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Featured Clinicians

2023 BYU Regional Music for All Concert Band Festival

We are pleased to have nationally-recognized experts in the field of bands and conducting for the BYU Concert Band Festival. Our featured clinicians will provide a wealth of experience and feedback for all bands participating in the festival. This years featured clinicians will be:

Gary W. Hill

Gary W. Hill
Gary W. Hill

Gary W. Hill is one of the most sought after guest conductors and clinicians in the instrumental music education field. As a conductor, appearances in more than a dozen countries and throughout the United States have included performances with myriad high school honor bands, numerous college and university wind bands and orchestras, many professional ensembles, at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, and at World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles' conferences As a clinician, Hill has presented hundreds of workshops on conducting and rehearsal technique for music teachers of all levels and has worked with thousands of bands and orchestras and their teachers. Professor Hill is currently a Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician.

Hill is Professor of Music and Director of Bands Emeritus at Arizona State University, where he taught from 1999-2019. Prior to Hill's appointment at ASU, he was Director of Bands at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music (1986-99), at East Texas State University (now Texas A&M-Commerce, 1982-86) and Associate Director of Bands at the University of Colorado, Boulder (1980-82). He also served as Music Director for the Kansas City Youth Wind Ensemble and for newEar, a chamber ensemble devoted to contemporary music. Hill began his teaching career in Michigan, where he was Director of Bands for the Traverse City (1977-80) and West Bloomfield (1974-77) public schools.

High school, university, and professional ensembles under Hill's direction have given performances for the National Band Association, the Music Educators National Conference (NAfME), the College Band Directors National Association, the American Bandmasters Association, the International Horn Symposium, the National Flute Association, at many state conventions, and throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Performances conducted by him have consistently drawn praise from composers, performing musicians, and critics alike for their insightful, inspired, and cohesive realizations, and for their imaginative programming.

During Professor Hill’s 39 years as a collegiate conducting teacher, he taught scores of undergraduate and graduate conducting students and served as the primary mentor for 53 wind band conducting majors, 8 who are serving as conductors of US Armed Forces’ ensembles and other professional groups, and 42 who won university teaching positions.

Hill remains passionately involved with research concerning the exploration of biochemical reactions spawned by the musical process, the art and craft of conducting, and the past, present, and future of instrumental music in schools. He is the author or co-author of numerous articles published in music trade journals (CBDNA Journal, WASBE Journal, Bands of America, National Association of Schools of Music, AMEA Journal, etc.) and in scientific journals, proceedings, and books, including: the Acoustical Society of America; The Oxford Handbook of Making Music and Leisure; and in the Journal Hormones and Behavior.

Professor Hill is a member of many professional organizations, including the American Bandmasters Association and the College Band Directors National Association, for which he hosted the “Fiftieth Anniversary National Conference” (1991), co-hosted the 2019 biennial national conference, as well as the joint conferences of the North Central and Southwestern Divisions in conjunction with The Society for American Music (1998), served as president of the Southwestern Division (1989-91), and as national president (2003-05).

Mike Bankhead

Dr. Mike Bankhead
Mike Bankhead

Dr. James M. Bankhead was the Music Department Head at Utah State University July 1, 2011 until his retirement in 2015. He was previously Director, School of Music at Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas.

Dr. Bankhead received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC; the Master of Arts degree is from Central Michigan University; and, the Bachelor of Music degree from Utah State University.

Before going to Sam Houston State in 2006, he was the Chair, Music Department at California State University, Chico 1994-2006. In addition to his administrative leadership, he was director of bands, master’s degree advisor and conductor of the Opera Workshop orchestra. He was principal guest conductor of the Shasta Symphony Orchestra in Redding, CA, and he is a frequent guest conductor, clinician and music specialist at music events throughout the country.

Prior to his appointment at CSU, Chico, Dr. Bankhead was Executive Director of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra and Producer at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts. He produced shows, concerts and festivals involving artists ranging from Bill Cosby to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Bankhead completed 22 years of military service in the Air Force retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. He served as Commander/Conductor of the United States Air Force Band in Washington 1985-1991 and Deputy Commander/Assistant Conductor of that organization from 1976-1985. Prior to that, he was Chief of Bands and Music for the Air Force stationed at the Pentagon. He has conducted in all 50 states and 18 foreign countries.