Limestone University 14th Annual Honor Band Clinic Set For January 27-28

Charles Wyatt
Steven Bryant

Limestone will welcome world-renowned composer and conductor Steven Bryant as the guest clinician at the University's 14th Annual Honor Band Clinic scheduled for January 27-28.

The clinic’s final concert will be held on Friday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. in Fullerton Auditorium. The event is free, and the community is encouraged to attend.

Inaugurated in 2008, the Honor Band Clinic provides a musical service for area middle and high school winds and percussionists. By director nomination, the selected participants have the opportunity to rehearse and perform with celebrated guest music educators and conductors.

For this year’s Honor Band Clinic, Bryant will be bringing in his own musical compositions to conduct, giving the students participating a unique perspective on musical creation and interpretation.

“This will not only be an amazing event for the participating students, but for the Limestone community as well,” said Director of Athletic Bands Spencer Nance. “The unwavering support by the University’s administrators toward music education allows continual growth and development of music offerings for our community. One of the honor bands, directed by our own Dr. Seth Taft, will be hosted for rehearsals in the new Hines & Riggins Center. We are so excited to show off these unique facilities on our historic campus. The experience will truly be unlike any other in the history of the clinic.”

“We are ecstatic to have this clinic in person,” noted Taft, Limestone’s Director of Music Education and Instrumental Music. “We are making sure to follow every health and safety protocol that is in place due the coronavirus pandemic to ensure that the participants and volunteers for this event have no worries when on campus or in rehearsals. It is electrifying to have this many student musicians on campus with the common goal of making beautiful music together.”

Bryant’s music is fashioned by fusing lyricism, dissonance, silence, technology, and humor. He is the winner of the ABA Ostwald Award and a three-time winner of the NBA Revelli Award. A prolific composer, his substantial catalogue of music is regularly performed throughout the world. Recently, his “Ecstatic Waters” was premiered by the Minnesota Orchestra. The son of a professional trumpeter and music educator, he strongly values music education, and his creative output includes several works for young and developing musicians.