A woman who needs no introduction to the marching arts world, Amy Knopps is my guest on this week’s episode of the Global Band Room Podcast. The Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at University of Missouri, Amy is no stranger to what it takes to become a marching band sensation. From the pandemic affecting Marching Mizzou’s trip to Dublin for St Patricks Day to coming back swinging in the Macy’s Day Parade, the last five years has been just as wild for them as the rest of us. We chat all about Amy’s path that led her to where she is now, what it’s like to be a part of the programme at University of Missouri, and — most importantly — the importance of creating an environment that inspires and facilitates success on an individual and group level. Find more about Amy and her programmes at:https://music.missouri.edu/people/knopps https://www.instagram.com/marchingmizzou/ https://www.facebook.com/MarchingMizzou/ You can find me on theglobalbandroom.com for more information about the podcast or about this show's sponsor, Kaleidoscope Adventures. Until next time, happy banding!
Back in the band room once again, but this time, the episode sounds just a little bit different! This week’s guest, Kevin McKeown, is an impassioned conductor from Belfast and California who worked with me to bring his wind ensemble at Santa Monica High School to Edinburgh, Manchester, and London. Taking this episode a little closer to home, we talk about Kevin’s unique experience being an Irish immigrant who moved to California during the Troubles in the 1980s, how music became a huge part of his new life, how the pandemic shook things up in his band room, and the tour of the United Kingdom we were on at that moment — all from the comfort of a cosy pub in London! You can find me on theglobalbandroom.com for more information about the podcast or about this show's sponsor, Kaleidoscope Adventures. Until next time, happy banding!
You might have found me back in the day from Finding Drum Corps, and if so, then this week’s guest will need no introductions! But if this is new to you, David Eddleman is the Open Class at Soundsport and International Development Officer with Drum Corps International, among many other things. As we move through David’s career and its many (many) fascinating branches, we discuss the transformative moments in music that captivate and make us who we are today — as well as knowing when to take up the call yourself in order to see the thing you love succeed. Over the last five years (and, perhaps, more realistically his entire career), even though he moved off of his job with Avon Lake High School, David learned about the new ways in which we have to communicate with our students and band members. “When you build a culture that values people first, the music naturally follows.” Find more about what David’s up to on:soundsport.com You can find me on theglobalbandroom.com for more information about the podcast or about this show's sponsor, Kaleidoscope Adventures. Until next time, happy banding!
Delighted to welcome back friend-of-the-pod, Mark Nichols! Since 2020, Mark's made a fair few transitions, and like so many of the rest of us, started re-prioritising some things too! We chat about how sometimes "it's just band" and how life looks so much larger when you step away from the nitty-gritty of your normal routine. And, as a result of that, how much programmes benefit from that more balanced approach. When I met Mark, he was Brass Caption Head for DCI's Santa Clara Vanguard and Director of Bands at Brazoswood High School. But these days, he finds himself on the Brass Staff at Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps and Associate Director of Bands at Clear Lake High School. If you want to find out more about Mark's work and the projects he's involved in, find him here: https://education.musicforall.org/clinician/4339/https://bostoncrusaders.org/https://www.clhsband.org/@bostoncrusadersYou can find me on theglobalbandroom.com for more information about the podcast or about this show's sponsor, Kaleidoscope Adventures. Until next time, happy banding!
For this week’s episode, I’m joined by world-class musician and good friend, Jason Noble. As the Associate Professor of Music at Lehman College, conductor of the Columbia University Wind Ensemble, and avid commissioner of new works, he’s a pillar of the band world. We talk all about the massive changes of the last five years — from writing a book to Jason’s life-altering surgery to the new priorities in his life, and everything in between. And what better time to share my conversation with Jason than this March, during Essential Tremor Awareness Month?Find more about Jason and his career at: jasonnoble.com@jnobleband (on Instagram and Facebook)And have a look at this link, highlighting the difference between his conducting finesse post-procedure. You can find me on theglobalbandroom.com for more information about the podcast or about this show's sponsor, Kaleidoscope Adventures. Until next time, happy banding!
Join me back in the band room with one of my favorite guests, Gail Brechting! She's the past president of ACB, – the Association of Concert Bands – the conductor of West Michigan Concert Winds for 29 years, a leader in Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp's Lifelong Learning program, and many, many more wonderful things. We talk all about Gail's career, the things she's learned over the last five years, and her goals for the future – both band-world-wise and personal! Find Gail and her many projects on:ACB - https://www.acbands.org/Blue Lake's Fine Art Camp - https://bluelake.org/WMCW - https://www.wmcw.org/You can find me on theglobalbandroom.com for more information about the podcast or about this show's sponsor, Kaleidoscope Adventures. Until next time, happy banding!
Welcome back to the Global Band Room. It's hard to believe that it's been 5 years since I started this podcast, and since the COVID 19 shutdown in 2020. In the last five years, banding around the world has returned and been reshaped in ways we could never have imagined. So, for this new season of the Global Band Room, I'll be gathering those hard-earned lessons and experiences in the post-pandemic world.
Here Dylan and I talk about how he's settling into his life in Newfoundland and what it's like to attend The Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Check out his exciting work and podcasts at: https://www.dylanrookmaddix.com/
Mark Connor and I talk about everything band—his podcast, his impact, and, of course, band.
Here I'm joined by Brian Wilson—a world-renowned drum major and friend—all about what tattoos are, what it's like to perform in one, and so much more.
Welcome back! I was delighted to welcome Giovanni Santos as my first guest of the new season of the Global Bandroom. We chat all about band in California, his career as a composer and conductor, and the importance of diversity at all levels of band. To find out more about Giovanni Santos head over to his website at https://giosantosmusic.com/
This is a special episode of the Global Bandoom with our friend Cathy Likhuta as we talk about the war in Ukraine, her family, and her music. Thank you so much to Cathy for the conversation and all of the updates she's been posting to help us understand the conflict a little more. Our sincere best wishes to her and her family right now. You can help Cathy support Ukraine by purchasing her music at www.catherinelikhuta.com
For the first time since the podcast started at the beginning of the pandemic, we're on the road! Over the past month, I visited San Antonio TX, and Columbia SC. On this week's episode, I'm bringing you some of the best conversations from those events with Emily Burch Williams, Adam Chitta, Patrick Moore, Paul Buyer, and Austin Armstrong.
We’re heading to Texas next week for TMEA and before we do, we had a great conversation with Amy Bovin, Associate Director of Bands at Texas A&M, Kingsville. We talked about boojie milkshakes, changing paths during covid, moving to Texas, and how we might support and encourage more women to not only join the profession, but stay!
Lori is back! Lori Schwartz Reichl was one of the first guests on the Global Bandroom back on St. Patrick's Day 2020. This week we talk all about her journey throughout the last two years, building a freelance career in music education, and how flexible approaches to the workplace may lead to a more diverse pool of great directors and a happier environment to create and learn for everyone. Find out more about Lori at https://makingkeychanges.com/
This week the Global Bandroom visits Nakhon-Rachasima in Thailand to chat with Apivut Minali, conductor of the Suranaree Girls Wind Symphony & Marching Band. in addition to conducting in Thailand and Japan, Apivut has adjudicated in Taiwan, Malaysia, Germany, and Canada. We talked about how he started his career in music education in Thailand, his time with Aimachi in Japan, and how beginner bands have different pressures on them outside of the USA,
It was great to chat a length with Jeffrey Spenner, assistant director of the US Coast Guard Band this week. We spoke about service bands, what it takes to be a service musician, and how much of the time these world-class musicians and bands can be taken for granted and undervalued, a problem around the world.
Happy New Year! We're back and heading back to Calgary for the first episode of 2022. Chris Herard is the Head of Fine Arts at Bishop Carroll High School and an Executive Council member of the World Association of Marching Show Bands. We had a great conversation about student leadership in music education, the important relationships between school and community bands, and how Chris balances the numerous projects he's involved in. Find out more about WAMSB at https://wamsb.org Find out more about SLAM at https://slamleadership.org
Director of Bands at the University of Arizona Bands, Conductor, Author, and former Stand-Up Comedian and podcast trailblazer Chad Nicholson joined me on this week's show. We spoke about how his stand-up comedy informed his work as a band director, his experiments in podcasting, and presenting musical repertoire in interesting and engaging ways. Find out more about Chad and the University of Arizona Bands at https://band.music.arizona.edu The Global Bandroom is brought to you by Kaleidoscope Adventures. Travel Beyond Expectations at www.mykatrip.com
"Can expressiveness in music be learned, or is it an innate gift, and you either have it or you don't?" This week I sat down with a true Bandmaster, Robert Musser, former conductor of the Tacoma Concert Band, to talk about this topic which is the subject of his new book "Expression: The Essence of Music: A Guide To Expressive Performance." Find out more about Robert's new book at https://www.expressivemusic.com