ASBDA offers a variety of awards to exectional band directors, composers, young teachers, and other worthy recipients who serve the cause of instrumental music education.  Examples include:

The Austin Harding Award

The Edwin Franko Goldman Award

The Outstanding Potential Award

The ASBDA State Chair Award

The North Carolina Chapter presents awards for outstanding young directors.

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ASBDA mentors offer young directors much needed guidance.

ASBDA sponsors a variety of clinic sessions for band directors at various music educator conventions throughout the nation.  Topics range from preparing for festival performances, relationships with administrators, instrument repair, grant writing, how to commission new music, starting beginners, notation software, copyright law, managing a budget, mentoring skills, rehearsal techniques, classroom management and much more.

ASBDA sponsored clinics are open to all band directors and provide a wealth of information relevant to the needs of today's music educators.  Look for ASBDA sponsored clinics at a music convention near you.

ASBDA is the ONLY national music organization dedicated exclusively to the prosperity of the concert band programs in the various middle and high schools across America.

ASBDA:

Students at the North Carolina ASBDA Invitational tune up for their performance

• Recognizes the outstanding music educators of our nation through an invitation for membership.
• Sponsors convention clinics and round table discussions to share ideas and strategies.
• Hosts exchange concerts and master classes for students to provide quality educational experiences.
• Serves as mentors for new and young band directors.
• Sponsors honor bands events and chamber music festivals for young and developing band students.
• Publishes curriculum guides and advocacy material based on the latest scientific research on the importance of music education in the development of youth.
• Commissions new concert band literature from today’s most prestigious composers.
• Honors the achievements of developing bandmasters through awards and presentations.

ASBDA Regional District Map

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The American School Band Directors Association (ASBDA) presents the "Outstanding State Chair Award" to those ASBDA State Chairs who perform their leadership duties to the highest level possible. Nominees can gain points by performing such duties as: gaining new state chapter members, retaining state chapter membership, chapter membership attendance at the national convention, successful state activities and projects, submissions of articles for publication in the ASBDA national newsletter, and holding regularly scheduled state chapter meetings.

A framed award certificate is presented each year to the recipients at the ASBDA National or Regional Convention.

ASBDA is a national organization of elected members, dedicated to promoting quality band education through research, study, promotion and publication. They have published the famous ASBDA Curriculum Guide, used by successful school districts and college music education departments across the country. Other research published by ASBDA includes brain studies, administrator guides, discographies, and supplemental materials and lesson plans to aide the working band director.

For further information please contact the award coordinator:

Cindy Swan-Eagan
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OUTSTANDING STATE CHAIR AWARD RECIPIENTS

2011 
Jeff Cutter - Michigan
Dave Hanke - Wisconsin
Bill Witcher - North Carolina

2010
Dave Hanke - Wisconsin
Bill Witcher - North Carolina

2009
Monte Dunnum - Wisconsin
Bill Witcher - North Carolina

2008
Rick Catherman - Michigan
Monte Dunnum - Wisconsin
Jeff Phillips - Tennessee

The American School Band Directors Association created the Edwin Franko Goldman Award as a symbol of high esteem and respect, and as a measure of appreciation and gratitude for outstanding personal contributions to the school band movement.

The recipient may or may not be a member of ASBDA, but shall be an active or retired director whose teaching career shall have included work in the schools and who has contributed substantially in the fields of Grand, Junior and Senior High School Band work.

Exceptional contributions have been made to the school band movement by a number of individuals whose careers have not included extensive teaching in the fields of grade, junior and senior high school bands in the schools. The A. Austin Harding Award is presented to these individuals for valuable and dedicated service to the bands of America as a measure of ASBDA's esteem, appreciation, and respect for their outstanding personal contribution to the school band movement.

The formal organization of the American School Band Directors Association, Inc., took place at the First Annual Convention held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on November 21-22, 1953. The first national organizing committee was comprised of three members, the late Louis M. Blaha of Illinois, James C. Harper of North Carolina and Dale C. Harris of Michigan. George W. Patrick, Illinois, at his own request, was not listed as a member of the original organizing committee although he attended each of the meetings held in Chicago prior to the Cedar Rapids convention and was at all times a tireless worker in the interest of the Association.

When the ASBDA was founded by Dale C. Harris and the other charter members who attended the organizing convention in November of 1953, the intent was to draw together some of the finest minds and best teachers nationally for the purpose of helping influence the direction and furthering the cause of good music in the nation's public schools. Therefore it was decided that prospective members must have taught at least seven years and their work was to be in every way exemplary. Furthermore, a candidate must be endorsed by the state in which he/she resides and in addition receive the overall endorsement of the association itself. In this way the collective thinking of the organization would have the common denominator of successful achievement. Although the problems faced in the 50's were different in many respects than those facing us today the framework upon which the organization was founded has withstood the rigors of maturation and now stands in a position of mature leadership. Leadership which can be of great positive value to a somewhat endangered profession.

A Balanced Curriculum for Band

There are a number of band programs throughout the country which have been sacrificial lambs, the Accountability, Back-to-Basics and No Child Left Behind exponents are ample testimony that bands have not achieved curricular status in the minds of many school boards and superintendents' staffs. The cause for official board actions, which have resulted in the reduction of services or the complete elimination of a band program, is generally attributable to a lack of understanding of, and appreciation for, the educational processes, which are involved in the metamorphosis, which occurs between the first exposures to a new piece of music to the final performance. The decisions-makers, therefore, have not looked upon the band as a curricular subject, but as an activity, which has enhanced the public relations image for the school system, but is expendable in times of stress.