At the 10th Annual Florida Band Director Workshop, music educators from across the state gathered to learn from some of Florida’s top band directors at both the middle and high school levels. This year’s theme, “Individual before Ensemble,” emphasized strategies for developing each student into a better musician, learner, and future teacher before shifting focus to the ensemble as a whole.

Participants received specialized instruction in percussion, woodwinds, and brass. Each clinician shared practical advice on tone production and diagnosing common instrumental issues, offering tips and tricks they personally use in their programs.

One of the standout sessions was led by Mr. Alex Kaminsky, Director of Bands at VanderCook College of Music, who introduced the new Yamaha Harmony Director 300. He provided an in-depth demonstration on how to effectively use the tool and emphasized the importance of intonation, encouraging educators to teach students how to critically assess and apply tuning concepts in performance.

Jennifer Zahn (Orchestra Director at Titusville High School) and Charlene Cannon (Band Director at Horizon High School) offered valuable insight for first-year teachers. Their session covered pre-planning essentials, the development of a syllabus and band handbook, uniform expectations for both marching and concert settings, and the significance of meeting district and state paperwork deadlines. They also provided a practical task list to help teachers prepare before students arrive on campus.

Jim Matthews, 2024 FBA Hall of Fame inductee and Band Director at Park Avenue Christian Academy, conducted a live rehearsal for observation. His teaching demonstrated effective classroom culture, student accountability, and rehearsal techniques that reinforced the fundamentals of melody, harmony, and accompaniment. He also illustrated how musical concepts can be connected to students’ broader academic learning.

Dr. Michael Antmann (Freedom High School) presented a wealth of jazz resources and shared techniques to help students become more confident in improvisation. He also provided rehearsal tips for teaching walking bass lines and introduced apps that can support rhythm section development and creativity.

Ian Schwindt, FBA President (2020–2022) and Band Director at Titusville High School, taught his tuning process and explained how to effectively use the Harmony Director to strengthen ensemble intonation. He emphasized the importance of creating a “choir-like” sound within each section and discussed the use of the pyramid of sound. His approach to scaffolding Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass voices in the band promotes better balance and rhythmic clarity.

Throughout the workshop, clinicians highlighted the importance of developing a characteristic tone and using professional models for each instrument. Jim Matthews also recommended modeling poor tone so students could learn to identify and avoid undesirable sounds. Both Alex Kaminsky and Ian Schwindt spoke highly of influential educators Andrew (Jack) Crew and Bobby Adams, praising their success in developing resonant and beautifully balanced ensembles. These directors were recognized as role models within the band community.

In addition to the instructional sessions, the workshop offered a valuable networking opportunity. Many Stetson University alumni currently teaching across the state were in attendance, using the event as a chance to reconnect and continue growing professionally. The workshop served as a powerful reminder of the value of collaboration and lifelong learning in music education.