Band directors from colleges and universities all over the Southwest will attend the College Band Directors National Association Conference hosted by the School of Music.

The three-day conference, beginning Thursday, will consist of clinics hosted by internationally known musicians and concerts performed by bands from nine different schools, including TCU.

Bobby Francis, TCU director of bands and on-site facilitator of the conference, said the conference is beneficial to directors, students and also to the university. The university has not hosted this event before.

“In terms of prestige, it brings TCU’s name to national and international awareness,” Francis said.

Richard Gipson, director of the music department, said bringing the best conductors and bands to campus enriches the environment. He said TCU was asked to host the conference, which speaks highly of the band department and faculty.

Francis said this is the first year band directors and students of public middle schools and high schools are invited to attend.

The clinics will focus on various aspects of the craft, like conducting and rehearsing, Francis said. He said they will even have a mime specialist because the gestures used in directing are very similar to miming.

Forums will be hosted by internationally known artists, including authors like James Jordon, who wrote “The Musician’s Soul.”

There will be three concerts each day, all of which are free for students. Francis said the performers were selected based on audition tapes submitted to a panel of judges.

The TCU Wind Symphony and the TCU Choral Union will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday in Ed Landreth Hall. It will perform several pieces, including “Hemispheres” composed by Joseph Turrin, an internationally known composer attending the conference.

Gipson said the concerts are a wonderful opportunity because people can hear repertoire performed in new ways and to see where the field is headed.

Sophomore business major and band member Adam Quinn said it’s beneficial to students anytime professional musicians come to campus.

“It puts us on a national level,” he said. “People in the music industry who might not
have heard of TCU will put our name together with the conference.”