The College Band Directors National Association’s 2015 National Collegiate Marching and Athletic Bands Symposium will be held at Colorado State University next week.
Hosted by CSU Director of Bands Rebecca Phillips and Associate Director of Bands Richard Frey, the conference is scheduled for May 28-30 at the University Center for the Arts, with special activities held regionally.
The College Band Directors National Association’s (CBDNA) Athletic Band Symposium is an annual gathering of the nation's collegiate athletic band directors for the purpose of sharing insights and information about the range of issues faced by directors and ensembles in the genre. The range of topics includes ideas related to performance, music and show design; travel and itinerary concerns; history and legacy; and marching band/pep band season logistics.
“The most notable collegiate directors in the nation will get to see one of the top universities in the Mountain West Conference, and how we’re contributing to the collegiate athletic band experience,” said Phillips. “The wealth of collaboration and creative ideas from the nation’s top athletic band directors at this annual conference is phenomenal!”
Social gatherings
In addition to the formal presentations, the conference includes social opportunities where, historically, many of the same topics are discussed in smaller settings.
“What makes this conference so special is that there is a genuine desire to share ideas and knowledge,” Frey said. “I know that every year I bring unique ideas back to our program here at CSU.”
In order to host the conference, proposals from interested universities are submitted and examined during the conference, and upcoming locations are announced by the end of the week. The 2016 conference will be held at the University of Minnesota; the CBDNA Athletic Band Committee will select a host for the 2017 symposium.
“We submitted a proposal that detailed our facilities, and what the conference would look like at CSU,” explained Frey. “This is the first time that a non-'Power 5' school is hosting the conference, and I'm excited to have so many great friends and colleagues coming from around the country to see our tremendous campus, and the Front Range!”
Other activities
In addition to presentations, workshops, and breakout sessions at the University Center for the Arts, conference activities for the nearly 200 athletic band directors include a golf tournament at Highland Meadows Golf Course, a reception at the Mayor of Old Town, a tour of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, and a banquet keynote given by Melyssa Mead, creative director at New Belgium Brewing Co.
The ongoing growth of performing arts at Colorado State University continues to translate into exposure of the campus and community to new audiences. The CSU Marching Band will host the Colorado Bandmasters State Marching Band Competitions at Hughes Stadium for the fourth time this year. The Colorado Bandmasters Association Concert Band Festival has been held annually at the UCA since 2009, and state, regional, and national choral, orchestral, theatrical, and dance organizations have all utilized the UCA since its opening in 2008.
CBDNA attendees will definitely get a taste of everything the CSU Marching Band, campus, and region has to offer, and have been encouraged to extend their stay by a day or two.
“The bonus is that 200 directors get to see the beautiful CSU campus, and experience the wonders of the Rocky Mountain region,” Phillips said.
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CSU graduate Peter Lemon, one of the handful of surviving recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, is one of 48 heroes from the Vietnam War being featured on a limited edition stamp being issued by the U.S. Postal Service.
The “Medal of Honor: Vietnam Forever Stamps” was officially introduced on Memorial Day at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and the National Park Service hosted the ceremony.
Lemon, the only Canadian-born U.S. citizen to earn the Medal of Honor for fighting in Vietnam, was just 19 when his 18-member platoon of Army Rangers was attacked by a force of several hundred enemy soldiers. Lemon, despite being wounded three separate times during the three-hour battle, fought to protect his buddies and refused to be evacuated until all others were safely out of the line of fire.
He was presented with the Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon in 1971 and has dedicated the medal to three comrades who were killed in that battle: Casey Waller, Nathan Mann and Brent Street.
Lemon graduated from CSU in 1979 with a B.A. in Speech and Theater Arts. He became a successful businessman and authored the book “Beyond the Medal, A Journey from Their Hearts to Yours,” before co-producing “Beyond the Medal,” an Emmy Award-winning documentary.
He currently lives in Colorado Springs, and is a highly successful motivational speaker.
The commemorative stamps will be available nationwide next week. 