University’s 32nd Annual Band Clinic Gathers Top Musical Talent

February 10, 2009

COLUMBIA, SC – February 10, 2009 – The University of South Carolina’s School of Music will welcome more than 100 top-ranked high-school band students from surrounding states to spend four days – Feb. 19 – 22 – at the university’s 32nd annual Band Clinic.

As part of the clinic, the School of Music will highlight six of its diverse band ensembles in a series of free concerts at the Koger Center for the Arts. Two guest high-school ensembles also will be showcased. The last day of the event will feature the student participants in a final recital.

The Band Clinic is among the nation’s most prominent and unique events for public-school band musicians, said Dr. Tayloe Harding, dean of the School of Music.

The schedule for the clinic is as follows:

Thursday, Feb. 19                

8 p.m.              Left Band Big Band

8:45 p.m.         Palmetto Pans Steel Band & Percussion Ensemble

Friday, Feb. 20                     

4:45 p.m.         University Band

7:30 p.m.         Symphonic Band

Saturday, Feb.21                  

1 p.m.              Sebastian (Fla.) High School Wind Symphony

1:50 p.m.         Wando High School Symphonic Band

7:30 p.m.         University Concert Band

8:45 p.m.         Palmetto Concert Band

Sunday, Feb. 22                    

2 p.m.              Four Clinic Honor Bands with student representatives from more than 100 high-school bands and six states

The Band Clinic helps the university identify talented prospective music students. Students must be nominated by their school’s band directors to participate in the clinic. Most of the nominated students are either all-state or all-region band members and typically perform with youth symphonies. All participants audition on the first day of the clinic to be seated in one of four ensembles. The top performers are placed in the clinic’s honor band.

Harding says the Band Clinic offers young musicians an array of opportunities.     

They are introduced to commissioned new works from the world’s foremost band composers and exposed to the entire collection of bands at the University of South Carolina in concert, said Harding. These students have the opportunity to work with and watch performances by the School of Music’s internationally respected faculty soloists. Not only will they perform with their own home school bands, but they will perform in clinic-formed honor bands compiled by a combination of auditions and band-director recommendations. The Band Clinic is an archetypal leadership opportunity for our School of Music professional music students.

For more information, visit www.music.sc.edu/events.html, or call the band department at 803-777-4278.