Ohio University Honor Band Festival

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The Honor Band Festival brings together the best high school musicians and professional music faculty over one weekend, December 5 - 7, in Athens, Ohio.

Honor Band Clinicians

This year we are excited to welcome two outstanding guest clinicians for the bands!  For the Festival Wind Symphony we welcome Dr. Myron Peterson.

In August of 2023, Myron Peterson began his appointment at Boise State University as Assistant Professor of Music, Director of Bands and Instrumental Music Education, where his responsibilities include leadership of BSU’s premier concert band, the Symphonic Winds, and instruction of courses supporting their instrumental music education sequence.

Peterson is active as guest conductor for honor bands, adult wind bands, and collegiate concert bands. He serves as a clinician or judge extensively in the areas of concert band, jazz band, and marching band. His scholarly activity includes conference presentations at Iowa Bandmasters Association Conferences, the Idaho Music Educators Association Conference, and published articles which primarily focus on topics of classroom methodology, wind band repertoire and performance, and organizational leadership and mission focus. His masters and doctoral theses focus on the analysis of living composers and their major compositions for wind band.

Peterson completed his doctor of musical arts degree at the University of Iowa as a student of Dr. Mark Heidel. He earned a Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting at Colorado State University with Dr. Rebecca Phillips, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Northern Iowa. The majority of Peterson’s professional career was spent at Urbandale High School (Iowa) for 21 years, where he established a record of excellence across the United States, presenting concerts and collaborating with bands in Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, Connecticut, Hawaii, and Missouri. The Urbandale Wind Symphony performed at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference as the feature performer, and as a clinic session band. Peterson’s initial teaching position was the Associate Director of Bands at Oskaloosa High School (Iowa) for two years.

From 2016–2019, Peterson served on the Iowa Bandmasters Association Board of Directors, and as its President during the 2017–2018 term. He was the founding treasurer of the Jazz Educators of Iowa, and a Past-President of the South Central Iowa Bandmasters Association. He is further affiliated with the National Band Association, the College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Educators, Idaho Music Educators Association, Iowa Bandmasters Association, and Jazz Educators of Iowa. 

And for the Festival Symphonic Band we welcome Ms. Mary Crandell. 

Mary Crandell has been teaching instrumental music for twenty-five years, nineteen of which was at Waukee Middle School (IA). During her tenure, bands at Waukee Middle School achieved high standards of success in both concert and jazz settings across Iowa. She received her Bachelor and Master of Music Education from the University of South Dakota and is currently completing doctoral work in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Music Education at Boise State University.

Mary is past president of the Jazz Educators of Iowa and the Iowa Bandmasters Association. In her tenure as president of these organizations, Mary created the Annual Middle School Jazz Combo Workshop and founded The Access Collective: Creating Connections Through Music. The Access Collective is in partnership with The National Band Association (NBA) and Music for All (MFA). Mary also serves on MFA’s Educational Advisory Team and the NBA’s IDEA Committee.

Mary is active as a consultant and clinician with both band directors and students across the country and creates optimal rehearsal environments utilizing a collaborative process in which students can enhance their musical performance while enjoying the music-making process together. She co-authored and published Building from the Ground Up: A Successful Blueprint for Band Programs (C.L. Barnhouse Co.) which manifested from seventeen years of collaborative teaching incorporating what we do, how we do it, and why. The pair has presented teaching sessions at numerous local, state, and national conferences, including at the 2021 International Midwest Band and Orchestra Conference under the same title.

Mary’s passion for inspiring young students to engage their creativity through the arts is exemplified through her first two published children’s books: Little Miss Mary Discovers Music Outside Her Window (ISBN: 9781499022179) and Little Miss Mary Discovers the Piano (ISBN:9781503580008).