TROY – Music will fill Troy University’s campus Feb. 2- 4 as high school band students from across the southeastern United States congregate to participate in the 33rd annual Southeastern United States Concert and Band Clinic (SEUS).

Carol Fanks, assistant professor of music for TROY, said that the SEUS Concert and Clinic has been a long tradition for the University. 

“This event brings many potential students to Troy University and it is an outstanding way of showcasing not only the University, but our entire area,” she said.

To kick off this three day event, the First Colony Middle School Honor Band of Sugar Land, Texas, conducted by Beth Adams, will perform at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2, in the Claudia Crosby Theater.

Ernest Hebson and Randy Folsom will present a clinic the next morning at 10 a.m. in Hawkins-Adams-Long Hall of Honor.  Following the clinic, Ken Beard will conduct the Fayette County High School Band in concert at 11 a.m and the Ft. Payne High School Band, conducted by Becky Rodgers, will perform at 1:15 p.m.

At 2:30 p.m., Ralph Ford, director of the TROY’s Sound of the South Marching Band and conductor of the Troy Symphony Band, will instruct a newly published music reading session in the Claudia Crosby Theater.

Following the music reading session will be a concert at 4 p.m. provided by the Jeff Davis High School Band, conducted by Tom Brown.

At 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, Ford will conduct the Troy University Symphony Band in concert.

Activities on Saturday will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a clinic by Composer-in-Residence David Holsinger, who will speak on, “A Composer’s views on Teaching Musical Expression to Young Musicians.”

Holsinger, educated at Central Methodist College, Central Missouri State University and the University of Kansas, is currently the Lee University Wind Ensemble Conductor for Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn.  Some of  Holsinger’s accomplishments include: a two-time recipient of the prestigious Ostwald Composition Prize of the American Bandmasters Association, recipient of the Distinguished Music Alumni Award from Central Missouri State University, and has been awarded the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for lifetime achievement in composition by the Gustavus Adolphus College.  Holsinger was also interviewed by The Instrumentalist magazine, which is the world’s leading publication in its genre.

The Chipley High School Band, conducted by Richard Davenport, will perform at 1 p.m.

At 4:30 p.m., the SEUS Crimson and Silver Honor Bands will conclude the three day event with the final concert held in the Claudia Crosby Theater.

 The Crimson and Silver Honor Bands will be conducted by Mike Nakasone and Paula Crider.

Nakasone, currently the bandmaster of Honolulu’s Royal Hawaiian Band, received  his Bachelor and Masters of music education degrees from the University of Hawaii.  During his time of teaching, he was chosen as Hawaii’s State Teacher of the Year, was recipient of the United States Collegiate Wind Bands Citation on Honor Award and received the Music Educator of the Year Award at the 8th Annual Hawaii Music Awards.  Nakasone’s marching bands have performed in significant events such as: Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, Blue-Gray Bowl Game and halftime shows for the NFL Pro-Bowl.

Crider, who is the immediate past president of the National Band Association (NBA), is currently working with young musicians worldwide.  She has served as a guest conductor, lecturer and adjudicator in 29 states, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Australia.  Previous to her presidency with the NBA, Crider spent 16 years as a public school teacher before taking position as the director for the renown University of Texas Longhorn Band.  Under her instruction as director, the Crockett High School Bands in Austin, Texas, were twice named Texas State Class 5A Marching Band Champions.

The two honor bands, conducted by Nakasone and Crider, are composed of high school students from the Southeast that were hand selected through taped auditions previous to the SEUS Concert and Clinic.  These students will spend Feb. 2- Feb. 4 practicing with the conductors in preparation for the concert Saturday evening.

All concerts and clinics are free and open to the public.