the public schools of Mississippi and Alabama for 10 years where his ensembles received consistent superior ratings at state, regional and national events.
For more information about the 2013 clinic, contact the music department at 662-325-3070.
For more information about Mississippi State University, visit www.msstate.edu.