Featured Clinicians
2026 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.
2026 CLINICIANS
John Locke
Since 1982, Dr. John R. Locke has served on the UNCG School of Music Faculty as Director of Bands, Professor of Music and Conductor of the University Wind Ensemble. He holds the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from West Virginia University and the Doctor of Education degree from the University of Illinois. Previously, Dr. Locke held teaching positions in music at West Virginia University, Southeast Missouri State University, and the University of Illinois. Dr. Locke has conducted band performances throughout the country including the National Conventions of the MENC, ABA, CBDNA, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and Lincoln Center in New York City. In addition, he has guest conducted the U.S. Air Force Band, U.S. Army Field Band, U.S. Navy Band and the Dallas Wind Symphony, as well as numerous university bands. He has published articles on band literature in The Journal of Band Research and Winds Quarterly and is the former Editor of The North Carolina Music Educator. In 1989, Dr. Locke was selected for membership in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. He has received the Phi Mu Alpha Orpheus Award and has been a recipient of the National Band Association Citation of Excellence on three occasions. He is a National Arts Associate of Sigma Alpha Iota. In 1994, Dr. Locke received the Phi Beta Mu International Fraternity Outstanding Bandmaster of the Year Award, presented at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. He is Past-President of the North Carolina Music Educators Association, an affiliate of MENC. In 1999, Dr. Locke became President of the Southern Division of the College Band Directors National Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the American Bandmasters Association. In 2002, Dr. Locke was nominated for the O. Max Gardner Award, the highest award in the 16-campus UNC System. Dr. Locke was awarded the Outstanding Teacher Award in the School of Music in April 2003. In 2004, he was elected President-Elect of the American Bandmasters Association. Dr. Locke maintains an active schedule of guest conducting and adjudicating bands throughout the United States and Canada. Dr. Locke is the founding director of the UNCG Summer Music Camp, the largest and most popular music camp in America enrolling 1,730 students annually. Since 1977, he has administered summer music camps for more than 43,000 students.
Mary Schneider
Mary K. Schneider is Professor of Conducting and Director of Bands at Eastern Michigan University where she conducts the EMU Wind Symphony, teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting and music education, and oversees the comprehensive university bands program. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Schneider held a teaching position at the University of Minnesota School of Music and had a successful career as a secondary school instrumental music educator.
Active nationally and internationally as a guest conductor and clinician, Dr. Schneider has served as an adjudicator for the Music For All National Concert Band Festival, the Thailand International Wind Symphony Competition, and the Illinois SuperState Concert Band Festival. She served as clinician and chief adjudicator for the Victorian School Music Festival in Melbourne, Australia, and featured instructor of the ABODA Conducting Symposium in Sydney, New South Wales. Schneider has been an invited guest conductor of the U.S. Air Force Band, Dallas Winds, Sydney Conservatorium of Music Wind Symphony, Concordia Santa Fe, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp Festival & Staff Bands, and Wheaton Municipal Band, and is a frequent guest conductor of regional and All-State honor bands throughout the United States.
Elected to the prestigious American Bandmasters Association in 2013, Dr. Schneider served as President of the North Central Division of the College Band Directors National Association from 2021-2023—the first woman elected to leadership since the inception of the division—and currently serves on the Music Education Committee of CBDNA. A strong advocate for new wind music, she has participated in commissioning and/or premiering over three dozen works for wind band, and her ensembles frequently collaborate with a diverse group of composers. In addition to published articles in the GIA book series, Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, she has presented on the topic of wind band repertoire at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, and is a frequent invited lecturer on the celebrated American composer, John Corigliano, and his Symphony No. 3 for large wind ensemble, “Circus Maximus.”
Schneider holds a doctoral degree in conducting from the University of Texas at Austin, and degrees in horn performance and music education from the New England Conservatory of Music, and the University of Connecticut, having graduated with Distinction in Performance honors from the former. She is a member of MSBOA, Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and serves as Michigan Chair for the National Band Association.
Active nationally and internationally as a guest conductor and clinician, Dr. Schneider has served as an adjudicator for the Music For All National Concert Band Festival, the Thailand International Wind Symphony Competition, and the Illinois SuperState Concert Band Festival. She served as clinician and chief adjudicator for the Victorian School Music Festival in Melbourne, Australia, and featured instructor of the ABODA Conducting Symposium in Sydney, New South Wales. Schneider has been an invited guest conductor of the U.S. Air Force Band, Dallas Winds, Sydney Conservatorium of Music Wind Symphony, Concordia Santa Fe, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp Festival & Staff Bands, and Wheaton Municipal Band, and is a frequent guest conductor of regional and All-State honor bands throughout the United States.
Elected to the prestigious American Bandmasters Association in 2013, Dr. Schneider served as President of the North Central Division of the College Band Directors National Association from 2021-2023—the first woman elected to leadership since the inception of the division—and currently serves on the Music Education Committee of CBDNA. A strong advocate for new wind music, she has participated in commissioning and/or premiering over three dozen works for wind band, and her ensembles frequently collaborate with a diverse group of composers. In addition to published articles in the GIA book series, Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, she has presented on the topic of wind band repertoire at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, and is a frequent invited lecturer on the celebrated American composer, John Corigliano, and his Symphony No. 3 for large wind ensemble, “Circus Maximus.”
Schneider holds a doctoral degree in conducting from the University of Texas at Austin, and degrees in horn performance and music education from the New England Conservatory of Music, and the University of Connecticut, having graduated with Distinction in Performance honors from the former. She is a member of MSBOA, Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and serves as Michigan Chair for the National Band Association.
Marcellus Brown
Marcellus Brown is Director of Bands Emeritus at Boise State University. Under his leadership the university band program has become one of the outstanding wind band programs in the northwest.
During Professor Brown’s tenure the Boise State University Symphonic Winds was invited to perform at a College Band Directors National Association National Conference and at the 81st American Bandmasters Association Annual Conference. Professor Brown has done extensive work as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States as well as in Canada and Australia.
Upon his retirement (May 2023) as Director of Bands at Boise State University, Professor Brown accepted a one-year position as a Visiting Professor in Wind Band Conducting at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. In January 2025 Professor Brown accepted a one term position as the director of the Interlochen Arts Academy Wind Symphony. Since the fall of 1992 he has been and continues to be the Director of the Treasure Valley Concert Band. In 2007 he accepted the position of conductor for the Treasure Valley’s Hymns of Thanksgiving Orchestra.
Professor Brown established the Boise State University Summer Chamber Music Camp, which encourages and promotes the performance of chamber music for secondary school students and champions’ great composers from our past and contemporary composers (jazz, pop, broadway, and motion pictures) from the 20th and 21st centuries.
During his tenue at Boise State University, he has been recognized for his work and dedication as an educator where he has been the recipient of the Excellence In Teaching Award, and the Faculty/Staff Larry G. Selland Humanitarian Award. In 2005 Professor Brown was elected into the American Bandmaster Association and in December 2022 Professor Brown was honored to be the recipient of the National Band Association’s Al and Gladys Wright Distinguished Legacy Award. In 2023 he was inducted into the All-Northwest Band Director’s Association and in December 2024 at the Midwest International Band & Orchestra Clinic he was awarded the Kappa Kappa Psi Distinguished Service Medal in Instrumental Music Education. The Distinguished Service to Music Medal is Kappa Kappa Psi’s highest honor.
During Professor Brown’s tenure the Boise State University Symphonic Winds was invited to perform at a College Band Directors National Association National Conference and at the 81st American Bandmasters Association Annual Conference. Professor Brown has done extensive work as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States as well as in Canada and Australia.
Upon his retirement (May 2023) as Director of Bands at Boise State University, Professor Brown accepted a one-year position as a Visiting Professor in Wind Band Conducting at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. In January 2025 Professor Brown accepted a one term position as the director of the Interlochen Arts Academy Wind Symphony. Since the fall of 1992 he has been and continues to be the Director of the Treasure Valley Concert Band. In 2007 he accepted the position of conductor for the Treasure Valley’s Hymns of Thanksgiving Orchestra.
Professor Brown established the Boise State University Summer Chamber Music Camp, which encourages and promotes the performance of chamber music for secondary school students and champions’ great composers from our past and contemporary composers (jazz, pop, broadway, and motion pictures) from the 20th and 21st centuries.
During his tenue at Boise State University, he has been recognized for his work and dedication as an educator where he has been the recipient of the Excellence In Teaching Award, and the Faculty/Staff Larry G. Selland Humanitarian Award. In 2005 Professor Brown was elected into the American Bandmaster Association and in December 2022 Professor Brown was honored to be the recipient of the National Band Association’s Al and Gladys Wright Distinguished Legacy Award. In 2023 he was inducted into the All-Northwest Band Director’s Association and in December 2024 at the Midwest International Band & Orchestra Clinic he was awarded the Kappa Kappa Psi Distinguished Service Medal in Instrumental Music Education. The Distinguished Service to Music Medal is Kappa Kappa Psi’s highest honor.
Jason Missal
Jason Missal is Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at The University of Utah. His duties at Utah include conducting the Wind Ensemble, leading the graduate wind conducting program, and overseeing all aspects of the band program.
Before his appointment at Utah, Dr. Missal was the Associate Director of Bands at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he conducted the Symphonic Winds, led the Pride of Acadiana Marching Band, and taught undergraduate conducting and courses in music education. While at UL, he led the Louisiana premieres of works by Omar Thomas, Jennifer Jolley, Carlos Simon, Erika Svanoe, Paul Dooley, and Michael Mikulka.
Prior to his work at UL, he taught at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. At ACU, Dr. Missal led the Big Purple Marching Band, conducted the Concert Band, supervised student teachers, and taught music education classes as well as applied horn. While at ACU, he was twice awarded the Citation for Excellence in Teaching and guest conducted the Wind Ensemble at the 2014 CBDNA Southwest Regional Convention in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Dr. Missal also collaborated with composers David Maslanka and Carter Pann. A staunch advocate of public school music, he also taught for four years in the public schools of Jenks, Oklahoma.
Dr. Missal has a national presence as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. He has conducted and presented clinics in Texas, Utah, Florida, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, and Idaho. Dr. Missal has published articles in The Instrumentalist and School Band & Orchestra magazines. His recording credits include production work on albums by the University of Texas Wind Ensemble and University of Colorado Wind Symphony and an upcoming invitation to produce an album by the Illinois State University Wind Ensemble.
His professional memberships include the College Band Directors National Association, Louisiana Music Educators Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and an honorary membership in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Dr. Missal holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Music in Conducting from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education from Oklahoma State University. His primary conducting teachers have been Jerry Junkin, Allan McMurray, Gary Lewis, and Joseph Missal.
Before his appointment at Utah, Dr. Missal was the Associate Director of Bands at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he conducted the Symphonic Winds, led the Pride of Acadiana Marching Band, and taught undergraduate conducting and courses in music education. While at UL, he led the Louisiana premieres of works by Omar Thomas, Jennifer Jolley, Carlos Simon, Erika Svanoe, Paul Dooley, and Michael Mikulka.
Prior to his work at UL, he taught at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. At ACU, Dr. Missal led the Big Purple Marching Band, conducted the Concert Band, supervised student teachers, and taught music education classes as well as applied horn. While at ACU, he was twice awarded the Citation for Excellence in Teaching and guest conducted the Wind Ensemble at the 2014 CBDNA Southwest Regional Convention in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Dr. Missal also collaborated with composers David Maslanka and Carter Pann. A staunch advocate of public school music, he also taught for four years in the public schools of Jenks, Oklahoma.
Dr. Missal has a national presence as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. He has conducted and presented clinics in Texas, Utah, Florida, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, and Idaho. Dr. Missal has published articles in The Instrumentalist and School Band & Orchestra magazines. His recording credits include production work on albums by the University of Texas Wind Ensemble and University of Colorado Wind Symphony and an upcoming invitation to produce an album by the Illinois State University Wind Ensemble.
His professional memberships include the College Band Directors National Association, Louisiana Music Educators Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and an honorary membership in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Dr. Missal holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Music in Conducting from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education from Oklahoma State University. His primary conducting teachers have been Jerry Junkin, Allan McMurray, Gary Lewis, and Joseph Missal.