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701-333-0287

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SCHEDULE

PRESENTAIONS

About Total Band Director Workshop

Eckroth Music, in conjunction with Hal Leonard, is proud to present the TOTAL BAND DIRECTOR WORKSHOP on July 23rd & 24th, 2025 at Rush Creek Golf Club. After the two-day workshop, directors will go home with new tools, materials, and music – not to mention a renewed excitement for teaching band! At the workshop you will learn creative, unique, and innovative ideas, discover great new music, material and tools for band, network with fellow teachers, as well as clinicians and staff, and have a lot of FUN.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Where is the workshop location?
• Rush Creek Golf Club in Maple Grove, MN. The address is 7801 County Road 101 in Maple Grove.
• Do we need to bring our instrument?
• Yes! Everyone participates in the Reading Band sessions. No instrument available? That's OK. Eckroth Music will provide one; email [email protected]. Percussion is on-site.
• What should I wear?
• Business Casual attire is appropriate for the workshop. The workshop is held indoors; sometimes a sweater/jacket is nice to have along in case the air conditioning is working really well that day.
• What is the schedule?
• Registration/Continental Breakfast begins at 8:00 am on Wednesday, July 23. Welcome and introductions start at 8:25 am. On Wednesday evening, the Dessert and Clinician Round Table Q&A will finish at 7:00 pm. On Thursday, July 24, breakfast is served at 8:00 am and the first keynote speaker starts at 8:30 am. Thursday’s sessions conclude at 4:45 pm.
• What lodgings are available?
• We have a block of rooms reserved at the Staybridge Suites in Maple Grove. The address is 7821 Elm Creek Blvd, Maple Grove, MN 55369. To reserve a room at the special conference rate, please use the following link: Staybridge Suites - Maple Grove
• Meals
• Your registration fee includes Continental Breakfast and Lunch both days. In addition, there is a social hour and dinner on Wednesday evening also included with the registration fee.
• Are Continuing Education Credits available?
• Yes, attendees can earn 20 hours of continuing education credits through the workshop. Eckroth Music will provide certificates to document the hours earned.
• Are there Graduate Workshop Credits available?
• Yes, workshop credits are available through the University of Mary. Visit their website to learn more!
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Dr. Frank Tracz

About Frank Tracz

DR. FRANK TRACZ is Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Kansas State University. He earned his B.M.E. from The Ohio State University, M.M. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Ph.D. from the Ohio State University. He has public school teaching experience in Wisconsin and Ohio and has also served as Assistant Director of bands at Syracuse University and Director of bands at Morehead State University. Dr. Tracz has served as an adjudicator, clinician, speaker in various schools and conferences and has conducted All-State and Honor bands across the United States as well as in Canada, Singapore, South Africa, Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand.

At Kansas State, he directs the Wind Ensemble and the Marching Band, teaches graduate conducting, acts as an advisor to the Band Ambassadors, and administers and guides all aspects of a large BIG XII comprehensive band program. Ensembles under his direction have been invited to perform at numerous State conferences, MENC, two CBDNA regional conferences, The Larry Sutherland Wind Band Festival at Fresno State, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, and the American Bandmasters Association Conference. The marching band was awarded the prestigious Sudler Trophy in 2015. The Wind Ensemble has also performed at the International Convention of the American Bandmasters Association in 2019 in Loveland, CO.

Dr. Tracz is on the faculty of the Conn-Selmer Institute, on the adjunct faculty of the American Band College, is a past member of the Music Education Journal Editorial Board, is a contributor to the Teaching Music Through Performance In Band series, and is past Chair of the Sudler Trophy Project of the John Philip Sousa Foundation. His honors include the Stamey Award for outstanding teaching, Kansas Bandmasters Outstanding Director award, Wildcat Pride Alumni Association award, the Tau Beta Sigma Paula Crider Outstanding Band Director award, being named a Lowell Mason Fellow, and membership in the Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Fraternity. He has also received the Conn- Selmer Institute Hall of Fame award, the Kansas State Professorial Performance award, and was elected to the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. Dr. Tracz was awarded an honorary doctorate from Doane University in May 2021. Dr. Tracz also led a very successful fundraising campaign raising over five million dollars for a new hall for the athletics band program. The “Tracz Family Band Hall” was dedicated in September of 2023, and is in full operational mode!

Dr. Tracz is married to Geralyn, and has three daughters, Jessica Tracz Kelly, Kelley Tracz, and Carly Tracz Morris, and one grandson, Caden Tracz Kelly!

Richard Saucedo

About Richard Saucedo

Richard L. Saucedo retired in 2013 as the Director of Bands and Chairman of the Performing Arts Department at the William H. Duke Center for the Performing Arts at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. During his 31- year tenure, the Carmel bands received numerous state, regional, and national honors in concert band, jazz band, and marching band categories. Under his direction, Carmel’s Wind Symphony I performed at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival three times (1992, 1999, and 2004) and was named the Indiana State Champion Concert Band under his baton, most recently in 2013. The group also showcased its talents at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in December 2005. The Carmel Marching Greyhounds placed in the top ten at the Bands of America Grand National Championship for 17 years under Saucedo's leadership. They were crowned BOA National Champions in the fall of 2005 and 2012. In 2005, Carmel became one of the few schools to win a BOA National Championship while performing at the Midwest Clinic during the same year. The Marching Band was named the Indiana Class A State Champion four times. The Indiana Bandmasters Association honored Mr. Saucedo as Indiana’s “Bandmaster of the Year” for 1998-99, and he was recognized as the “Outstanding Music Educator” in Indiana for 2010 by the Indiana Music Educators Association. Mr. Saucedo’s achievements have been featured in articles by HALFTIME and SCHOOL BAND AND ORCHESTRA Magazines. He was inducted into the Music for All “Hall of Fame” in 2015 and recently joined the Drum Corps International “Hall of Fame” in 2022.

Mr. Saucedo is a freelance arranger and composer, producing numerous arrangements for marching bands, choral works, concert band compositions, and orchestral pieces. In addition to his work with Hal Leonard Publishing, he serves as the music ensemble coordinator for the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps in Concord, California. He was the Brass Arranger/Composer for the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps in Rosemont, Illinois, from 1999-2008. The Cavaliers won five DCI world championships playing Saucedo’s compositions and arrangements. Mr. Saucedo is also an Educational Consultant for “Music for All” and “Bands of America.” He is a Conn-Selmer Division of Education member and Chief Judge Team Leader for Bands of America marching band competitions. He is married to Sarah, an interior design blogger. His daughter, Carmen, teaches elementary school in Indianapolis, and his son, Ethan, is a senior percussionist at Fishers High School in Fishers, IN.

Aaron Snipes, III

About Aaron Snipes

Aaron Snipes, III was born in Frankfurt, Germany and is a native of Americus, Georgia. He currently serves as the head band director at Braswell HS, a position he has held since moving to Texas in 2017. Since that time, the Braswell HS band has grown expeditiously from 75 students to its current size of approximately 250 students. The band program encompasses 4 concert bands, 5 jazz bands, 2 winterguards, a host of percussion ensembles, and a nationally competitive marching band. The Braswell Bands have consistently earned Superior Sweepstakes ratings at UIL events in the areas of concert & marching band. The B-Well Marching Band has been named a 2-time BOA Regional Grand Champion at the BOA Midland contest. The Braswell Wind Symphony was recently featured as a performer at the 77th Annual Midwest Clinic, one of the highest honors for any band to aspire to. In the spring of 2023, they were also selected and invited to perform at the 2023 Music for All National Concert Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. Additionally, they have also been named as National Winner of the coveted Mark of Excellence National Honors for the past three years.

Mr. Snipes has been named a Denton ISD “Educator of Influence” (given by the top 10 students) every year since arriving to Texas. Before coming to Braswell, Mr. Snipes served as the Director of Bands at Park Vista HS in Lake Worth, FL. During his 12 year tenure there, the Park Vista Band program won numerous awards, became the state marching champion for 3 consecutive years and was invited to be featured at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, New York. Park Vista quickly became recognized as one of the most elite programs in the state of FL and the Southeastern United States.

Mr. Snipes’ professional affiliations include being a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, Florida Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, the American School Band Directors Association, Drum Corps International, Winter Guard International and an active member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He is a certified adjudicator for Drum Corps International, Winter Guard International, USBands, and numerous state championship circuits. Even in the midst of a very hectic teaching schedule, Mr. Snipes remains active as a clinician, adjudicator and arranger. In his limited spare time, Mr. Snipes enjoys traveling and spending time with his mini-goldendoodle, Koda and his toy poodle, Zeke.

Dr. Travis Netzer

About Travis Netzer

Dr. Travis Netzer is the Lecturer of Low Brass at NSU. He directs the NSU Marching Band and Concert Band, and teaches applied lessons in Low Brass. He also teaches courses in Instrument Repair, Music Appreciation, Brass Methods, and coaches a student brass quintet and tuba/euphonium quartet.

Netzer grew up near Ipswich, South Dakota and attended NSU for his undergraduate degree. He attended Western Michigan University and Arizona State University for his Masters and Doctoral degrees, studying under Dr. Deanna Swoboda. He has competed in MTNA solo competitions, taking runner up at the national level in 2009. He also was a semi-finalist in the ITEC international solo contest in 2014. Netzer was awarded a Developing Artist grant from the South Dakota Arts Council in 2018 to help develop his musical project of Rock Tuba, where he uses electronics to distort his sound and play rock music.

Alicia DeSoto

About Alicia

Alicia DeSoto serves as Associate Director of Bands at Lewisville High School in Lewisville, Texas. Prior to working with the Lewisville Band, Mrs. DeSoto was the Associate Director of Bands at Shadow Ridge Middle School in Flower Mound, Texas. The Shadow Ridge Bands were selected by the Foundation for Music Education as a National Winner in the National Wind Band Honors Project (2010-2018), and were official performers at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago, IL in 2012 and 2018. The Shadow Ridge Honor Winds had placed as a top 5 Finalist in the Texas CC Honor Band Contests on multiple occasions and was awarded the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Cup in 2017. Mrs. DeSoto earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas, and her Master of Music in Music Education degree from Southern Methodist University. Mrs. DeSoto is an active guest clinician, lecturer, and adjudicator and has professional affiliations with the Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and Texas Music Adjudicators Association. Mrs. DeSoto currently serves as the TMEA Region 2 Vice President. Current projects include the Musical Mastery Beginner Band series with Asa Burk, Kathy Johnson, Chris Meredith and Dominic Talanca. As the chief editor for Musical Mastery, Mrs. DeSoto has enjoyed the opportunity to compile an instrument-specific beginner curriculum to share with thousands of students throughout the country.

Mark Dulin

Mark Dulin

Mark Dulin leads an active career as a performer and educator. He is a founding member of the Atlanta Chamber Brass and serves on the faculty of LaGrange College. Dr. Dulin has performed frequently with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Winston- Salem Symphony. He is a former member of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, has performed as acting Co-Principal of the Florida West Coast Symphony, performed with the Orchestra Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (Spain), and served as Principal Trumpet of the Western Piedmont Symphony. Dr. Dulin is a former faculty member at the University of Akron, Winthrop University, the Appalachian State University Hayes School of Music, the University of North Carolina Charlotte and the University of North Florida. Additionally, Dulin has performed with the Charlotte Symphony Chamber Players, Florida Brass Quintet and the Atelier Ensemble. In October 2009 Mark Dulin gave the North American Premiere of Dimitri Shostakovich's Op. 41a with the Emerson String Quartet. Dulin has written articles for the International Trumpet Guild Journal including interviews with internationally acclaimed soloist Hakan Hardenberger, American Brass Quintet trumpeters, Kevin Cobb and Raymond Mase and Gabor Tarkovi, Principal Trumpet of the Berlin Philharmonic. He has also edited and arranged Thomas Morley’s Complete Canzonets for Two Voices for Two Trumpets. This collection is published by Balquhidder Music. Dr. Dulin also co-editor of the Long Tones Studies and Flow Studies Volumes One and Two by the late Vincent Cichowicz. He co-edited this book with Mr. Cichowicz’s son, Michael Cichowicz. It is published by Studio 259 Productions in association with Balquhidder Music.