I just received an email from the Midwest Clinic announcing the presenters and clinics for this year.  If you are a band, orchestra, or music educator that has not made the “pilgrimage” to Chicago for the Midwest clinic, I STRONGLY encourage you to consider going this year.  Attending the Midwest clinic will positively change your outlook about our profession regardless of where you are currently “at” in your career and current situation.

One of the most interesting clinics I attend last year featured Francis McBeth, James Barnes, Eric Ewazen, and Mark Rodgers.  It was entitled, “So you want to be a composer”and I wrote about it here if you are interested in reading abou it.

The clinics look to be very interesting this year; here is the tentative list of presentations and presenters from the Midwest Clinic site (You can pre-register for Midwest here):

Developing the Basic Fundamentals and Musical Integrity of Young Oboists
Ann Adams 
 
Anyone Can Improvise
Jamey Aebersold 
 
Music Teaching and Learning from a Distance: Viable and Effective Through Technology
Paul Bauer, Greg Howe, Christianne Orto 
 
It’s Gotta Work–Now! Maintenance of Instruments for the Hectic Band Room
Greg Beckwith, John Huth, Lucas Pemberton 
 
There is Hope! Your Low Brass Does Not Need to Sound Like Electric Yard Trimmers
Roger Behrend 
 
The Care and Upkeep of the Music Director’s Body
Jeffrey Bishop 
 
Improving Your Clarinet Section, Top to Bottom
J. Lawrie Bloom 
 
Web 2.0: Let’s Communicate with Blogs, Wikis, Ning, Twitter, and More
Carol Broos 
 
Developing a Successful Middle School Percussion Ensemble
Scott Brown 
 
Strategies for the Beginning Music Teacher: Planning for Success
Colleen Conway 
 
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Choosing Music for Your Band
Lynn Cooper 
 
The Wind Quintet as a Teaching Medium
 Cumberland Quintet 
 
A New Approach to Developing Musicianship: Drawing the Common Thread Throughout Your Rehearsal Using the Right Materials and Teaching Strategies
James Curnow, Joseph Manfredo 
 
Digital Recording in Rehearsal: Cheap and Simple
Rick Dammers 
 
Beyond Their Years: Tone, Intonation and the Young Band
Chip De Stefano 
 
TEACHING STRINGS: Moving Toward Mastery: R, F, and P
Joanne Erwin, Brenda Mitchell 
 
Getting Started with Fiddling, A First Tune and Creating a String Band
Janet Farrar-Royce 
 
Preparing the Score
Col Arnald Gabriel 
 
Jammin’ Strings: Teaching Alternative Styles in the Orchestra
Robert Gardner 
 
Horn Pedagogy 101: The Nuts and Bolts of Teaching the Horn
Charles Gavin 
 
Retention Through a Success-Full Career: When Strengths Become Weaknesses
Alan Gumm 
 
Women and Minorities in the Band Conducting Profession: Past, Present, and Future
Linda Hartley, Deborah Sheldon 
 
Beginning Band 101 “You Have No Free Will”
George Hayden, RoAnn Romines 
 
What’s the Difference Between a Saxophone and a Lawnmower? The Role of Vibrato, Breath Support, Embouchure, Reeds and Mouthpieces in the Development of a Great Sounding Saxophone Section
Jonathan Helton 
 
Fixing the Front Row: Troubleshooting Your Flute Section
Julie Hobbs 
 
Students, Compose! Teachers, Keep Your Rehearsal Time While Meeting the National Standards
Andrea Hollenbeck 
 
Engaging your Percussionists in the Concert Setting
Eric Hollenbeck 
 
Middle School Band – Maddening or Magical?
Linda Huck 
 
Got Rhythm?
Jeff Jarvis, Doug Beach 
 
More for Less: Cost-effective Ways to Significantly Improve the Sound of Your Concert Percussion Instruments (and Percussionists)
Kristopher Keeton 
 
Communicating With Your Administrators…or…How To Talk So Your Principal Will Listen
Jeff Laird, Rick Ghinelli 
 
What You Should Know Before You Go…Tips Guranteed to Make the Student Teaching Experience a Success
Mary Land, David Gregory 
 
Building Winning Orchestras
Mark Laycock 
 
Conducting Insights: Moving from Technique to Artistry
Anthony Maiello 
 
Developing a Dark Orchestral Trumpet Sound
Freddy Martin, Chris Martin, Michael Martin 
 
Wasting Away in “Obsolete-a-ville” – Changing Attitudes about Technology in the Instrumental Rehearsal Room
Joel Mason 
 
The Art of Expressive Conducting: Conducting from the Inside Out
Allan McMurray 
 
Putting a Music Education Philosophy into Action: Be a Role Model, Convince Your Students to Practice and Lead Them to an Aesthetic Experience
Brian Merrill 
 
Successful Strategies for Exceptional Learners in Instrumental Music Programs
Kevin Mixon 
 
Tuning the Ensemble by Ear
Rob Myers 
 
Rhythm: How Can Something So Simple Be So Difficult to Teach?
David Newell 
 
A Look at the Sinister Side of the Cello – Exploring Left Hand Technique
Allen Nisbet 
 
All Music Must Dance – A Unique Challenge for Instrumentalists
Weston Noble 
 
Practice Makes Permanent: Teaching Students to Practice Effectively
Steve Oare 
 
Recipes for Success: In the Classroom, on the Concert Stage and at Contest
Deborah Perkins, Ruth Kurtis 
 
Cymbal Playing Made Easy: How to Produce a Great Sound in Five Minutes or Less!
Nick Petrella 
 
Teaching Guitar for the Non-Guitarist
Ed Prasse 
 
Fill Their iPods With Band Music! A Primer on Recordings Available Online
Anthony Reimer 
 
Teaching Musicianship Through Compositions for the Beginning Band (NOT Performing at Midwest in the Near Future!)
Drew Shanefield 
 
Preparing Your Ensemble for Expressive Performance
Robert Sheldon 
 
Crafting Curriculum through Content and Creativity
Elizabeth Sokolowski 
 
Bring on the Winds! What you Need to Know to Successfully Incorporate Woodwinds and Brass With Your Strings for a Full Orchestra
Daniel Sommerville 
 
Teaching Band in the Small School
Jason Steele 
 
Pump Up Your Program: Developing Student Leaders Through Chamber Music
 U.S. Army Brass Quintet 
 
“I Know It’s Wrong, But I’m Not Sure How to Fix It”—Strategies for Improving Aural Skills on the Podium
Michael Votta, Jr. 
 
Sound Reinforcement and Recording of Jazz and Large Ensembles – Practical and Easy to Use Basic and Advanced Ideas
Jim Warrick, Scott Bauer, Mark Morette, Scott Steiner 
 
Musicality – Tips for Expressive Music Making
Frank Wickes 
 
Four Centuries of Masterworks for Brass Ensemble
Gail Williams 
 
The Basie Style
Dennis Wilson 
 
It’s Not About Me: The Conductor as Servant-Leader
Ramona Wis 

I will certainly be going (D.V.) and as always would be happy to meet up with any of you out there.  Anybody know that they are going already? …comment here.

              Dr. Joseph M. Pisano

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