George Hattendorf

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George Hattendorf

George Hattendorf currently serves as an Adjunct Music Faculty member at Glendale Community College and Music Education Faculty at Ottawa University. He retired after 44 years as a music educator and most recently as the Director of Bands/Orchestra and Fine Arts Department Leader at Mountain Ridge High School (2005-2017) in Glendale, Arizona where he served for 12 years. Prior to his appointment at this Deer Valley School, he was the band director and department leader at Barry Goldwater High School (2002-2005) for three years and prior to his move to Arizona he was the Director of Bands and Orchestra at Chesterton High School in Chesterton, Indiana for 20 years. In addition to public school positions in Illinois, Stevenson High School (1987-1989), and Georgia, where he opened Lassiter High School in 1982, Mr. Hattendorf was the Associate Director of Bands at New Mexico State University (1985-1987) where he was the director of the “Pride” Marching Band in addition to concert and other athletic bands and the percussion studio. He also served as Associate Professor of Music at VanderCook College of Music (1982-1985) in Chicago where he was in charge of concert and jazz bands and the percussion studio.

Ensembles under his direction amassed an enviable record of excellence in the areas of concert, marching and jazz including numerous state, regional and national recognitions. The Mountain Ridge Bands received consistent Superior and Superior with Distinction honors in concert, jazz and marching activities. The Mountain Ridge “Pride of the West” Marching Band appeared as a 2007 Rose Bowl Parade participant, and in 2008 was the Arizona representative to the Fiesta Bowl National Band Championship and Parade. In 2009 the band was the only Arizona representative to the 56th Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C. honoring President Barack Obama. In 2011 the band represented Arizona and the USS Arizona in the Waikiki Holiday Parade and events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 2014 the Woodwind Choir and Saxophone Orchestra represented Arizona at the prestigious Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. In 2015 the program was commissioned by the NFL to perform at the 2015 Pro-Bowl, the 2015 NFL Experience and  Super Bowl XLIX, and in 2016 the band once again represented Arizona and the USS Arizona in the Waikiki Holiday Parade and events commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The bands also presented eight clinic performances at the Arizona Music Educators Association State Convention including the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, Jazz Band, Clarinet Choir, Saxophone Choir and Woodwind Ensemble. Additionally, the Mountain Ridge Winter Guard was recognized as State Champion six times.

The Chesterton High School bands were also recognized in the areas of concert, marching and jazz. The Trojan Guard Marching Band was a four-time Indiana state champion 1978-1981, as well as Bands of America Regional and Grand National finalist and the 1981 Indiana representative to the Presidential Inaugural Parade for President Ronald Reagan. Additionally, the Chesterton Winter Guard was a four-time Indiana High School Color Guard Association state champion. The bands performed at state music conferences as well as the Outback Bowl Parade/Concert/Field/Jazz champions twice. The New Mexico State Pride Band performed at  the Oakland Raiders game and was the collegiate inaugural band at the Lord Mayor of London New Year’s Day Parade in 1986.

Mr. Hattendorf graduated from Indiana University with degrees in Music Performance/Music Education (1973), and from VanderCook College of Music (1980) with a Master of Music Education. Mr. Hattendorf was recognized for excellence in teaching on numerous occasions by the Duneland School Corporation and was chosen as an Outstanding Music Educator in the Chicagoland area (1993). Mr. Hattendorf was recognized as a Deer Valley Unified School District “Teacher of the Year” for 2008. The Mountain Ridge Band program received the prestigious Best of the West award from the WESTMARC group in 2009 and also was a finalist for the Governor’s Arts Awards in the arts education category in 2010. The National Federation of State High School Music Associations (NFHS) recognized Mr. Hattendorf as the Outstanding Music Educator in Arizona for 2011-12 and in 2012 Mr. Hattendorf was recognized by School Band and Orchestra magazine as one of 50 “Directors Who Make a Difference.” In 2013 Mr. Hattendorf was inducted into the Legion of Honor by the Sousa Foundation. In 2014 the Mountain Ridge Band Program was featured in the October edition of School Band and Orchestra magazine (SBO) prior to their Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic performance. The National Federation of State High School Music Associations (NFHS) recognized Mr. Hattendorf as the Outstanding Music Educator in Zone 7 (SW United States) for 2015-2016 and he was honored by the Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA) as the 2016 “Music Educator of the Year.” Most recently Mr. Hattendorf was recognized by Music and Arts as the “People’s Choice” 2016 National Music Educator of the Year.

Mr. Hattendorf has also been actively involved in state and national level music associations serving in leadership positions. In 2013 he was appointed chairman of the Band Council for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and he recently completed his service to the Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association (ABODA), having served on that board for 12 years, including two terms as President. He also served as State Festival Coordinator and AMEA Band Chair for the North Central Region. Prior to his involvement with the ABODA, he served as the President of the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) and on numerous committees for ISSMA. In addition, he was a member of the Bands of America Contest Advisory Commission, serving on that committee as an adjudicator and participant. He was actively involved with the development of performance assessments for the ABODA, ISSMA and BOA. He continues to be very active as an adjudicator at the local and national level (BOA, WGI, WGAZ, Heritage Festivals, ABODA and numerous state marching and concert events). He currently serves as the President of the Kappa Zeta chapter of Phi Beta Mu.