The Global Band Room

In this episode, we dive deep with Chuck Henson, the legendary voice of Bands of America, as he shares incredible stories, his journey from small-town Kentucky to the global stage, and the magic that keeps this activity alive and thriving.

Resources & Links:

• ⁠Music for All⁠ — The parent organization supporting music education nationwide
• ⁠Bands of America⁠ — The premier marching arts festival and advocacy group
• ⁠Drum Corps International⁠ — The global leader in drum corps activity
• ⁠William D. Revelli — Legacy of Excellence⁠ — A pivotal figure in American band history

In this episode, we chat with Joe Wyndham of London Band Week, who shares insights into the band culture in the UK and the USA. The conversation covers topics such as band conventions, community bands, funding challenges, and the concept of London Band Week. London Band Week brings together marching bands from around the world to showcase their best performances in London. The event includes standstill performances, a tattoo, a parade review, and a drum battle, providing an immersive cultural experience for the participating bands.

🎺 Welcome to the Global Bandroom! Join Keith Kelly and John DeNovi as they kick off Season 7 with a bang! 🎶 Dive into the world of concert and marching bands, exploring stories from Ireland to the USA. Discover how music unites us all, and get ready for exciting insights from band experts worldwide. Don't miss out on this musical journey! 🌍 #GlobalBandroom #marchingband #Podcast

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/

@bostoncrusaders

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!

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.