Two GU band students named to North Central Intercollegiate Band

Published: March 08, 2022

The College Band Directors National Association selection committee named two Greenville University band students to the North Central Intercollegiate Band. The committee chose (pictured left to right) Kennedy Gerton of Springfield, Illinois, and Meghan Garmon of Hillsboro, Illinois, both freshmen at GU.

The two clarinet players, along with more than 70 other collegiate band members from the north central part of the United States, will travel to Madison, Wisconsin, in April, to rehearse and prepare a concert for the College Band Directors National Association Conference.

Greenville University Band Director Alex Kirby says band directors across the country nominate students based on sight reading, tone, and overall musicianship. The selection committee then chooses a balanced ensemble and students audition at the conference for their chair placement within the section.

“Membership into the intercollegiate band is hard to come by, especially for schools like GU which may not have some of the resources a larger institution may have,” Kirby says. “This is a huge honor for these two young adults to have been selected as freshmen and I know they will represent the band program and Greenville University well!”

According to Kirby, while students rehearse at the Collegiate Band Directors National Association Conference, he and other band directors from across the country attend clinics and round table discussions on advancements in the band world, newly published music, rehearsal techniques, and more.

“It’s exciting to find out what other schools are doing repertoire-wise, and to share recruitment and retention strategies for students,” Kirby says.

The North Central Division College Band Directors National Association Conference takes place April 7-9, 2022.