Sigma Alpha Iota

P A N P I P E S Spring 2021 15 15 F ollowing a distinguished 33-year teaching career, Paula Crider continues to share her passion for making music as guest conductor, lecturer, clinician and adjudicator in the U.S. and abroad. She is Professor Emerita at e University of Texas, where she was twice awarded the "Eyes of Texas" Award for distinguished teaching. Crider has taught in the public schools at all levels, and holds the unique distinction of having been the first female in Texas to serve as director of bands at a class 5-A high school. She serves as coordinator for the National Band Association Young Conductor/Mentor Program, is Educational Consultant for Conn-Selmer, and was recently appointed to the Midwest Clinic Board. She is a Past President of the National Band Association and American Bandmasters Association. Crider has written numerous articles for e Instrumentalist, e Band Director's Guide, the National Band Association Journal, and has published manuals for Brass Techniques, Marching Band Methods and Instrumental Conducting. She is a co-author for the Hal Leonard "Masterwork Studies" series, and author of e Composer's Legacy, Conductors on Conducting for Wind Band published by GIA. Awards and honors include the Tau Beta Sigma/Kappa Kappa Psi "Outstanding Service to Music Award," Sudler "Legion of Merit," Women Band Director's International Rose, Grainger Society Medal, Kappa Kappa Psi Bo Makvosky Memorial Award, National Band Association AWAPA Award, 2004 Texas Bandmaster of the Year, Phi Beta Mu Hall of Fame, and Midwest Medal of Honor. In 2013, she was honored with a Doctor of Music Education Honoris Causa from the Vandercook School of Music. She was inducted into both the Women Band Directors International and the National Band Association Hall of Fame, and in 2015 was elected to the Phi Beta Mu International Hall of Fame. She considers her greatest honor to be the privilege of working with all who share a passion for excellence in making music. the point that although we should spend time observing ourselves as we conduct, we should also become great musicians before becoming great conductors. Crider gave me insight on how to improve the band's environment. She emphasized the importance of getting students to be intrinsically motivated; to want to learn rather than have to learn. She mentioned how she started a Big Brother/Sister program in her high school to help the older students acclimate the freshman. e long term goal is to make every student feel special. e takeaway was that it takes a great leader and pedagogical knowledge to be an impactful band director in a school setting. Paula Crider's achievements inspire me to break the glass ceiling of band directing, and bring female band directors into the spotlight. My hope is that this experience will inspire more female band directors to complete their studies and bring female ideas to the field. As Paula said while quoting the author William Arthur Ward, "Adversity causes some people to break; others to break records." Submitted by Kimberly Fonseca, a member of the Long Beach Alumnae Chapter, who attended American Band College for a Master's in Music Education with partial support from an SAI Professional Development/ Education Grant presented by SAI Philanthropies, Inc. Paula Crider CONDUCTING The 2020-2021 American Band College program runs from June 19 - July 5, 2021 in Seattle, WA. Masters students from all over the United States will study and perform under the direction of Julie Giroux, Col. Lowell Graham, Dr. Cynthia Johnston Turner, Ray Cramer and more. To learn more, visit: bandworld.org/ABC

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