The 39th annual Cyclone Honor Band announcement has been made for 2015, seeking the best high school musicians the state has to offer for this years two band format.  

This year there will be the Gold Band, consisting of approximately 65 of the best high school musicians in the state were nominated and should be a member of the All-State Band as well. There will also be the Cardinal Band consisting of 100-110 members that were either nominated for the Gold Band and were not selected, or were nominated for showing outstanding promise and potential.

Ray Cramer, Emeritus Director of Bands at Indiana University, will conduct the Gold Band. Cramer is in demand internationally as guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator. He is a regular guest conductor of the Musashino Academy of Music Wind Ensemble in Tokyo.

Dr. Michael Golemo, professor and Chair of the Music Department and Director of Bands at Iowa State University, has known Cramer for years and has asked him to be a guest conductor before but schedule conflicts hadn’t allowed it until this year.

 “For me I enjoy the opportunity to work with talented young musicians. It is also a challenge to see what young musicians can attain musically in a short amount of rehearsal time.  My desire always is to make it a musically exciting concert.  I have a great respect for the students from the great state of Iowa.  I have guest conducted the All State Band twice and the Intercollegiate Band once and each time it has been a rewarding experience.  I know these students will be well prepared and work diligently to play their best,” Cramer said.

Conducting the Cardinal Band is Jacqui Meunier, Band Director with Southeast Polk High School, and President of the Iowa Bandmasters Association. Meunier has had students in the honor band in previous years and two years ago Golemo asked her if she would be a guest conductor for the 2015 Cyclone Honor Band.

“I am honored to have been invited to guest conduct at my alma mater. I am looking forward to everything about the experience, but most of all, getting the opportunity to share the art of making music with a large group of talented students from all over Iowa who will be honored to have been given that experience,” Meunier said.

High school band directors all over the state can now nominate their best musicians for a spot in one of the two honor bands. The nominees are then narrowed down into their respective bands, which they will then come to Iowa State to practice with for two days before performing at the festival on the second day to conclude the event.

The nomination entry deadline is Monday, Dec. 8, 2014, and the acceptant notification day is Monday, Dec. 15, 2014. Registration for accepted musicians is 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, and the concert is 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb.7, 2015.