2025 NATIONAL WIND BAND HONORS ADJUDICATORS
Richard Floyd
Texas State Director of Music Emeritus Richard Floyd is presently in his 62nd year of active involvement as a conductor, music educator and administrator. He has enjoyed a distinguished career at virtually every level of wind band performance and music education. Prior to his 31-year tenure at the University of Texas he held positions as Professor of Conducting and Wind Ensemble Conductor at the University of South Florida, Director of Bands at Baylor University and 11 years as a member of the music faculty in the nationally acclaimed Richardson, Texas school band program.
Mr. Floyd is a recognized authority on conducting, the art of wind band rehearsing, concert band repertoire, and music advocacy. As such, he has toured extensively including appearances in 44 American states and 9 other countries. The Austin Symphonic Band, under his leadership, has performed at the Midwest International Clinic in Chicago on three occasions and its recordings serve as a reference for countless middle school, high school and collegiate ensembles.
In 2002 he was the recipient of the prestigious A.A. Harding Award presented by the American School Band Directors Association. In The Texas Bandmasters Association named him Texas Bandmaster of the Year in 2006 and in 2009 he was presented the Texas Music Educators Association Distinguished Service Award. In March of 2011 he was inducted into the Music for All Hall of Fame and awarded the prestigious Midwest International Clinic Medal of Honor for his distinguished and unique contributions to educational bands and orchestras. Most recently he was inducted into the National Band Association Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts, considered to be the Academy Award of wind music performance and Phi Beta Mu International Band Fraternity honored him with the Outstanding Contributor Award recognizing individuals for outstanding contributions to band music education.
In 2021 the College Band Directors National Association established the Richard Floyd CBDNA Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his decades of service to that organization. And in 2023 the CBDNA Board of Directors selected Floyd to be a recipient of that organization’s elite Lifetime Achievement Award
Floyd is a Yamaha Master Educator and is the author of the critically acclaimed book “The Artistry of Teaching and Making Music” published by GIA Publications and is in its third printing. His latest book, “The Seven Deadly Sins of Music Making” released in 2020, also published by GIA, is the recipient of similar accolades and is utilized by numerous universities and institutions of high learning.
Col. Michael Colburn
A native of St. Albans, Vermont, Michael Colburn’s first musical love was the euphonium, which he began studying at age ten. His desire to become a professional euphonium player can be traced to a summer music camp he attended while in 8th grade, where he first met Lucas Spiros, Principal Euphonium in “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band. He began his post-secondary work studying music education at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY, where he took lessons with Dr. Peter Popiel and played under the baton of Prof. Anthony Maiello. His strong desire to perform professionally led him to change his major to performance and transfer to Arizona State University, where he studied with renowned teacher and soloist Daniel Perantoni, and played in the legendary ASU symphonic band directed by Dr. Richard Strange. In 1987 he won a position with “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band and in 1990 was appointed Principal Euphonium by Director Col. John Bourgeois. In 1993 he recorded “The Golden Age of Brass, Vol. 3,” a highly acclaimed recording of virtuoso euphonium solos written around the turn of the 20th century.
While serving as a euphonium player in the Marine Band, Colburn attained a master’s degree in conducting at George Mason University, where he studied with Prof. Anthony Maiello. In 1996 he was commissioned a First Lieutenant and appointed as Assistant Director of the Marine Band. In this position he worked closely with Director Col. Timothy Foley and Executive Officer Capt. Frank Byrne in revamping the organization’s performance evaluation, promotion process, and educational outreach. He also served as the officer in charge of overseeing the design and construction of the state-of-the-art John Philip Sousa Band Hall at the Marine Band Annex, which was completed in 2004. It was during his time as an Assistant Director that he established contact with John Williams, beginning a long and fruitful relationship between the Marine Band and the legendary film composer.
In 2004, Colburn was appointed the 27th Director of the Marine Band and was promoted to Colonel by President George W. Bush in a private Oval Office ceremony. As Director, Colburn served as the music advisor to the White House and regularly conducted the Marine Band and Chamber Orchestra at the Executive Mansion and at the Presidential Inaugurations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. During his tenure, he led the band on several national concert tours, high visibility events, and national music conferences. He expanded the educational outreach of the organization, implemented a national concerto competition for high school students, started a conductor training program for Marine Band members, and strengthened the relationship between “The President’s Own” and Marine Bands throughout the fleet. Shortly before his retirement in 2014 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by Gen. James Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Medal of Honor by the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic Board of Directors.
Upon his retirement from the Marine Band, Colburn was appointed Director of Bands at Butler University, a position he held from 2014 until 2022. His duties there included conducting the Butler University Wind Ensemble as well as instruction in conducting, euphonium, and the history and literature of the wind band. Under Colburn’s leadership, the program experienced significant growth and the wind ensemble drew strong praise for its ambitious programming and high level of performance.
Colburn has served as the chair of the Sousa-ABA-Ostwald Award and as an adjudicator for the Sudler Award, the Barlow Endowment, Music for All, and the Col. George S. Howard Award for Excellence in Military Bands. Colburn served as the 85th President of the American Bandmasters Association, has been a board member of the National Band Association, and currently serves as the Vice President for Project Enhancement for the John Philip Sousa Foundation. He is also a member of Washington D.C.’s prestigious Gridiron and Alfalfa Clubs.
In 2022, Colburn returned to his home state of Vermont, where he now resides with his wife Nancy. Colburn continues to work as a freelance guest conductor and clinician, and regularly leads professional and student ensembles in festivals, residencies, and a variety of other settings throughout the country. In June 2024 he was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Orchestra of Northern New York, a professional orchestra based in Potsdam, NY. He is also the Music Director and Conductor of the Me2 Orchestra in Burlington, VT, a classical music organization devoted to erasing the stigma of mental illness through supportive rehearsals and inspiring performances, and he also serves as an Affiliate Artist at the University of Vermont. In 2024 he became a member of the Educational Consultant team at the Conn Selmer Division of Education.
Fred J. Allen
Fred J. Allen is a music teacher, conductor, arranger, composer and author. He is Director of Bands Emeritus at Stephen F Austin State University, retiring in 2018. Prior to that he taught at Abilene Christian University and in two public school districts. At the university level, he taught numerous courses in the music education and wind conducting curricula, including conducting lessons, wind literature, rehearsal techniques, instrumental methods and orchestration in addition to conducting duties with the wind ensemble. His teaching was recognized in 2012 with the Meritorious Achievement Award by the Texas Bandmasters Association. He is a 2020 inductee into the Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Mu Honorary Bandmasters Fraternity.
Allen has conducted All-Region and All-State Bands throughout Texas and the United States, where he is also an active concert clinician and adjudicator. He has often served as guest conductor for bands playing at the Midwest Clinic and the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and has also conducted in Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia.
As an arranger and composer, Allen has published several pieces for band, orchestra and flute choir that have drawn upon his experience in teaching in the public schools. These works have been performed frequently at conventions and festivals across the United States and internationally. He has several commissioned works in progress. His music is noted in The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music (Rehrig), Teaching Music Through Performance in Band (Miles, et al) and other band music reference books.
Allen played principal clarinet with the Ft. Worth Civic Orchestra for five seasons, was bass clarinetist with the Irving Symphony for three seasons and played clarinet in the Irving Symphony Woodwind Quintet for 6 years. He held the piccolo position with the Abilene Philharmonic for 6 years and played both flute and clarinet in several community bands. As a woodwind specialist, he has performed professionally at Opryland, USA and for the Ice Capades and the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey’s Circus, as well as over forty musicals and operas.
He has presented clinics and workshops at conventions of the Midwest Clinic, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, at the Conservatorium of Music in Hobart, Tasmania, and in several public school districts for faculty development. He is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association, Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, College Band Directors National Association and ASCAP. He lives in Arlington, Texas.
Don McKinney
Donald J. McKinney is director of bands, professor of music, and chair of the department of bands at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He conducts the IU Wind Ensemble, teaches courses in graduate conducting, and guides the historic department of bands. From 2013-2024, Dr. McKinney was director of bands, professor of conducting, and chair of the conducting area at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music. He is active in commissioning and performing music of our time and collaborated with composers including Kevin Day, Stacy Garrop, Carter Pann, Joel Puckett, Carlos Simon, Annika Socolofsky, and Xi Wang. Before his 2013 appointment at CU Boulder, Dr. McKinney was the director of wind ensembles and associate professor at Louisiana State University School of Music. While teaching at LSU the Wind Ensemble was invited to perform for the 2013 CBDNA National Conference in Greensboro, NC.
He has held additional faculty positions at Interlochen Arts Academy and Duquesne University Mary Pappert School of Music. From 2010-2015 he was the Coordinator of Bands for the renowned Interlochen Arts Camp. In this capacity he conducted the World Youth Wind Symphony and administered the summer band program. As a guest conductor he has appeared with the Dallas Winds, Concordia Santa Fe, Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra, and numerous honor ensembles. He has also conducted concerts and clinics in Costa Rica and Canada.
On numerous occasions, his performances with the Dallas Winds have been featured on National Public Radio Performance Today. As a teacher of conducting, he has presented conducting masterclasses at University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory, East Carolina University, Austin Peay State University, Pacific Lutheran University, University of Central Florida, Eastern Washington University, University of Central Missouri, West Chester University, and UCLA. His recording credits include projects with the Dallas Winds, University of Michigan Symphony Band, University of Texas Wind Ensemble, University of North Texas Wind Symphony, Keystone Wind Ensemble, and the Duquesne University Wind Symphony.
He was nominated for a 2019 Grammy Award for producing the Dallas Winds recording John Williams at the Movies. In 2017, Dr. McKinney was featured in the Instrumentalist, a prominent journal for instrumental music educators. He has published articles in numerous conducting resources including five volumes of Teaching Music through Performance in Band and most recently The Conductors Companion published by Meredith Music. He has also authored a chapter about Pulitzer Prize winning composer Jennifer Higdon for the book Women of Influence in Contemporary Music published by Scarecrow Press.
After participating in the Second Frederick Fennell Conducting Masterclass, he was named a finalist for the Thelma A. Robinson Award by the Conductors Guild. He has been nominated for an LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award and is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Beta Mu. In 2023-24, he served as President-elect of the Southwestern Division of College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA). Dr. McKinney holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Michigan. His primary conducting teachers and mentors include Michael Haithcock, Dr. Jack Stamp, Dr. Robert Cameron, and additional study with H. Robert Reynolds and Frank Battisti.
Mary Kay Schneider
Mary K. Schneider is Professor of Conducting and Director of Bands at Eastern Michigan University where she conducts the EMU Wind Symphony, teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting and music education, and guides the vision for its comprehensive university bands program. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Schneider held a teaching position at the University of Minnesota School of Music and had a successful
career as a secondary school instrumental music educator.
Active nationally and internationally as a guest conductor and clinician, Dr. Schneider’s recent engagements include serving as an adjudicator for the Music For All National Concert Band Festival, Illinois SuperState Concert Band Festival, the Thailand
International Wind Symphony Competition, and the Victoria School Music Festival in Melbourne, Australia. Schneider has served as a guest conductor of the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, Dallas Winds, Sydney Conservatorium of Music Wind Symphony, Concordia Santa Fe, U.S. Air Force Band, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp Festival Band, Wheaton Municipal Band, and is a frequent guest conductor of all-state and regional honor bands throughout the United States.
A strong advocate for new wind music, Dr. Schneider has participated in commissioning and/or premiering over three dozen works for the band, and her ensembles frequently collaborate with a diverse group of composers. In addition to published articles in the GIA book series, Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, she has presented on the topic of wind band repertoire at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, and is a frequent invited lecturer on the celebrated American composer, John Corigliano, and his Symphony No. 3 for large wind ensemble, “Circus Maximus.” Schneider is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association, where she currently serves on its Board of Directors, in addition to serving in the same capacity for the National Band Association. She has served as President of the North Central Division of the College Band Directors National Association, chaired the CBDNA Diversity
Committee, and served on its Music Education Committee. Schneider holds a doctoral degree in conducting from the University of Texas at Austin, and degrees in horn performance and music education from the New England Conservatory of Music, and the University of Connecticut, having graduated with Distinction in Performance honors from the former.