Episode 123 - Wendy Higdon

Wendy Higdon is the award winning Director of Bands at Creekside Middle School in Carmel, Indiana. Under her baton the Wind Symphony at Creekside has performed at numerous venues, including the Midwest Clinic. Wendy is also the creator and owner of the music education website “On and Off the Podium."

Topics:

• Wendy’s background as a musician and her influences as a teacher.
• Some of the structures and procedures that Wendy uses in her classroom to achieve success and the importance of being yourself.
• Tips for recruitment and retention and a conversation about assessment and using “Band Karate.”
• The organization of the Creekside Middle School band program.

Links:

• Wendy Higdon
• On and Off the Podium
• Musical Mastery
• Essential Musicianship for Band
• Grainger: Irish Tune

Biography:

Wendy Higdon is the Director of Bands and Performing Arts Department Chair at Creekside Middle School in Carmel, Indiana.  Under her direction, the Creekside Wind Symphony was honored to perform at The Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in 2013.  The Creekside Wind Symphony has also been a featured performing ensemble at the Indiana Music Education Association Conference as well as serving as a rehearsal clinic band at the Midwest Clinic and at the Indiana Music Education Association Conference. 

 

Ms. Higdon has served as an adjudicator, clinician, guest conductor and guest speaker around the country.  In 2013, she received the “Fifty Directors Who Make a Difference” Award from School Band and Orchestra Magazine.  Her articles have appeared in The Instrumentalist magazine, as well as being published by NAfME, D'Addario Education Collective, Music for All, and SmartMusic, among others.  She regularly speaks about important topics in music education at state and regional conferences, and has recently presented sessions at several national conferences including The Midwest Clinic, the National Association of School Music Dealers Conference, and the Australian National Band and Orchestra, where she was a keynote presenter.

Ms. Higdon earned her degree in music education from Ball State University Honors College, graduating summa cum laude.  She also holds two Masters degrees from Butler University, one in clarinet performance and the second in education administration. She is a member of Phi Beta Mu International, Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, the National Association for Music Education, the Indiana Music Education Association and the Indiana Bandmasters Association.