Music Education
Tom Rhodes was a Texas bandmaster who felt strongly about the need for sheet music dealers to work closely with school band directors. Along with two partners, Tom established the RBC Music Company in 1988. Within the year, they had created a small music publishing company under the same name. His...
Bryce Taylor was one of the best known and respected bandmasters in the state of Texas. His school bands performed at the Midwest Band Clinic, TMEA, and the Texas Bandmaster’s Association (TBA) for several decades. His close relations with music dealers made Mr. Taylor a role model for up and...
Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser was presented the highest honor from the American Music Conference (AMC) when he was given the Henry Grossman Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors those dedicated to music education and advocacy, which is practically Tim’s middle name. Over the years as a band director...
Al Sturchio has served the Texas Bandmasters Association for over 25 years as director and also as president. His passion and unbelievable energy has been a large part of the success of the association’s annual meeting and exhibit fair. The yearly program includes sessions and clinics as well as an...
Richard Floyd, whose school bands have performed all over the country including at the Midwest Band Clinic, is among the best known Texas bandmasters. He has developed programs and materials that have been a tremendous help to up-and-coming directors. The Texas Bandmasters Association named Richard...
Tom Ostrander was the founder of Colonial Music in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. Now a string of stores, the retail company began with the simple idea of providing top quality instruments to the area school programs. He was born in Phoneton, Ohio, which is in Miami County, and was encouraged to play music by...
Jeff Hasselberger has played a very important role in the development of music makers! His ideas of conveying statistical material to music educators to assist in saving school programs led to the widely successful Einstein Kit. Jeff’s eye for detail and understanding of the music industry has also...
Denis Wick was only 25 years old when he became the principal trombonist for the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). Over the next 30 years, he played with the LSO and other world class orchestras on stage and recordings. Along the way, he felt a need to improve the mouthpiece he was using, so he...
Harold Burt was just about 3 years old when a musician from a traveling circus came to his North Carolina town and sold his parents a clarinet for young Harold. His life has been filled with music ever since. In 1950, he established the first high school band in Cary, NC and he served as the...
John Keal was one of the very few who attended the Conn band instrument repair school in Elkhart, enrolling in the school just after World War II. The program only lasted a few years, but it provided the passion he was missing as a salesman outside the music industry. He returned to his father’s...