The IUP Department of Music will host the first annual Elementary School Band Summit on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. This event will feature a one-day honor band experience for students in grades 5 and 6 resulting in an evening concert, clinics for the directors by IUP faculty (ACT 48 hours available), and performances by IUP faculty and student ensembles.
All students in grades 5 and 6 that apply for this ensemble with a recommendation from their home director will be able to participate! No audition is required, and you may bring as many qualified students as you want. This would include current fifth and sixth graders that began instrumental studies this academic year that you feel would be able to perform grade .5 to grade 1 music.
Overview
- Rehearsal from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. / Concert at 7:00 p.m.
- No auditions! All repertoire will be distributed to the directors after the registration due date of February 20, 2023.
- $30 registration fee – includes a T-shirt, all snacks, a pizza party for students and directors, and a downloadable recording of the concert.
- Concert Dress: Band Summit T-shirt, dark pants that are a solid color (jeans, khakis, etc. are ok), and comfortable shoes (including tennis shoes).
- Clinics and performances for the directors and students by IUP music faculty.
- ACT 48 hours will be available.
| Time | Faculty Schedule | Student Schedule |
| 8:00–9:00 a.m. | Registration | Registration |
| 9:30–10:30 a.m. | Clinic | Rehearsal |
| 10:30–10:45 a.m. | Break | |
| 10:45–11:30 a.m. | Observe Rehearsal | |
| 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. | Lunch | Lunch |
| 12:45–1:45 p.m. | Clinic | Rehearsal |
| 1:45–2:30 p.m. | Observe Rehearsal | |
| 2:30–3:30 p.m. | IUP Faculty and Student Recital | IUP Faculty and Student Recital |
| 3:30–5:00 p.m. | Observe Rehearsal | Rehearsal |
| 4:45–6:15 p.m. | Dinner - Pizza Party | Dinner - Pizza Party |
| 6:15–6:45 p.m. | Change for Concert | Change for Concert |
| 6:45 p.m. | Tuning (any assistance would be greatly appreciated!) | Tuning |
| 7:00 p.m. | Concert | Concert |
Clinicians
Linda Voegler Granite
Linda Voegler Granite teaches sixth, seventh, eighth, and jazz bands at Marshall Middle School in the North Allegheny School District, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She also is an assistant director for the NA Tiger Marching Band and the NA High School Musical. She believes that students can be lifelong learners, producing and consuming music for the rest of their lives. In her teaching, she aims to grow a love of learning by providing engaging learning activities with frequent opportunities for creativity, student choice, and leadership.
Granite started playing clarinet as a child and soon began learning other woodwind instruments. Her love of studying additional band instruments continued throughout college, where she played trombone in the IUP Marching Band. As an adult, she continues to challenge herself by becoming a better musician, music arranger, and improviser.
In 2016, she was awarded the Citation of Excellence for Teaching in District 1 by the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association. In 2018, she was a Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Finalist. Granite regularly serves as a cooperating teacher, mentoring student teachers from IUP and Slippery Rock University. Earlier in her career, she was a music teacher in the Port Allegany School District and later in the Butler Area School District. She has taught jazz band, concert band, marching band, and orchestra to students in grades four through twelve.
Granite holds a bachelor of science in music education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has worked toward a master of music education at Duquesne University. She was inspired to teach and conduct young musicians by IUP professors John Kuehn and Jack Stamp. Private teachers have included clarinet and saxophone with Terry Steele (Slippery Rock University) and clarinet with Thomas Thompson (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra).
Sherry Hatton
Sherry Hatton is middle school band director and guitar instructor in Smithfield, Virginia. A veteran educator of 26 years, Hatton has served in public and private schools, teaching infants through high school in instrumental, vocal, and general music. She holds a BS and MA in music education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, MS in School Leadership and Administration from Capella University, and a certification in arts integration and STEAM from the Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM. Hatton works with the Institute for Arts Integration providing professional development videos and has articles on integration strategies published on their website. Hatton also serves on various committees at the Virginia Department of Education, revising standards and curriculum and creating lesson strategies and plans for the state of Virginia and the GoOpenVA website.
Sherry has been a guest conductor for elementary and middle school honors bands across the east coast, was voted Teacher of the Year by her peers, was recognized in “Who’s Who” of American professionals, and has received community accommodations from the VFW for Distinguished Service. She served as a leader and mentor for Girl Scouts of America and a head coach for Girls on the Run. Sherry lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, with her husband, Jon, and is a proud mother of three children and two stepchildren.
Sherry is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve as a guest conductor for the Elementary Band Summit. “Thank you to Dr. Jason Worzbyt for the opportunity to serve. It is a privilege to give back to the community that taught me to love teaching music to children.”