The Piedmont Honor Band (PHB) is an absolute must for band students!
The PHB is an honor band based on an All-County/All-District model. The most noticeable difference between these programs is that in the PHB, students are accepted on their band directors' recommendation. This is a critical distinction because by this method, students can have a typical honor band experience without the stress of an audition.
In my years as a high school and middle school band director, I have had many students who I knew would enjoy and benefit from being in County, District, and State honor bands. They were talented enough to make these programs but they just wouldn't audition. Fear of the audition drives a lot of students away from these bands. I also had many students who I knew just needed a little push in this direction, and that they would be inspired to greater musical heights to do an audition, if they just could see what they were aiming for.
Because of this, I founded the PHB. The name has changed a few times from the Lexington Honor Band, the Youth Piedmont Honor Band, the Piedmont Honor Band and Orchestra, and now the Piedmont Honor Band. Even though the name has changed, the goal hasn't. Namely, the program exists to inspire students to do more.
To date, the PHB has hosted thousands of middle and high school students from dozens of schools in the greater Piedmont area.
Below, you will find more information about the PHB, including the dates for PHB 2023, location, and registration instructions.
Please consider sending students to the PHB. The positive experience that they have can only benefit your program!
The Piedmont Honor Band - 2023
When and Where:
The PHB 2024 will be held on Monday and Tuesday, March 25th and 26th.
This is a DIFFERENT TIME OF YEAR than last year. Listening to some feedback, we're tying something different with the days of the week as well. We'll be taking feedback about this change for future years.
Click HERE to download a basic rehearsal schedule so you can get a rough idea of what to expect this year. We alter it a little here and there as needed.
The PHB is held at Robert B. Glenn High School in Kernersville, NC.
How to Register Students:
Registering students for the PHB is easy and paperless. There are basically two things you need to fill out: a registration form and a school/director information form. Please note that only Band Directors can register students. If there is no Band Director (as in some Private and Home School situations), then please contact me so I can get you registered. You can find the links for both of the forms you need on this page.
REGISTRATION NOTES:
1) Please use the excel sheet as your registration form.
2) The registration form lets you register up to 25 students. If you want to register more, just use another form, and send me an email.
3) There are 3 bands this year (a change from the 4 we've done for a long time). There is a band for first year students (Concert Band), one for second year and third year Middle School students (Symphonic Band), and one for High School students (Wind Ensemble). You can indicate which band with the pull down menu. Use a separate file for each band.
4) Please rank your students 1-25, regardless of what instrument they play. Do not group them together by section unless that is your intention on their rank.
5) I take this information and use it to fill the sections until they are full. So the more common instrument (Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet) sections fill up fairly quickly before I get very far down the lists. The less common instruments such as Bass Clarinet, Tuba, F Horn, are almost always accepted regardless of what rank you give them. I use the ranks to determine chairs (higher the rank, higher the chair), so please consider that as well.
6) Be careful to indicate TC or BC for Baritones, and Mallet, Battery, or Timpani for Percussionists.
7) There is a $25 registration fee for students who are chosen for the band. This fee includes a T-Shirt for the students and food at the clinic. We take cash, school check, personal check or Booster check. Checks should be made out to Glenn High School.
8) Only Band Directors can register students.
Dates You Need To Know:
DUE DATE FOR REGISTRATION: Saturday, February 17th.
DATE I WILL SEND OUT LIST OF ACCEPTED STUDENTS: Hopefully, Monday February 19th
DATES OF PHB 2023: Monday and Tuesday, March 25th and 26th
Professional Development:
In the past, we have sometimes run a director's "clinic" while the students have been rehearsing. This is informal, and whether we can award renewal credits varies from year to year. These are run by the attending directors, and I invite anyone who is willing to host a clinic.
If you are interested in running a session, please shoot me an email and tell me your idea.
Past clinics:
Conducting Workshops
Grant Writing
Marching Band Drill Design
National Board Certification
Useful Websites for Band Directors
