Honor Bands.

Photo Gallery

2008-2009 6-8 State Honor Band.

2008-2009 9-10 State Honor Band.

2007-2008 State Honor Band.

2005-2006 State Honor Band (Candid Photos).

2005-2006 State Honor Band (Photos by Luan Buhse).

About

The Minnesota Band Directors Association sponsors two honor bands annually, one comprised of students in grades 6, 7 and 8, and another comprised of students in grades 9 and 10. The MBDA Honor Bands provide the opportunity for select students from across the state of Minnesota to immerse themselves in an invigorating environment of music-making under the direction of a distinguished guest conductor.

Interested students apply by completing an application and submitting a taped audition. A committee of qualified adjudicators scores each audition tape against an agreed upon set of standards, ensuring that a consistent standard of excellence is used in assessing each applicant.

Regional Honor Bands

Regional level honor bands (by nomination) were held on either January 24th, 2009 or February 21st, 2009 (to be decided by your regional leadership team).

More information: Visit the links to the left for your specific region and information.

State Level Honor Bands

State Level Selection Process

Students in grades 6-10 must be members of the school band program during the year of audition and have directors who are presently members of MBDA. Students are selected based on a recorded audition. These auditions are evaluated by qualified music educators. While there is an emphasis on selecting the highest scoring students, each school is limited to no more than six (6) students per band (typically each MBDA Honor Band consists of between 70-80 students). Instrumentation is determined by the needs of the guest conductor and by the musical demands of the selected literature. The ranking given to the student by the school director is consulted only when the audition score, instrumentation, and school participant limit are in conflict. It is the intent of MBDA to represent as many schools across the state as possible while functioning within the stated guidelines.

Participation in the MBDA Honor Bands is earned by:

  • A successful audition; and
  • A commitment to attend all scheduled Honor Band Activities.

Dismissal:

  • Any participant who is absent from a scheduled Honor Band activity (ie: rehearsal, sectional, meal, break time, etc.) other than in a case of severe illness or unforseen emergency, shall forfeit their place in the Honor Band and be asked to hand in their folder before being dismissed.
  • Advance notice of irresolvable conflicts will allow another student to be placed from the list of alternates. Participants must resolve all outside conflicts and commit to all Honor Band activities.
  • Participants who forfeit their place may be denied consideration for MBDA Honor Bands in future years.

The 2010 timeline of events will require that audition materials are postmarked by December 18, 2009. Membership will be determined and mailed to directors by mid-February, 2010.

Questions about Honor Band auditions should be directed to Tara Michlitsch, MBDA 6-8 State Honor Band Representative, or David Miller, MBDA 9-10 State Honor Band Audition Chair.

2009-10 State Level Audition Materials

6-8 Grade Honor Band
9-10 Grade Honor Band
Scoring Rubrics

Questions about Honor Band auditions should be directed to Tara Michlitsch, MBDA 6-8 State Honor Band Representative, or David Miller, MBDA 9-10 State Honor Band Audition Chair.

6-8 State Honor Band Information

The event will be held April 17-18, 2010 at Marshall High School in Marshall, MN.

The conductor will be Dr. Donald Krubsack, from Orono High School.

Donald Krubsack is in his 20th year of teaching music at Orono High School. He directs the high school Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Pit Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Lab, and co-directs the Marching Band and Pep Band. His bands have toured and performed in places such as, Austria, Chicago, Denver, Washington D.C., San Antonio, New Orleans, Orlando, and Honolulu. Dr. Krubsack is responsible for establishing a partnership with the Minnesota Orchestra, bringing musicians to the school and taking students to Orchestra Hall each year. His bands have performed at the MMEA state convention, and in the inaugural High School Guest Ensemble Concert at the University of Minnesota in Ted Mann Concert Hall. In March 2010, they will play at the Bands of America Music for All national convention in Indianapolis. Prior to his time at Orono, he taught in Milaca, Minnesota, and Auburndale, Wisconsin. He has also taught music classes at St. Cloud State University, Augsburg College, Bethel College and the University of Minnesota. Dr. Krubsack has had a steady stream of student teachers from several universities and colleges study with him in his classroom. In 2007 he was a Minnesota Teacher of the Year finalist.

Dr. Krubsack earned his B.A. in Music Education from St. Olaf College, M.M. in Conducting and Music Education from Northwestern University, and Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Minnesota. He is an active guest conductor and clinician for festivals in Minnesota and Wisconsin. He has served on the board of directors for the Minnesota Music Educators Association and the Minnesota Band Directors Association. He served one term as the State Honor Band Event Chair for MBDA. In the summer of 2008 he gave a lecture/demonstration on the use of singing in band rehearsals at the First Annual MBDA Instrumental Teaching Symposium in Duluth, Minnesota.

In addition to his time with his students, Dr. Krubsack enjoys making music away from school. Since 2000, he has been the composer-in-residence at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis. He has arranged works for his school bands, and has composed several choral works. He plays trombone in the Basilica, sings and is tenor section leader for the Cathedral Choir and is a vocal soloist for several weddings each year. For ten years he played roles in NDIs backyard musical in Maple Grove. In 2008, NDIs farewell performance played to 2000 people over three nights and raised $10,000 for the Bridget McCarthy Scholarship.

9-10 State Honor Band Information

The event will be held April 17-18, 2010 at Marshall High School in Marshall, MN.

The conductor will be Dr. Scott A. Jones, from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN.

Scott A. Jones is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. In addition to conducting The Concordia College Band, his teaching responsibilities include courses in Instrumental Conducting and Instrumental Music Education. Prior to his appointment at Concordia College in 2005, Dr. Jones garnered 15 years of teaching experience in the public schools of Apple Valley, Minnesota and Ashville, Ohio.

An ardent supporter of the composers of today, Dr. Jones has commissioned more than 20 new compositions for wind band and chamber winds in the past decade. Commissioned composers include David Gilligham, Augusta Read Thomas, Libby Larsen, Clark McAlister, Michael Weinstein, Adam Gorb, Daniel Kallman, Scott McAllister, Timothy Mahr, Rolf Rudin, Lowell Liebermann, Elliott Schwartz, and Shelley Hanson.

A firm believer in creating opportunities for students to interact with great artists of our time, musicians under Jones leadership have collaborated with artists Frederick Fennell, Eiji Oue, Aaron Jay Kernis, Frank Battisti, Seiji Ozawa, David Gillingham, Augusta Read Thomas, Eddie Daniels, Frank Ticheli, Mark Camphouse, The Empire Brass Quintet and a host of other distinguished musical figures.

A native of Fairfax, Virginia, Dr. Jones received his undergraduate degree in Music Education from The Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio), a Masters Degree in Music Education from the Vander Cook College of Music (Chicago, Illinois), and a Ph.D. in Music from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota).

Dr. Jones was named "Music Educator of the Year" by the Minnesota Music Educators Association in 2002, and was one of three school band conductors from the United States selected to participate in the 2004 National Band Association International Conducting Symposium in Rome, Italy. He is creator of the "Wind Band Institute," a summer workshop for wind band conductors held annually on the campus of Concordia College.

His professional affiliations include MENC: The National Association for Music Education, Minnesota Music Educators Association, Wisconsin Music Educators Association, North Dakota Music Educators Association, South Dakota Music Educators Association, Montana Music Educators Association, World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, Iowa Bandmasters Association, Minnesota Band Directors Association, College Band Directors National Association, National Band Association, Chamber Music America, and Phi Beta Mu.

MBDA Honor Band Program Archives

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