The Colonel George S. Howard
Citation of Musical Excellence
For
Military Concert Bands

A Prestigious International Award
Recognizing
Military Concert Bands

Administered By
The John Philip Sousa Foundation

Purpose

To identify and recognize active duty and reserve military concert bands that have demonstrated particularly significant high standards of musical excellence in concert performances under the current conductor.
 
 Eligibility Criteria

The band must be an active duty or reserve military concert band.
The band must perform standard concert band literature.
The band's instrumentation must be suitable for the literature performed.
Bands are eligible for an additional award after a new director assumes leadership or after three years since a previous award under the same director.

All foreign military concert bands are eligible.

Application Procedure

Military band directors send an application letter directly to the committee chair with the following materials:

1. Concert programs of recent concerts directed by the current conductor.
2. Current studio/concert recordings ( cassette tape or CD) if available.
3. One VHS videotape recording or DVD with three works from recent concert performances directed by the current conductor.

Send nomination materials to
Colonel Lowell Graham, Department Chair
University of Texas at El Paso
Fox Fine Arts Building Room 301
500 W.University Avenue
El Paso, Texas  79968-0552

 legraham@utep.edu

 
Selection and Award Process

The selection committee normally meets twice annually to evaluate application materials, which are held in conjunction with the Texas Bandmasters Convention in San Antonio and the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. Submission deadlines are 1 July and 1 December, respectively. If selected, the award will be sent to the band director's commanding officer or other appropriate official for presentation. If not selected, committee suggestions will be communicated directly to the band director for use in program strengthening for a future consideration.

 Committee Members

 
   
Administration

The award is administered by The John Philip Sousa Foundation and implemented by its Executive Committee.

   Colonel George S. Howard, USAF Retired
(1902 - 1995)

Colonel George S. Howard, United States Air Force retired, was primarily known for his contributions to the military band program. During the nineteen and one-half years that he was commander and conductor of the United States Air Force Band and Symphony Orchestra, he raised those organizations to international prominence. He is credited with organizing the idea of using music as an international language to create better understanding between America and nations of the world. He took the USAF Band and Orchestra on ten international tours, performing major concerts in fifty countries on five continents. He founded the Singing Sergeants, the Airmen of Note, the USAF Drum and Bugle Corps, the USAF Bagpipe Band, the WAF Band, and the Strolling Strings.

As Chief of Bands and Music for the Air Force, he established the USAF Bandsman School and became its first commandant. He controlled the musical destinies of more than two thousand bandsmen and set the standards for eighty-three Air Force bands. He established a career field for commissioned officers as directors of Air Force bands. This policy and ladder of progression is in effect today.

He was born in Reamstown, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the Conway Military Band School, Ithaca Conservatory, Ohio Wasleyan University, New York University and the Chicago Conservatory, earning the following degrees: AB, AM, B. Mus, and Mus. D.  In 1985, he received an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Ithaca College and in 1986 he was elected Honorary Life President of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association

Prior to entering the military, he was director of the Band, Orchestra and Chorus School an Penn State University. Colonel Howard has established the Citation of Musical Excellence award to encourage professional growth and excellence in military concert bands.

Colonel Howard passed away on September 18, 1995.

Recipients and Conductors