George N. Parks Drum Major Academy
Encyclopedia
The George N. Parks Drum Major Academy is a nationwide summer academy for high school drum major
s and majorettes. It was founded in 1978 by George N. Parks
.
Held at various locations around the United States, by 2010 the academy drew up to 3,000 students each year.
.
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As the academy grew, Parks was not able to attend all of the locations each summer. He always attended the sessions at the Academy's home base at the University of Massachusetts. Parks died unexpectedly on September 16, 2010. Parks' wife Jeanne issued a statement implying that the Drum Major Academy would continue after her husband's death.
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...
s and majorettes. It was founded in 1978 by George N. Parks
George N. Parks
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 majoring, he led the George N...
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Held at various locations around the United States, by 2010 the academy drew up to 3,000 students each year.
Background
George Parks, a standout drum major in high school, began teaching drum majoring when he attended a drum major workshop at West Chester University in 1971. He served for the next two years as a volunteer assistant to Dennis Rhoades in this program. In 1973, after becoming a student at West Chester, Parks was officially hired as a staff member in the program and two years later he was promoted to head clinician.History
In 1977, Parks was hired to direct the marching band at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In 1978, he formed the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy, based at nearby Hampshire CollegeHampshire College
Hampshire College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1965 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts...
.
Curriculum
Although non-drum majors are allowed to attend and work on non-conducting skills, the focus of the academy is to allow for the teaching of the following skills to students: Conducting instruction/evaluation, teaching techniques, and leadership and communication techniques. Reading of George's book, The Dynamic Drum Major is also required for all participants in the drum major section. Non drum major students such as color guard, section leaders, and percussion students also have classes suited just for them. Percussion students may attend the Thomas P. Hannum Mobile Percussion Seminar, which is taught by Thomas HannumThomas Hannum
Thomas P. Hannum is the associate director of the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band. He was named interim director after the sudden death of bandleader George N...
.
Current academy
By the summer of 2010 the academy was taught at these locations:- University of LouisianaUniversity of LouisianaUniversity of Louisiana may refer to:* University of Louisiana System, public multi-campus university system** Northwestern State University of Louisiana...
- Arizona State UniversityArizona State UniversityArizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
- University of AlabamaUniversity of AlabamaThe University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
- Eastern Kentucky UniversityEastern Kentucky UniversityEastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
- Stetson UniversityStetson UniversityStetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand, Florida, USA. In the 2012 U.S...
- University of ArkansasUniversity of ArkansasThe University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
- Music For All/Bands of America Summer Symposium
- Texas Woman's UniversityTexas Woman's UniversityTexas Woman's University is a co-educational university in Denton, Texas, United States with two health science center branches in Dallas, Texas and Houston, Texas...
- Liberty Christian Academy
- Kutztown University
- University of North CarolinaUniversity of North CarolinaChartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
- Ohio Wesleyan UniversityOhio Wesleyan UniversityOhio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
- University of California Riverside
- University of Northern ColoradoUniversity of Northern Colorado-Organization:The University of Northern Colorado offers 100 undergraduate programs and more than 100 graduate programs. The university has a satellite campus in Denver, Colorado...
- West Chester University (Parks' alma mater)
- Weber State UniversityWeber State UniversityWeber State University is a public university located in the city of Ogden in Weber County, Utah, USA. It was founded in 1889 and is a coeducational, publicly supported university offering professional, liberal arts and technical certificates, as well as associate, bachelor's and master's degrees...
- Liberty Christian Academy
- Illinois State UniversityIllinois State UniversityIllinois State University , founded in 1857, is the oldest public university in Illinois; it is located in the town of Normal. ISU is considered a "national university" that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; it is also recognized as one of the top ten largest...
- University of Massachusetts AmherstUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstThe 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...
(home campus).
As the academy grew, Parks was not able to attend all of the locations each summer. He always attended the sessions at the Academy's home base at the University of Massachusetts. Parks died unexpectedly on September 16, 2010. Parks' wife Jeanne issued a statement implying that the Drum Major Academy would continue after her husband's death.