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 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 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 (CD) if available.
3. One DVD recording with three works from recent concert performance directed by the current conductor.
a. The first selection is to be a major concert band composition from the standard repertoire with the camera positioned at the
back of the stage focused on the conductor.
b. The second piece is to be standard concert band piece with the camera positioned in the audience to show the entire band.
c. The third selection is to be a Sousa march with the camera positioned in either place.
Send nomination materials to
Colonel Lowell E. Graham, Department Chair
University of Texas at El Paso,
Fox Fine Arts Bldg. Room 301
500 W. University Ave.
El Paso, TX 79968-0552.
legraham@utep.edu.
Questions may be directed telephonically to (915) 747-5606
SELECTION AND AWARD PROCESS
The selection committee meets annually to evaluate application
materials, which are held in conjunction with the Texas Bandmasters Convention
in Chicago. Submission deadline is December 1st. 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 be
band director for use in program strengthening for a future consideration.
COMMITEE CHAIRMAN
Colonel Lowell E. Graham (ret.)
Conductor Emeritus
U.S. Air Force Band
Chairman, Dept. of Music, University of Texas at El Paso
COMMITEE MEMBERS
Captain Brian O. Walden
Commanding Offices/Leader, US Navy Band
Colonel H. Bruce Gilkes
USAF Retired
Lt. Colonel Alan Bonner
USAF Retired
Colonel Bryan Shelburne
US Army Retired
Colonel Larry Lang
Commander/Conductor, USAF Band
Colonel Michael Colburn
Director, US Marine Band
Colonel Thomas H. Palmatier
Director, US Army Band
Colonel Thomas Rotondi, Jr.
Director, U.S. Army Band
Colonel Timothy Holtan
Director, US Army Field Band
Commander Kenneth Megan
Director, US Coast Guard Band
Lt Colonel Alan Sierichs
USAF Retired
ADMINISTRATION
The award is administered by The John Philip Sousa Foundation and implemented
by its Executive Committee.
Dr. Al G. Wright
Chairman of the Board
Edward S. Lisk
President and CEO
Robert E. Foster
Vice President for Administration
Douglas Harter
Vice President for Finance and Investment
Gladys Stone Wright
Vice President.
Col. Lowell E. Graham (ret)
Vice President
Jay Gephart
Secretary Treasurer
Colonel George S. Howard, USAF Retired
(1902 – 1995)
Colonel George S. Howard, United States Air Force retired, was primarily known for his contribution 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 originating 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 career field for commissioned officers as directors of the Air Force Bands. This policy and ladder of progression in
effect today.
He was born in Reamstown, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the Conway Military Band School, Ithaca Conservatory, Ohio Wesleyan 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 fom 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 at Penn. State University. Colonel Howard 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
United States Army Band--Washington DC
Colonel Eugene Allen (1988)
Colonel Bryan Shelburne (1992)
Colonel Gary Lamb (2000)
Colonel Thomas Rotondi Jr. (2005)
Colonel Thomas H. Palmatier (2011)
United States Army Field Band--Washignton DC
Colonel William Clark (1989)
Colonel Jack Grogan (1992)
Colonel Finley Hamilton (2000)
Colonel Thomas H. Palmatier (2007)
Colonel Timothy J. Holtan (2011)
United States Military Academy Band--West Point NY
Lt. Colonel Bryan Shelburne (1989)
Lt. Colonel Timothy J. Holtan (2009)
United States Army Europe, Band and Chorus-Germany
Lt. Colonel Thomas Rotondi, Jr. (2000)
Army Ground Forces Band--Fort McPherson GA
Lt. Colonel Michael Pyatt (1990)
Lt. Colonel Ben DuBose (1996)
US Continental Army Band--Fort Jackson SC
Major Thomas Rotondi, Jr. (1994)
Major Thomas Palmatier (1997)
34th Infantry Division “Red Bull” Nati o n a l B a n d - Ro s e m o u n t MN
CWO-2 Trygve R. Skaar (2007)
43rd Army National Guard Band--Lincoln NE
CWO-5 Jeff Klintberg (1991, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2006)
CWO- 2 Brain L. Anderson (2007)
CWO-3 Brian L. Anderson (2010)
147th Army Guard Band--Mitchell SD
CWO-2 Terry Beckler (2006)
202nd Army Band Kentucky National Band
CW3 Gregory N. Stepp (2010)
282nd Army Band--Fort Jackson SC
CWO-2 Bruce B. Smith (1995)
CWO-3 Matthew C. Morse (2007)
312th Army Reserve Band from Lawrence-Lawrence KS
CWO-3 Robert N. Claggett (2006)
United States Navy Band--Washington DC
Commander Philip Field (1991)
Commander Joseph Phillips (1992)
Lt. Commander John Pastin (1995)
Commander Ralph Gambone (2000)
Captain George N. Thompson, Jr., USN (2007)
Captain Brian O. Walden (2010)
U.S. Naval Academy Band--Annapolis MD
Commander Michael Burch-Presses (1992)
Navy Band Charleston--Naval Base Charleston SC
Lt. Jon. J. Miller (1994)
United States Marine Band--Washington DC
Colonel John Bourgeois (1988)
Lt. Colonel Michael J. Colburn (2005)
1st Marine Division Band
CWO-2 J.A. Stone (2007)
CWO4- Michael W. Edmonson (2010)
Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band--MCAS El Toro, CA
CWO-3 Roxanne M. Haskill (1994)
Parris Island Marine Corps Band--MCS Parris Island SC
WO Robert C. Jacob III (1994)
CWO-2 J. A. Stone (2009)
36th Infantry Division Band-- Austin, TX
CWO-1 Jeffrey Lightsey (2008)
CWO- 3 Brain L. Anderson (2010)
United States Air Force Band--Washington DC
Lt. Colonel James Michael Bankhead (1988)
Lt. Colonel Alan Bonner (1992)
Lt Colonel Lowell Graham (1995)
Lt Colonel Dennis Layendecker (2002)
Lt. Colonel Alan Sierichs (2009)
Lt. Colonel Phillip Waite (2010)
Colonel Larry Lang (2012)
Air Force Band of the Rockies--Colorado Springs CO
Lt. Colonel Bruce Gilkes (1993)
Colonel Bruce Gilkes (1997)
Major Philip Chevallard (2000)
Lt. Colonel Larry Lang (2008)
USAFE Band--Germany
Lt. Colonel Roger Sebby (1993)
USAF Band of Flight--Wright Patterson AFB OH
Lt. Colonel Richard Shelton (1992)
USAF Band of Mid-America
Captain Donald E. Schofield, Jr. (2007)
USAF Heritage of America Band--Langley AFB CA
Lt. Colonel Lowell Graham (1988, 1991, 1994)
Lt. Colonel Douglas Monroe (2008)
USAF Band of the Golden West--Travis AFB CA
Lt. Colonel Roger Sebby (1988)
Captain Philip Chevallard (1991)
Major Douglas Monroe (2004)
USAF Band of the West--Lackland AFB TX
Colonel Benny Knudsen (1989)
Major Daniel Schmidt (1991)
Captain Steven Grimo (1992)
Captain Gena Stuchbury (1999)
Major Dean L. Zarmbinski (2007)
USAF Heartland of America Band--Offutt AFB NE
Major Alan Bonner (1989)
Lt. Colonel Craig Jessop (1991)
Major Mark Peterson (1996)
Major Kelly Bledsoe (2000)
Captain Michael J. Willen (2009)
USAF Reserve--Robins AFB GA
Captain Kelly Bledsoe (1994)
561st Air Force National Guard Band-Hayward A NG Station, CA
Major Gary Wulbern (1994)
Central Band of the Royal Air Force--United Kingdom
Wing Commander Eric Banks (1989)
Japan Air Self-Defense Force Band--Tachikawa, Japan
Lt. Colonel Jun Shindo (1992)
Japan Ground Self Defense Force Central Band--Tokyo
Colonel Akira Takeda (2009)
United States Coast Guard Band--New London CT
Commmander Lewis Buckley (1988)
Lt. Kenneth W. Megan (2005)
Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces--Norway
Lt. Colonel Christer Johannesen (1996)
Orkiestra Koncertowa Wojska Polskiego-Poland
Grzergohrz Mielimaka, Arstistic Director and Conductor (1999)