Dan Valkema and I sat down at his house to discuss his career as a band director at the high school and middle school level, changes and consistencies across the year, and how he “failed” retirement. 

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Daniel Valkema recently retired following a 36-year career in music education in the State of Illinois. His career included teaching at Plainfield Central, Elk Grove, Lincoln-Way East, and Lockport Township High Schools.  He holds degrees from Illinois State University and the University of Iowa.  

Bands under his direction have performed at the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival, the Midwest Clinic, the Illinois Music Education Conference, the State of Illinois Concert Band Contest (5A Champions) and the prestigious Illinois Superstate Band Festival (1999 Class AAA Honor Band).  In addition, his bands have earned the Grand Championship Award at the Midwest Music Festival 3 times.  

Mr. Valkema has appeared as guest conductor with the Illinois Summer Youth Music Camp, Iowa All-State Music Camp, Wheaton Municipal Band, Freeport Concert Band, IMEA Jazz Bands, and Rushmore Music Camp.  He has also been a staff member of the Illinois Ambassadors of Music for 5 European Concert Tours.  Mr. Valkema was honored as an Outstanding Chicagoland Music Educator, received an Illinois Math & Science Academy Award of Excellence, Plainfield District 202 Award of Excellence, and several Citations of Excellence from the National Band Association.

Episode 31: Dan Valkema, Retired, Plainfield Central High School, Plainfield, IL

Band and music education professional development on-the-go! Listen to interviews, tips and techniques from some of the top educators in the band field.

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Bill Jastrow discusses comprehensive musicianship, organizing a school district's music program, and the caring and "feeding" of the young percussionist.

Special thanks to my friend and colleague Scott Barnas for taking the lead on this episode! 

Visit us at www.thebandmasters.com, or download this episode and more wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

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Spanning 41 years, William Jastrow’s teaching experience ranges from a community high school with an enrollment of 450 students, to Neuqua Valley H.S. with an enrollment exceeding 4,000, to the position of Music Education Coordinator for Indian Prairie School District 204, a unit district comprising 33 schools and 29,500 students.  Teaching and conducting responsibilities at Neuqua Valley included concert bands, jazz ensembles, marching band, and the Klangfarben Percussion Ensembles.  Jastrow holds degrees in music education from the University of Illinois and Northwestern University.
 
A frequent Illinois All-State and NAfME clinician, as well as a district and all-state festival conductor, Jastrow served the Illinois Music Education Association Board of Directors as Band Division President and State President. As an executive officer, Jastrow assumed a leading role in the development of a Leadership Conference for exemplary music educators, a Future Music Educators Symposium for high school students, and an All-State Percussion Ensemble.  As past president, Jastrow was active in promoting a statewide survey on the status of music education, contributed to the planning of “Dream Out Loud”, a joint advocacy initiative with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Yamaha, and authored numerous articles on the vital role that music should play as part of a comprehensive education for all students. 
 
Over his career, Jastrow’s bands have performed for the University of Illinois Superstate Festival, the NBA National Convention, the West Sussex International Youth Music Festival, and the Liberty, Outback, and Fiesta Bowl festivals and parades, as well as for international audiences in Canada, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and the People’s Republic of China.  During his tenure, Neuqua Valley H.S. was recognized as the Kennedy Center National School of Distinction in Fine Arts Education and was a multiple recipient of the Grammy Signature Gold and National Signature School Award.  A 2011 inductee into the Phi Beta Mu Illinois Bandmasters Hall of Fame, Jastrow is a recipient of the John Paynter Lifetime Achievement Award, Illinois State Board of Education "Those Who Excel" Recognition, ILMEA Distinguished Service Award, and NAfME Excellence in Teaching Music Award.

Episode 37: Bill Jastrow, Retired, Indian Prairie School District 204, IL

I sit down with Damien Crutcher to discuss what life looks like right now, what motivates him, how to recognize passion, working through difficult times, and leaving a legacy.

Check out Mark Connor's interview with Damien to hear more about his upbringing and musical life! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2ONc8hju-Q

https://www.markjconnor.com/eb-podcast/everything-band-episode-152-damien-crutcher 

Visit us at www.thebandmasters.com, or download this episode and more wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

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Damien Crutcher is a native Detroiter and a graduate of Cass Technical High School. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Michigan State University, and a Master’s in Conducting from The University of Michigan. Damien studied horn with Bryan Kennedy and Doug Campbell and Conducting with H. Robert Reynolds.

After graduating from The University of Michigan, Damien served as Director of Bands and Orchestra at Southfield-Lathrup High School. Under his direction, the Southfield-Lathrup ensembles, including the Lathrup Symphony Band have performed in San Francisco, Chicago, the Bahamas, the White House, and Carnegie Hall. Many of his students from Southfield Lathrup are currently professional musicians, music teachers, and artists across the country.

He is currently the co-founder and CEO of Crescendo Detroit. Crescendo Detroit is a nonprofit whose mission is to transform the lives of school-age children, ages 5-18, in Detroit, by engaging kids in intense instrumental music, vocal music, and dance programs that promote artistic excellence and character building. It is the goal of Crescendo Detroit to create a neighborhood to college pipeline using the arts.

Damien is a frequent guest conductor and clinician throughout Michigan and Ohio and also serves as the conductor of the Farmington Community Band and the DSO’s Detroit Community Concert Band.

Visit Crescendo Detroit's website at https://www.crescendodetroit.org/

Episode 36: Damien Crutcher, Crescendo Detroit

Bobby Lambert talks about the hows and whys of student leadership, recommends some classic band pieces, and talks musical mentors.

Head to Bobby and Jeff's Young's Podcast "That Band Life" at Apple Podcasts to hear more.

For more content related to music education, visit www.thebandmasters.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Sticher Audio.

FULL BIO from www.wandobands.org: Bobby is Director of Bands at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Originally from Cherokee, North Carolina, Mr. Lambert attended Western Carolina University to obtain his Bachelors Degree in music education and then the University of Massachusetts to receive a graduate assistantship and a Masters of Music Degree in saxophone performance.

From 2001 until 2013, Mr. Lambert was the assistant band director at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois where he enjoyed great success in both the marching and concert arena. The marching band was a consistent finalist at the Bands of America Grand National Championships and a repeat winner of the 2A National Championship. At the state level, the band continued its winning streak as the Class Champion for the State of Illinois Marching Band Championship begun in 1980. Under his direction, the Concert Band at Marian found great success in performance assessment: consistently receiving superior ratings and being named overall champion at The State of the Art Catholic Concert Band Festival, and class champion at The Illinois State University Concert Competition and The University of Illinois Superstate Concert Festival.

In 2005, he founded the school-wide leadership program at Marian, designing the curriculum and coordinating its implementation to over 1200 students with over 50 faculty members. Drawn from the world of business, finance, and psychology, the Leadership Program curriculum gives every student practical experience with communication skills, group dynamics, and ethical leadership.

Since 1997, Mr. Lambert has directed student leadership camps around the country. In 2013, Mr. Lambert headed the inaugural Bands of America Drum Major Institute at Ball State University as part of the BOA Summer Symposium. This contemporary camp brings the most experienced staff and the latest information to student leaders from across the country. Over 1000 high school students participate in various leadership programs with Mr. Lambert each summer.

In addition to serving as consultant with several programs across the country, Mr. Lambert has worked with the All-American Marching Band sponsored by the U.S. Army and the Bands of America Tournament of Roses Marching Band. He has also served as guest conductor for honor bands in Virginia and Illinois.

Mr. Lambert’s professional affiliations include MENC and Phi Mu Alpha. He has been honored with an induction to the Marian Catholic Fine Arts Hall of Fame in 2013 and voted a Chicagoland Outstanding Music Educator in 2009. He now lives in South Carolina with his wife Alysia, who is a choral director and their daughters, Maria Katherine and Olivia Claire.

Episode 35: Bobby Lambert, Wando High School, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Bob Mecozzi, band director at Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills, IL, talks about the Getting Things Done system and how we can reduce stress by managing our tasks.  

For more content related to music education, visit www.thebandmasters.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Sticher Audio.

Sidenote Series Episode 9: Bob Mecozzi on Getting Things Done

Dr. Joe Manfredo talks about his time with Dr. Begian, provides literature suggestions, and discusses his research and publications in the area of band history and the undergraduate conducting curriculum.  

For more content related to music education, visit www.thebandmasters.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Sticher Audio.

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 Joseph Manfredo is a retired Associate Professor of Music for the School of Music at Illinois State University. At ISU, Manfredo was the Coordinator of Music Education and taught undergraduate  courses in instrumental music education. In addition, he was the coordinator of the student teaching program.

     Originally from the Chicago area, Manfredo received a Bachelors Degree in Music Education  from Eastern Illinois University, where he studied clarinet with Dr. Earl Boyd and piano with Dr. Catherine Smith. His graduate studies included a Master of Arts Degree in Instrumental  Conducting from EIU and a Doctorate of Music Education from the University of Illinois. During his doctoral residency, Manfredo was awarded the band conducting internship to study  with the legendary Dr. Harry Begian. In addition, he also studied with Gary Smith and James  Curnow.

     Professor Manfredo is in constant demand as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. He  has conducted various All-State Bands and Honor Bands throughout the United States and  Canada. His collegiate bands have been selected to perform at national, regional, and state  conferences. Since August 2011, he has been conductor of the Festival Band for the Leonard  Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival.

     Manfredo has presented lectures and clinics at the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra  Clinic, national conferences for the National Association for Music Educators, College Band  Directors National Association, National Band Association, the Instrumental Music Teacher  Educators Biennual Colloquium, and the Conn-Selmer Institute. He has made presentations at  state music conferences in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas, and internationally in China, Germany, Luxembourg, Austria, Portugal, and Brazil.

     Manfredo has published journal articles in the Groves Dictionary of Music, Bulletin of the  Council for Research in Music Education, Journal of Band Research, Music Educators Journal, Journal of Music Teacher Education, The Instrumentalist, Illinois Music Educators Journal, and  the Alta Musica series. In addition, he was asked to write The Conductor’s Manual for the  Essentials of Musicianship series published by Hal Leonard. He also serves as the chief editor of  the MitteilungsBlatt, one of the publications for IGEB, the International Society for the  Promotion and Investigation of Wind Music; and he is on the editorial board for the World  Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE).

     Dr. Manfredo is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Midwest Clinic. He was the  recipient of the 2015 Mary Hoffman Award for Teaching Excellence by the Illinois Music  Education Association. Also, he was the 2013 recipient of the Outstanding Bandmaster Award by the XI Chapter of Phi Beta Mu (International Bandmasters Fraternity).

Episode 31: Dan Valkema, Retired, Plainfield Central High School, Plainfield, IL

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