Components of the Directors’ Academy
The Music for All Summer Symposium, presented by Yamaha, brings you the absolute best to provide a comprehensive experience. It’s a total experience, with something for every band director: high school and middle school, from the most experienced to the teacher at the start of his or her career. Music for All offers tools that will allow you to achieve peak performance personally and for your ensembles. This is the place to get a head start on next year’s thinking, make connections, get new ideas, and learn new strategies.
Directors’ Academy Sessions include:
- Daily sessions on Teaching Ensemble Skills & Techniques
- Daily sessions on Developing Individual Sections
- Daily Band Director Master Classes by highly successful and experienced band directors, including Greg Bimm,
- George Boulden, Richard Floyd, Andy Sealy, and Frank Troyka
- One-on-One opportunities with designers, master teachers, and technology experts
- Carolina Crown “How-To” sessions
- Technology sessions for management, instruction, AND communication
- Marching Band Design Sessions
- Marching Band Judging Sessions
- Daily sessions for adjunct staff on professionalism, health, safety, and legal implications Friday Booster Club Sessions for parents and directors
- Health and safety for directors and marching students (in cooperation with Athletes and the Arts)
- Directors’ Concert Band
- Directors’ Jazz Band
Control Your Own Experience:
Customize your curriculum with choices focusing on a wide range of tracks and topics relevant to today’s band director in concert band, jazz, marching, and technology. Experience classroom rehearsal techniques, conducting, literature, marching band design, jazz band, pedagogy, technology, organization and administration, programming, and more. You also have access to observe all the student division classes, watching master teachers in all areas of instrumental instruction in action.
Band Director Masterclasses:
Our new series of daily Band Director Masterclasses will provide time with master teachers on a wide range of issues from both inside the classroom and beyond. In addition to classroom issues, we’ll discuss areas beyond those moments on the podium, like working with boosters and administration, and work/life balance.
Carolina Crown In Residence:
Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps, the 2013 DCI World Champions, will be in residence, with directors’ sessions featuring the corps members and instructional staff. Carolina Crown will also work with the student Marching Band division, preparing for a combined performance Friday night at the DCI Central Indiana show. Carolina Crown’s percussion and color guard sections will work with those camp student divisions, as well.
Peer-to-Peer Networking:
Network with other directors and experts who share your passion for teaching music, both in and out of the classroom. Meals and director social events are valuable times for relaxing, catching up, and getting new ideas for your own program.
Professional Development:
Music for All knows that continuing education and ongoing professional development is important. Music for All can certify your participation in the Summer Symposium to satisfy professional development requirements. Graduate Credit is also available for directors wishing to register for it through Ball State University.
Dream Team Faculty:
The faculty includes dozens of the most respected and successful music educators teaching today, at the high school, middle school, and collegiate level; plus connection time with performing artists.
Directors’ Concert and Jazz Bands:
Bring your instrument and participate in either the Directors’ Concert Band, conducted by Richard Saucedo, or the Directors’ Jazz Band. It’s a fun chance to play with your peers and explore new literature.
One-on-One Directors’ Lounge:
Our one-on-one Directors’ Lounge brings you a team of educators offering personal consultation on your program, show design, conducting, concert programming, drill writing, and more. It’s like a director’s private lesson with leading experts in the Master Teacher Lounge, Marching Design Lounge, and Technology Lounge.
Universal Pedagogy:
Whether you’re a teacher who has years of experience or a teacher at the start of your career; in a rural, urban, or suburban setting; at a small school or large one, the pedagogy offered is relevant to band directors from a wide range of teaching environments. Music for All presenters represent a range of school sizes and settings, providing insight and expertise from directors dealing with real-world situations.
Great Facilities:
Directors will stay in an outstanding residence hall on the Ball State campus, featuring state-of-the-art technology and environmentally friendly design and construction. Ball State also features free Wifi campus-wide.
Tracks within the Directors’ Academy daily curriculum include:
- Marching Pedagogy
- Middle School and Young Teacher Pedagogy
- Jazz
- Technology
- Administration
- Organization
- Boosters
- Ethics
Photos of the Directors’ Academy at America’s Camp
