George N. Parks
Encyclopedia
George N. Parks was the director of the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band
the University of Massachusetts Amherst
from 1977 until his sudden death in 2010. Considered a national authority on drum major
ing, he led the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy
, a summer workshop program for high school drum majors.
and grew up in Newark, Delaware
graduating from Christiana High School
in 1971. He earned a bachelor's degree at West Chester University where he was the drum major in the West Chester University Golden Rams Marching Band. After college he earned a master's degree in tuba performance at Northwestern University
.
, in 1979 and 1980 and received numerous individual honors, including eight DCA Championship Drum Major Awards and induction into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame. In 1976 he working as a graduate assistant under John P. Paynter at Northwestern University was instrumental in bringing the first colorguard/flag corp to the Big Ten. His creative routines quickly impressed other bands in the Big Ten which in turn added their own color guards.
, a summer program to train high school drum majors. Each summer, over 3,000 students attend his Band Leadership Training Seminar and Drum Major Academy.
, Orange Bowl, Gator Bowl
, and the BCS National Championship Game
. In 2005 and 2009 he was the director of the Bands of America
Honor Band in the Tournament of Roses Parade
.
Hall of Fame, and the Buccaneers Hall of Fame. He received the Kappa Kappa Psi
National Honorary Band Fraternity Distinguished Service to Music Medal, in the field of marching band, in October 2008.
The George N. Parks Minuteman Marching Band Building at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, scheduled to officially open on Homecoming Weekend in November, 2011, was named in Parks' honor. The name was chosen a year before his death and announced in Parks' presence at the groundbreaking in October 2009.
. They had two children, Michael and Kathryn.
after a performance with the UMass Marching Band at Cuyahoga Falls High School
. He was traveling to Ann Arbor, Michigan
with the band
for a football game on September 18 between UMass and the University of Michigan
. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Jeanne, and his two children, Michael and Kathryn.
On Homecoming Day at UMass, on October 16, 2010, Parks was honored by current and former band members and staff. The annual alumni band made up of previous band members who have since graduated from UMass returned to participate in the event, which was the largest the university had ever seen, with approximately 1,300 participants.
University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band
The University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band is the marching band for the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The band currently has about 352 members and was directed by George N. Parks from 1977 until his sudden death in September 2010. Assistant Thomas Hannum was named interim...
the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
from 1977 until his sudden death in 2010. Considered a national authority on drum major
Drum Major
A drum major is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band, usually positioned at the head of the band or corps. The drum major, who is often dressed in more ornate clothing than the rest of the band or corps, is responsible for providing commands to the ensemble regarding...
ing, he led the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy
George N. Parks Drum Major Academy
The George N. Parks Drum Major Academy is a nationwide summer academy for high school drum majors and majorettes. It was founded in 1978 by George N...
, a summer workshop program for high school drum majors.
Early life and education
Parks was born in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
and grew up in Newark, Delaware
Newark, Delaware
Newark is an American city in New Castle County, Delaware, west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is the home of the University of Delaware.- History :...
graduating from Christiana High School
Christiana High School
Christiana High School is a public high school in Newark, Delaware. The school has been awarded Blue Ribbon School status.-History :Founded in 1963, Christiana High School is one of three high schools in the Christina School District . It is located on the outskirts of Newark, Delaware...
in 1971. He earned a bachelor's degree at West Chester University where he was the drum major in the West Chester University Golden Rams Marching Band. After college he earned a master's degree in tuba performance at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
.
Drum corps
Parks made his first appearance on the national scene as Drum Major of the award-winning Reading Buccaneers Senior Drum and Bugle Corps. helped lead the Buccaneers to two DCA ChampionshipsDCA Open Class World Champions
During Labor Day Weekend, Drum Corps Associates Open Class corps compete to earn the title of DCA Open Class World Champion. The championships consist of 2 rounds held on 2 consecutive nights . All corps compete at Prelims, with the top 10 Open Class and top 4 Class A corps competing at Finals...
, in 1979 and 1980 and received numerous individual honors, including eight DCA Championship Drum Major Awards and induction into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame. In 1976 he working as a graduate assistant under John P. Paynter at Northwestern University was instrumental in bringing the first colorguard/flag corp to the Big Ten. His creative routines quickly impressed other bands in the Big Ten which in turn added their own color guards.
University of Massachusetts
Parks became the director of the Minuteman Marching Band in 1977 at the age of 24 and remained there for 33 years until his death in 2010. Building upon a strong program that had been headed by John Jenkins since the early 1960s, Parks' approach to the marching band resulted in instant success with the football fans. He was a recipient of the University of Massachusetts Distinguished Teachers Award, the Chancellor's Medal for Distinguished Service. Parks was a professor in the Department of Music and was the recipient of the university's Distinguished Teacher Award and the Chancellor's Medal for Distinguished Service. The University's Alumni Association named him an honorary alumnus in 1997.George N. Parks Drum Major Academy
Parks founded the George N. Parks Drum Major AcademyGeorge N. Parks Drum Major Academy
The George N. Parks Drum Major Academy is a nationwide summer academy for high school drum majors and majorettes. It was founded in 1978 by George N...
, a summer program to train high school drum majors. Each summer, over 3,000 students attend his Band Leadership Training Seminar and Drum Major Academy.
Other work
In addition to his work at UMass Amherst and with his Drum Major Academy, Park worked regularly with Bowl Games of America (BGA), where he assisted in the production of massed band halftime shows. He conducted BGA halftime shows at the Sugar BowlSugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
, Orange Bowl, Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
, and the BCS National Championship Game
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
. In 2005 and 2009 he was the director of the Bands of America
Bands of America
Bands of America , a division of Music for All, Inc., is an organization that promotes and organizes marching band competitions for high school students. Competitions include both Regional and Super Regional Championships as well as the Grand National Championships...
Honor Band in the Tournament of Roses Parade
Tournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
.
Awards and honors
Parks was inducted into the Massachusetts Instrumental Conductor's Association Hall of Fame, the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, The Bands of AmericaBands of America
Bands of America , a division of Music for All, Inc., is an organization that promotes and organizes marching band competitions for high school students. Competitions include both Regional and Super Regional Championships as well as the Grand National Championships...
Hall of Fame, and the Buccaneers Hall of Fame. He received the Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
National Honorary Band Fraternity Distinguished Service to Music Medal, in the field of marching band, in October 2008.
The George N. Parks Minuteman Marching Band Building at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, scheduled to officially open on Homecoming Weekend in November, 2011, was named in Parks' honor. The name was chosen a year before his death and announced in Parks' presence at the groundbreaking in October 2009.
Personal life
Parks married his wife, Jeanne, in 1979 in Point Pleasant, New JerseyPoint Pleasant, New Jersey
Point Pleasant is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 18,392...
. They had two children, Michael and Kathryn.
Death and legacy
Parks died suddenly of a heart attack on the evening of September 16, 2010 in Cuyahoga Falls, OhioCuyahoga Falls, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,374 people, 21,655 households, and 13,317 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,932.9 people per square mile . There were 22,727 housing units at an average density of 889.7 per square mile...
after a performance with the UMass Marching Band at Cuyahoga Falls High School
Cuyahoga Falls High School
Cuyahoga Falls High School is a public high school in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, United States. It is the only high school in the Cuyahoga Falls City School District. It has a current enrollment of around 1,663 students in grades 9-12...
. He was traveling to Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
with the band
University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band
The University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band is the marching band for the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The band currently has about 352 members and was directed by George N. Parks from 1977 until his sudden death in September 2010. Assistant Thomas Hannum was named interim...
for a football game on September 18 between UMass and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Jeanne, and his two children, Michael and Kathryn.
On Homecoming Day at UMass, on October 16, 2010, Parks was honored by current and former band members and staff. The annual alumni band made up of previous band members who have since graduated from UMass returned to participate in the event, which was the largest the university had ever seen, with approximately 1,300 participants.