Conn Selmer and BD Performing Arts announce a landmark multi-year partnership to support music education across America through an extensive portfolio of events and opportunities for students and educators to learn, grow and engage.
The key cornerstone to this new partnership will be Conn Selmer’s presenting sponsorship of USBands and Western Band Association (WBA) by the iconic Ludwig Musser percussion brands through the entire calendar year of summer educational clinics, fall marching band events, winter indoor percussion and spring concert festivals.
"Through this new partnership with USBands, we look forward to serving many educators across the country by providing great resources to support the future growth of music education while providing world-class USA made instruments in support of their programs,” said Mike Kamphuis, Vice President, Division of Education at Conn Selmer.
USBands Executive Director Sean King said in announcing the new partnership, “Our main priority is to provide showcase opportunities for young people to learn and perform through USBands and WBA. The new partnership with Conn Selmer will allow us to combine the two organization’s considerable talent, knowledge and resources to deliver upon this promise to America’s youth, while innovating and expanding our commitment to educators and students through meaningful engagement and inspiration.”
Beginning in 2022, the USBands and WBA Fall Marching Band seasons will be presented by Ludwig Musser with onsite and online activation at more than 125 events in 15 states from September-November. Headlining the season will be two of the largest events of the season, as the Ludwig Musser Classics will be held on October 8 at MetLife Stadium in E. Rutherford, NJ and at D.W. Rutledge Stadium in Converse, TX.
Ludwig Musser will also be prominent partners in the expansion of Traditional Showstyle Band events scheduled for collegiate campuses in Texas, Virginia, North Carolina and Alabama this fall.
During the school year, Ludwig Musser will be the presenting sponsor of USBands Concert Festivals along the East coast and Texas, while also the title sponsors of the USBands Indoor Percussion season in the Mid-Atlantic region.
The Conn Selmer-USBands partnership will be featured during the summer of 2022 beginning at the Conn Selmer Institute June 14-17 at Bethel University in Mishawaka, Indiana and followed by a series of multi-day and single day USBands Educational camps, clinics and workshops featuring the Blue Devils and other special guests and clinicians. Details on this series of events to be held coast-to-coast will be announced later this spring.
Conn Selmer and USBands will be working with educators at all levels to provide innovative and ground-breaking access to resources from top professionals throughout the world of music education as the future of music performance and participation is redefined for the next generation of students. Conn Selmer and USBands will be creating new events and opportunities for young people to explore their talents and experience music in new ways as casual participants, serious performers or future educators.
Conn Selmer is the leading U.S. manufacturer and distributor of musical instruments for student, amateur and professional use under the brand portfolio of Vincent Bach, C.G. Conn, King, Holton, Selmer, Armstrong, Leblanc, Ludwig, Musser, and Scherl & Roth. With a focus on quality craftsmanship, innovation and superior musical performance, Conn-Selmer operates U.S.A. production facilities and is the North American distributor of Henri Selmer Paris woodwinds, and Yanagisawa saxophones. For more information on the complete line of instruments, services and support available visit www.connselmer.com.
Since its first event in 1988, USBands has supported the development of scholastic performing ensembles through exceptional service, high quality adjudication and world class venues. Over the past 33 years, USBands has expanded to include hundreds of scholastic music programs in 150+ marching band, indoor and concert band events nationwide. USBands is part of a network of pageantry arts organizations including BD Performing Arts, Western Band Association and other regional service organizations. More information on the complete portfolio of events and experiences for educators and student-performers can be found at usbands.org.