Desert Hills High School was confirmed this week as the venue for the St. George, Utah Regional Championship on November 3, 2012.

To view the 2012 full fall schedule, click here.

Check back often for additional 2012 fall schedule updates and information.

Apogee Stadium at University of North Texas was confirmed this week as the venue for the Denton, Texas Regional Championship on September 29, 2012.

To view the 2012 full fall schedule, click here.

Check back often for additional 2012 fall schedule updates and information.

166 School Districts and 10 Schools Achieve Prestigious National Designation

CARLSBAD, Calif. (April 17, 2012) —The NAMM Foundation announced the results of its 13th annual Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) survey, which acknowledges schools and districts across the U.S. for their commitment and support for music education as part of the core curriculum. In all, 176 communities out of 237 that submitted surveys were recognized, including 166 school districts and 10 schools. The announcement comes in anticipation of NAMM’s National Wanna Play Music Week, (May 7-13) a weeklong promotion designed to encourage people of all ages and skill levels to experience the proven benefits and fun of playing music.

Established in 1999, The BCME survey is a nationwide search for communities who provide access to music education as an essential part of a complete education and exemplify commitment and support for music education. The BCME survey is designed and implemented in collaboration with The Institute for Educational Research and Public Service of Lawrence, Kansas, an affiliate of the University of Kansas.

The announcement of the 2012 Best Communities for Music Education campaign comes during a crucial time as school districts nationwide finalize budgets. The Best Community designation is a distinction worthy of pride, but is also a call to action for local music education advocates to help preserve and potentially expand access to their current music education programs.

Past designees have reported that making the Best Communities list had a positive effect on their ability to advance recognition and support for music programs. NAMM Foundation Executive Director Mary Luehrsen, encourages communities to use the designation as a cornerstone of vigorous advocacy for music education programs.

“We know that communities are struggling to maintain funding for many education programs and we applaud these communities that remain committed to a complete and quality education that must include music and the arts,” said Luehrsen. “We urge communities to celebrate the designation as a national recognition for their commitment to children and most of all, keep the music playing in their schools for years to come.”

Each school receiving the “Best Communities” designation scored in the 80th percentile or higher in the survey’s grading process. Participants in the survey answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and other relevant factors in their communities’ music education programs. The responses were verified with district officials and advisory organizations reviewed the data.

A copy of the survey can be downloaded for review at www.nammfoundation.org.

In conducting the annual survey, the NAMM Foundation is joined by advisory organizations in the fields of music and education: Americans for the Arts (www.americansforthearts.org), League of American Orchestras (www.americanorchestras.org), The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation (www.mhopus.org), Music for All (www.musicforall.org), Music Teachers National Association (www.mtna.org), National Guild For Community Arts Education (www.nationalguild.org), Yamaha Corporation of America (www.yamaha.com), Young Audiences (www.youngaudiences.org/), and VH1 Save The Music Foundation (www.vh1savethemusic.com).

View the full press release for the complete list of Best Communities for Music Education. The roster is listed alphabetically and can also be viewed at www.nammfoundation.org.

About The NAMM Foundation

The NAMM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to advancing active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs from the international music products industry.

Check out this Marching Roundtable podcast, featuring the Music for All Summer Symposium Percussion Division Head Michael McIntosh. This podcast episode, Electronics in Modern Show Design, provides practical advice for the novice or expert on incorporating electronics into your show.

In a previous episode, McIntosh addressed writing for DCI vs. Marching Band. This episode can be found here.

You can listen to additional Marching Roundtable podcasts if you visit their website.

Yamaha artist Michael McIntosh has a degree in Music Theory and Composition from Butler University. In addition to freelance composing and digital sound design, McIntosh is a designer/consultant for The Cavaliers and percussion specialist at Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana.

InfoCision Stadium at the University of Akron was confirmed today as the venue for the Akron, Ohio Regional Championship on October 13, 2012.

To view the 2012 full fall schedule, click here.

Check back often for additional 2012 fall schedule updates and information.

Citrus Stadium at Citrus College was confirmed last week as the venue for the Glendora, California Regional Championship on October 27, 2012.

To view the 2012 full fall schedule, click here.

Check back often for additional 2012 fall schedule updates and information.

How cool is this!? Greg Bell recently sent this to the Music for All office, for our historical archives. It’s the poster promoting the first National Concert Band Festival (precursor to the Music for All National Festival), in 1992, which was held at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

The poster features signatures from some of the clinicians at the first Festival: Dr. William D. Revelli, Frederick Fennell, John P. Paynter, Col. Arnald Gabriel and Allen Vizzutti.

Mr. Bell is now with Disney Talent Relations, but he was previously Assistant Band Director at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana when their Wind Ensemble attended that first BOA National Concert Band Festival.

Thank you, Mr. Bell, for sending us this treasured keepsake!

The application and audition packet for the 2013 Music for All National Festival can be downloaded here. June 5, 2012 is the application deadline for ensembles for the March 2013 event.

University of Louisville, Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium was confirmed this week as the venue for the Louisville, Kentucky Regional Championship on September 22, 2012.

To view the 2012 full fall schedule, click here

Check back often for additional 2012 fall schedule updates and information.

The 2012 Music for All National Festival is now in the history books. What incredible ensembles and performances! We had a great time and hope you did as well. 

It's always wonderful and truly amazing to see so many musicians and music-enthusiasts gathered in one place for the purpose of celebrating music, learning about the power of music and music education, and of course making music together. We congratulate all the ensembles and participants in the Music for All National Festival, and we thank you for being part of such an incredible, musical experience. 

If you're feeling nostalgic and would like to reminisce a bit, check out the Festival photo albums found on the Music for All Facebook page.

Also, if you couldn't be there in person, or want to see it again and again, all concert band performances will be available after the event as Video on Demand, and the Honor Ensembles will also be available. Percussion Ensemble performances were not webcast live, but they will be available as Video on Demand. Please note: on-demand video will be made available 72 hours after the conclusion of the event. To learn more, click here.

We hope you enjoyed the 2012 Music for All National Festival and had a positively life-changing experience! Thank you for all the wonderful music.

It's the last day of the 2012 Music for All National Festival, and it's been a busy day of National Concert Band Festival concerts, Middle School National Music Festival concerts, master classes and rehearsals. We enjoyed listening to the Jazz Band of America concert and the Honor Orchestra of America concert last night. The students sounded great!

Tonight, participants will enjoy a very special High School and Middle School Gala Awards Banquet in the Grand Ballroom at the JW Marriott. Festival participants will enjoy a formal dinner. They'll also listen to guest speakers, and there will be special award presentations to students and ensembles. 

Tonight's Gala Awards Banquet will also feature a very special presentation. Four individuals will be inducted into Music for All’s Bands of America (BOA) Hall of Fame tonight. The 2012 inductees are Charles “Chuck” Campbell, Chuck Henson, and Stu and Sharon Holzer.

The Bands of America Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have greatly impacted Bands of America, which is a program of Music for All, as well as the nation’s band activity and music education. Hall of Fame members are recognized permanently in the Bands of America “Hall of Fame” in Music for All’s corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. Congratulations to all inductees!

The Honor Orchestra of America's second performance will take place tonight at Hilbert Circle Theatre at 7:00 p.m. And, the Honor Band of America will perform tonight at 8:00 p.m. at Clowes Memorial Hall. The Honor Band will be conducted by Col. Lowell Graham, Chairman of the Music Department at the University of Texas at El Paso. He has held numerous conducting positions, including that of the Commander and Conductor of the United States Air Force's premier musical organization in Washington, DC. The Honor Band will perform Overture to "Colas Breugnon" by Dmitri Kabalevsky, The Warriors by Percy Aldridge Grainger, Brooke's Chicago Marine Band March by Roland F. Seitz, Symphony on Themes of John Philip Sousa - II. after "The Thunderer" by Ira Hearshen, and Overture in Five Flat by Julie Giroux. 

We've enjoyed a great week and weekend of wonderful music making! We hope you enjoy this evening's concerts.