The Earl D. Irons Program of Distinction award is designed to recognize band programs that exhibit and exemplify the founders’ ideals of honoring superior achievement, moral uprightness, and promote the international development of bands, in order to challenge other groups to strive to attain these same levels of achievement.
2024 recipient of Earl D. Irons Program of Distinction
Congratulations to Lafayette High School, Kentucky and Director Robert Dee Bishop.
Robert Dee Bishop, Director of Bands at Lafayette High School
Purpose
The purpose of the Earl D. Irons Program of Distinction award is to recognize those bands that exhibit and exemplify the founders’ ideals of honoring superior achievement, moral uprightness, and promoting the international development of bands, in order to challenge other groups to strive to attain these same levels of achievement.
Frequenty Asked Questions
Nominating Process
The Phi Beta Mu Earl D. Irons Program of Distinction is open to all high school band programs. Director must have been at that program for at least the previous five years. Any Phi Beta Mu member may nominate one program. Nomination of program is made without knowledge of director, similar to how an individual member is nominated for membership to a state/province chapter. (Exception: Member may not nominate their own program, or program in their feeder system). Director of the nominated school will be notified of the nomination by Phi Beta Mu International. Director of the nominated school is responsible for providing all supporting documentation needed in the selection process. Some video will be required for a representative sampling of the band. Submission deadline will be determined by electronic timestamp or postmark and will be strictly enforced. Please direct any questions about the nomination process to George Hattendorf.
Nomination Timeline
Academic Year – April 30: Bands may be nominated at any time up to April 30 of the current academic year. Bands are under no obligation to act upon the nomination.
You must be logged in to access the nomination form.
By May 1 (at the latest): Director of program will be notified of the nomination. Director of nominated band program will be sent an application form, along with a letter of congratulations and information on how to proceed.
Application Process
By July 1: Application form MUST be uploaded to Google Drive by July 1 of the current year.
Please note: All nominated bands will be sent a link to upload to the PBM Google Drive account.
Application Timeline
July 1 of the year following the academic year of nomination: Strict deadline for submitting all application materials to the Phi Beta Mu International website. If bands submit all material during their year of nomination by July 1 (early), they will be considered for the award that year.
- Application form with completed signatures
- Three examples of concert band in MP3 format and video compilation in MP4 or FLV (Flash) format
- All other documentation in PDF format
Required MP3 Files
In addition to the application, three MP3s from performances within four years of the date of application will be uploaded to Google Drive by July 1 and will consist of:
- one traditional march (Sousa, King, Fillmore, etc.)
- one work from the “core”* repertoire of band music
- one other significant work written for concert band/wind ensemble
Please note: All nominated bands will be sent a link to upload to the PBM Google Drive account.
*Following is only a small sample of pieces representative of the core repertoire. Any comparable piece is acceptable:
| Bennett – Suite of Old American Dances | Nelson – Rocky Point Holiday |
| Chance – Variations on a Korean Folk Song | Persichetti – Symphony for Band |
| Giannini – Symphony No. 3 | Reed, Alfred – Armenian Dances, Set 1 |
| Gould – Symphony No. 4 | Reed, H. Owen – La Fiesta Mexicana |
| Grainger – Lincolnshire Posy | Schumann – George Washington Bridge |
| Hanson – Chorale and Allelulia | Tull – Sketches on a Tudor Psalm |
| Hindemith – Symphony in Bb | Vaughn Williams – English Folk Song Suite |
| Holst – First Suite in Eb | Williams – Fanfare and Allegro |
| Holst – Second Suite in F | Wood – Mannin Veen |
| Milhaud – Suite Francais |
Note: One of Phi Beta Mu’s charges is the promotion of band music. Whereas there are many wonderful transcriptions that are appropriate for performance, the three MP3 examples must reflect the band repertoire.
Required Video – Submitted in MP4 or FLV (Flash) Format
A video compilation not to exceed 10 minutes in length will provide an excellent perspective of all facets of the band program. It is suggested that the video include representative footage from the concert setting, marching band, jazz ensemble and chamber groups, and no one excerpt should contain more than four minutes of continuous footage. Video must be submitted to Google Drive by July 1.
Additional required documentation from concert programs, adjudication sheets, concert personnel lists with names highlighted
Please submit to Google Drive [in PDF format] the following information:
Please note: All nominated bands will be sent a link to upload to the PBM Google Drive account.
Performance
- List all repertoire performed the previous three years by Marching Band, Top Jazz Band, Top Concert Band.
- List a one-page sampling of chamber group repertoire from the previous two years.
Awards and Honors
- Submit copies of all adjudication sheets from the previous two years for the top concert band from the Regional or State level of competition.
- Submit copies of sheets for up to two other state or national level adjudicated concert events from the previous three years.
- Submit copies of all adjudication sheets from the previous two years for the marching band from the Regional or State level of competition.
- Submit up to two other state or national level adjudicated marching events from the previous three years.
- Submit copies of adjudication sheets from two performances by the jazz ensemble from the previous two years.
- Submit any Distinguished Performances from state or national conventions such as The Midwest Clinic, NBA, WIBC, BOA, etc. for concert band, marching band or jazz ensembles.
- Any special activities unique to your program may be documented here as well.
- List all students/instrument/year recognized through audition for Regional and All-State accomplishments for the previous three years (minimum, you may submit more).
- Document Solo/Ensemble participation in district or state contests by listing student names and events with ratings for the previous two years.
Community – Outreach, Culture and Developing Interest in Bands
- Submit press releases or documents from the previous five years that demonstrates community outreach and involvement.
- List guest artists or conductors who have appeared with your program the previous five years.
- List any commissions you have initiated or participated in.
- List collaborative performances with college/universities or community bands, with documentation.
Leadership
- List specific ways you have enhanced instruction these past five years through the use of master classes, guest clinicians and/or private instructors.
- List any innovative strategies you have employed. Supply documentation if available.
- List presentations you have given at in-service clinics or conferences.
- List regional or state offices held, publications, compositions.
Legacy
- List at least five students, year graduated and current position who have become music educators and have come out of the band program (not restricted to the tenure of the current director).
- List at least five students, year graduated and current position who have become professional or military musicians and have come out of the band program (not restricted to the tenure of the current director).
- List at least five students, year graduated and band of students who are playing in community bands, community jazz bands, or church orchestras and have come out of the band program (not restricted to the tenure of the current director).
All additional documentation must be submitted by July 1 to to George Hattendorf.
In order for your application to be processed, all items requested must be included. Your application will be disqualified for consideration if you are missing any required item and fail to provide adequate explanation.
Evaluation Process/Timeline
June 2 – June 30: Each chapter is charged with selecting one person from their active membership whose judging experience enables an awareness of the standard to be met for this international award. How that person is selected will be determined by each individual chapter. The size of the evaluation panel will vary from year to year, depending upon the number of chapters that choose to participate.
July 1 – July 31: (First Round) Evaluators will have access to mp3 files via Google Drive. Files will be labeled Band A, Band B, etc., to keep bands anonymous. If a majority of the evaluators feel a band’s concert performance meets the highest level of achievement worthy of the award, that band will move on to the final round of evaluation. In the event of a tie, chair of the Earl D. Irons Program of Distinction committee will cast the deciding vote.
August 1 – August 31: (Final Round) Evaluators will have access to the video compilation and supporting documentation via Google Drive for those groups qualifying for the final round. Bands will now be identified, since anonymity will now be impossible to maintain. Judges will evaluate all remaining documentation and based on this material, will compile a list of bands they feel are deserving of the award. If a majority of panel members feel the band is deserving, that organization will be honored as an Earl D. Irons Program of Distinction. In the event of a tie, chair of the Earl D. Irons Program of Distinction committee will cast the deciding vote.
There will be no specified number of programs honored for any given year.
Winners will be notified by September 1, (earlier if possible), with presentation made during Midwest of that same year. If the winning director is unable to attend Midwest, the presentation will occur in the spring by a member of the local chapter of Phi Beta Mu.
Please direct any questions to George Hattendorf
Congratulations to the previous recipients of the Earl D. Irons Program of Distinction Award
2022
- Vandegrift High School: Austin, TX – Mike Howard, Director
2021
No Award
2020
No Award
2019
-
Waxahachie High School: Waxahachie, TX – Richard Armstrong, Director
2018
- No Award
2017
- Plano East Senior High School: Plano, TX | Evelio Villarreal, Director
2016
- Penn High School: Mishawaka, IN | Glenn Northern, Director
-
Westlake High School: Austin, TX | Kerry Taylor, Director
