2018 NATIONAL WIND BAND HONORS PROJECT
Robert M. Carnochan
Robert M. Carnochan is Director of Wind Ensemble Activities, Music Director/Conductor
of the FROST Wind Ensemble and Professor of Conducting at the FROST School of Music. Besides overseeing all aspects of the wind band program, Professor Carnochan also teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting and wind repertoire.
Dr. Carnochan’s multi-faceted career has included numerous high-profile collaborations with a number of esteemed colleagues and composers, including Andy Akiho, Steven Bryant, John Corigliano, Michael Daugherty, Donald Grantham, Daniel Kellogg, Jonathan Leshnoff, John Mackey, David Maslanka, James Mobberly, Carter Pann, Joel Puckett, Gunther Schuller, Joseph Schwantner, Frank Ticheli, and Dan Welcher. He also invests substantial time in commissioning and performing works of the new generation of talented composers, among them, such rising stars as David Biedenbender, Andrew Boss, Viet Cuong, Paul Dooley, Ian Dicke, Aaron Perrine, and Zack Stanton.
In addition, Dr. Carncohan maintains a vibrant career as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator in performances throughout the United States, and has conducted concerts overseas in London, Spain, Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Singapore. He has also produced a number of acclaimed recordings by both The University of Texas Wind Ensemble and the Dallas Wind Symphony and his own recording of Donald Grantham’s Tuba Concerto with soloist Charles Villarrubia and the University of Texas Wind Ensemble was recently released on the Longhorn Music Label and is available for download from iTunes. He has conducted five recordings with the world-renowned University of Texas Longhorn Band, and has appeared with them in numerous nationally and internationally televised events, including three Rose Bowl halftime performances, two Rose Parades and three performances at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin Texas.
Before joining the faculty at the FROST School of Music, Dr. Carnochan was Professor of Music and Director of the Longhorn Band at The University of Texas in Austin for 13 years. He also served as Associate Director of Bands at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Director of Bands at Northeastern Oklahoma State University, and Associate Director of Bands at Stephen F. Austin State University. Dr. Carnochan began his professional teaching career as Director of Bands at Dundalk High School in Baltimore, Maryland, a position he still cherishes.
Dr. Carncohan’s efforts have gained him induction into the Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Mu. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious service and teaching awards, including The Eyes of Texas Award, The Texas Blazers award, the DeCloux Fellowship and the Marinus Smith Award. He holds memberships in the American Bandmasters Association, the Band Directors National Association, the Conductors Guild, the Florida Music Educators Association and the Texas Music Educators Association. His degrees include a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Towson University, a Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting from The University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from The University of Texas. He counts among his teachers of note Allan McMurray, Jerry Junkin and Dana Rothlisberger.
Richard Floyd
Richard Floyd is presently in his 55th year of active involvement as a conductor, music educator and administrator. He has enjoyed a distinguished and highly successful career at virtually every level of wind band performance from beginning band programs through high school and university wind ensembles as well as adult community bands. In 2014 Floyd retired as State Director of Music at the University of Texas at Austin where he coordinated all facets of secondary school music competition for some 3500 performing organizations throughout the state for 30 years. He now holds the title Texas State Director of Music Emeritus. He also serves as Musical Director and Conductor of the Austin Symphonic Band that is viewed to be one of the premier adult concert bands in America. In addition he maintains an active schedule as conductor, clinician, lecturer and mentor.
His musical achievements include performances at numerous state and national conventions and conferences including the 1977 College Band Directors National Association, the 1981 Music Educators National Conference and concerts at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in 1989, 1997 and 2007. Other distinguished performances include concerts for the American Bandmasters Association in 1993 and 2006 and the 2004 Western International Band Clinic in Seattle, Washington.
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 throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe as a clinician, adjudicator and conductor including appearances in 44 American states and in 9 other countries. He is a frequent featured clinician for the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, countless other state conferences and has presented five conducting and rehearsal technique clinics for the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic.
In 2002 he was the single recipient of the prestigious A.A. Harding Award presented by the American School Band Directors Association in recognition of his significant and lasting contributions to the school band movement. The Texas Bandmasters Association named him Texas Bandmaster of the Year in 2006 and also recognized him with the TBA Lifetime Administrative Achievement Award in 2008. Most recently he received the Texas Music Educators Association Distinguished Service Award in 2009 and was inducted into the Bands of America Hall of Fame and Texas Phi Beta Mu Hall of Fame in 2011. Also in 2011 he was awarded the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic Medal of Honor for distinguished service and contributions to bands, orchestras and music education. In 2014 he was inducted into the National Band Association Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts considered to be the “academy award” for wind band conductors. The same year he was also honored with the Kappa Kappa Phi Distinguished Service to Music medal. Most recently he was recognized as the 2017 Texas Legendary Bandmaster by the Dallas Wind Symphony, Jerry Junkin conductor.
In 2006 he was featured on the GIA Produced DVD entitled Kindred Spirits from the series Conducting From The Inside Out. Other conductors included H. Robert Reynolds, Craig Kirchhoff and Allan McMurray. In 2015 his book entitled The Artistry of Teaching and Making Music was published to critical acclaim by GIA Publications.
During Mr. Floyd’s professional career he has held multiple positions of leadership for music education and wind music performance. He served as National Secretary of the College Band Directors National Association from 1979 to 2007 and has played an active leadership role in the implementation of that organization’s many projects and services for over three decades. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Music For All, as a member of the John Philip Sousa Foundation Board of Directors, and in 2016 was named a Yamaha Master Educator.
John L. Whitwell
John L. Whitwell is Director of Bands Emeritus at Michigan State University, where he served as Director of Bands, Conductor of the Wind Symphony, Professor of Music, Chair of the Conducting area, and guided the graduate degree programs in Wind Conducting prior to his retirement in 2006.
Prior to his appointment at Michigan State University, Professor Whitwell held positions at Stephen F. Austin State University and Abilene Christian University. He also taught in the public schools of Michigan as band director at Ann Arbor Huron and Northwest Jackson high schools.
His bands have performed for the College Band Directors National Association Convention, Texas Music Educators Association Clinic-Convention, Midwest Clinic, and Midwestern Conference on Vocal and Instrumental Music. He is an emeritus member of the Board of Directors of the Midwest Clinic, past-president of the Big Ten Band Directors Association, and past-president of the North Central Division of the College Band Directors National Association.
Professor Whitwell maintains an active schedule and is in great demand as a guest conductor and clinician throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and abroad.
He is extremely active in the commissioning of new music and has participated in commissioning projects with composers Samuel Adler, Fred Allen, Kenneth Amis, William Averitt, Steve Barton, Susan Botti, Timothy Broege, Daryl Burghardt, Michael Colgrass, Donald Crockett, James Curnow, Richard Danielpour, Michael Daugherty, Eric Ewazen, Michael Finnissy, Michael Gandolfi, David Gillingham, Daniel Godfrey, Michael Golemo, Adam Gorb, Donald Grantham, Murray Gross, Daron Aric Hagen, Sam Hazo, David Heckendorn, Jennifer Higdon, Sydney Hodkinson, Jere Hutcheson, Robert Jager, Ian Krouse, Timothy Mahr, John Mackey, Daniel McCarthy, David Maslanka, Gregory Mertl, Cindy McTee, John Moss, Lior Navok, Ron Newman, James Niblock, Robert Xavier Rodriguez, Charles Ruggiero, Joseph Spaniola, Eric Stokes, James Syler, Frank Ticheli, Joan Tower, Joseph Turrin, Michael Weinstein, Eric Whitacre, Dana Wilson, and Charles Rochester Young.
Whitwell has received many honors, including: being named the Michigan recipient of the?A. R. MacAllister “Mac” Award, “Band Teacher of the Year” Award by the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, “Citation of Excellence” Award by the National Band Association, Distinguished Graduate “Hall of Fame” Award by Wyandotte Roosevelt High, Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Rochester College, Honorary Doctor of Music Education Honoris Causa from the VanderCook College of Music, Kappa Kappa Psi “Distinguished Service to Music” Award, American School Band Directors National Association “Edwin Franko Goldman” Award, the Michigan State University “Distinguished Professor” Award, the MSU “Paul Varg” Award for teaching excellence, the National Federation of High Schools “Outstanding Music Educator” Award, the Kappa Kappa Psi “Bohumil Makovsky Memorial Award,” induction into the Phi Beta Mu/Texas Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame, Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Bandmaster Award, Stephen F. Austin State University “Band Director Hall of Fame” Award, and the Texas Bandmasters Association “Meritorious Achievement Award.”