The Director Symposium is designed to connect marching ensemble educators with colleagues and experts in the activity in a three-day series of clinics and hands-on sessions specific to the marching arts. Clinic sessions are offered in a variety of areas, including marching ensemble show design, music arranging, drill design, movement instruction, leadership development, volunteer mobilization, fund-raising, rehearsal techniques, marching percussion, color guard, electronic rehearsal tools, outdoor sound reinforcement, administration and adjudication. Classroom sessions, masterclasses and interactive activities led by leaders in the drum and bugle corps, as well as college and high school marching band activities seek to inspire educators with practical and creative tools to take their teaching and ensembles to the next level. Symposium participants will also have the opportunity to observe concurrent sessions of the annual Leadership, Drum Major and Color Guard Camps.
Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit up to 16 hours is available.
Symposium Schedule
The Symposium will run from June 15-17, 2026.
Monday, June 15
| Time | Session | Topic | Presenter | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9–10:30 a.m. | Registration | Collect materials, name tags, pay balances, and check into dorms | — | Music Building |
| 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Session 1 | Maximizing Your Visual Design with Minimal Time | Matt Hartwell | Music Building Band Hall |
| 12:30–1:30 p.m. | — | Welcome lunch provided | — | Music Building Band Hall |
| 1:30–3 p.m. | Session 2 | A View Behind the Curtain: The Arranging Process from Concept to Storyboard to Sketch to Orchestration | Allan Goodwin | Music Building Choral Hall |
| 3:30–5 p.m. | Session 3 | GE: What is it? How is it evaluated? Are you generally effected? | Mike Tarr | Music Building Band Hall |
| 5:30–7 p.m. | Session 4 | Where's my Dot? Teaching and Cleaning Drill with the Dot System | Matt Hartwell | Music Building Band Hall |
Social event:
- Dos Laredos Bar and Grill
1229 Washington St., Commerce, TX 75428 - (drinks and dinner on your own; appetizers provided)
Tuesday, June 16
| Time | Session | Topic | Presenter | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 a.m. | — | Breakfast provided | — | Music Building Band Hall |
| 9–10:30 a.m. | Session 5 | So You Think You Can Dance II | Mike Tarr | Field House |
| 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m. | Session 6 | Student Leaders as Force Multipliers: Expanding Capacity and Strengthening Culture | Jeff Jones | Music Building Band Hall |
| 12:15–1:45 p.m. | — | Lunch provided | — | Music Building Band Hall |
| 1:45–3 p.m. | Session 7 | A Look Inside the “Bluecoats” Visual | Willie Veenstra | Music Building Choral Hall |
| 3:15–4:45 p.m. | Session 8 | Marching Band Audio: Demystified! | Tanner Leonardo | Nursing Building |
Wednesday, June 17
| Time | Session | Topic | Presenter | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 a.m. | — | Breakfast provided | — | Music Building Band Hall |
| 9–10:30 a.m. | Session 9 | New and Redeveloped Apps from Arc, including UDBapp, Beam, Geo and more! | Stuart Shulman | Music Building Band Hall |
| 10:45 a.m.–noon | Session 10 | Making your color Guard an Asset to Your Program | Casey Kunze | Nursing Building |
| 12:15–1:30 p.m. | — | Lunch provided | — | Music Building Band Hall |
| 1:30–3 p.m. | Session 11 | Hearing, Seeing, Scoring: A Judge's View of Your Show | Gerry Miller | Music Building `Choral Hall |
A total of 15.5 hours of CPE credit is available for attending all workshop sessions. Certificates will be mailed at the conclusion of the camps.
Admissions and Scholarships
Scholarships are available both for music majors, non-majors, and color guard members. Admissions and Scholarship Auditions will take place on the dates below:
- Saturday, January 30
- Saturday, February 20
- Saturday, March 6
We hope you'll consider spending part of your musical journey with us in the future.