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Gary Hill is a professor of music and the director of bands emeritus at Arizona State University. He taught at Arizona State from 1999 to 2019 and is one of the most sought-after guest conductors and clinicians in the instrumental music education field. As a conductor, he has made appearances in more than a dozen countries and throughout the United States, including performances with myriad honor bands, numerous college and university wind bands and orchestras, and many professional ensembles. He has also been a conductor at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic and at conferences of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. As a clinician, Hill has presented hundreds of workshops on conducting and rehearsal technique for music teachers of all levels and has worked with thousands of bands and orchestras and their teachers. Hill is currently a Conn-Selmer educational clinician.
Becoming a complete conductor is a lifelong journey, comprising numerous essential skills that must be acquired and developed over many years. Deep score preparation is a multifaceted and continuously integrated process, with each area providing feedback to the others. These areas include historical and theoretical considerations; performance priorities; performance problems and solutions; rehearsal planning; and realizing, internalizing, and somatically expressing a sonic model. Clear communication is a critical factor in the achievement of consistent success rather than random results. In this session, many components of rehearsal technique will be discussed, including the use of level-based organizational and sequential models; how deliberate practice can improve results; how to create customized, context-specific etudes; and the ways discoveries from neuroscience and associated fields can help foster engagement within ensemble rehearsals.
During this session, Gary Hill will be in his virtual classroom ready to answer specific questions and to provide one-on-one time with participants who desire additional information about secondary instrumental music related issues or music education concerns.
Dogs are miraculous creatures! Their keen senses, brilliant minds, and ability to adapt to their environments make them amazing partners in many endeavors. In this session, Gary Hill will talk about how developing his skills as a dog trainer and handler led him to realize the countless connections between working with dogs and leading and teaching humans. He will also share the lessons and wisdom he gleaned from his canine encounters that can make educators better teachers of people.
