Skip Sub Menu
Educator Resources
Drake University Community School of Music
Information on Hearing Protection for Faculty & Staff
Fall Events
September 10, 2023
Drake hosts woodwind, brass, percussion, and string players for Instrumental All-State audition preparation. Music department faculty will assist students in performing scales, prepared music, and solos for the audition. Students should be prepared to perform the material to enhance the coaching of tone, technique, and musicality. This event is free for all high school students who attend.
Pre-registration will be required for this event. Pre-register now!
For more information, contact Leslie Marrs.
Saturday, October 29, 2022
An intensive all-day clinic for high school horn students!
Horn students will dig into becoming a better player with exercises and technique tips and horn ensemble rehearsals culminating in the Bulldog Horn Concert in the Turner Jazz Center. Drake University Teaching Artist in Horn, Guinevere Wallace will lead the clinic.
Bulldog Horn Day is free and open to high school students. The Final Concert is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Guinevere Wallace at guinevere.wallace@drake.edu.
Drake University Honor Band Festival
December 1-2, 2023
The Drake University Honor Band Festival provides outstanding high school musicians with the opportunity to work with our nation's finest conductors in select band settings. During the two-day festival, students and directors develop their skills through rehearsals and clinics with guest conductors and members of the Drake Department of Music faculty. The culminating events are the two evening concerts that feature the Drake Bands and the Honor Bands presenting a wide variety of the finest music for wind band. The Honors Concert Band and Honors Wind Ensemble are comprised of over two hundred students from throughout Iowa and Nebraska. These students are among the finest in the nation.
For more information, contact Drake University Bands or call 515-271-3164.
Winter Events
Drake University Honor Orchestra Festival
January 26-27, 2024
The Drake University Honor Orchestra Festival is an opportunity for all high school string orchestra students to perform advanced ensemble literature with a guest conductor. The festival includes sectionals lead by Department of Music faculty and closes with a concert.
For more information, please contact Dr. Héctor Agüero at hector.aguero@drake.edu.
Spring Events
Drake University Honor Jazz Band Festival
February 6, 2024
The Drake University Honor Jazz Band festival is an annual opportunity for the most talented students from high schools around the region to play together and work with the respected jazz musicians on the Drake University faculty.
Adventureland Festival of Bands
April 26-27, 2024
From its inception by festival founder, Drake University Director of Bands, Emeritus, Don Marcouiller in 1980, the Adventureland–Drake Relays Festival of Bands provided school bands of all levels the opportunity to perform for, and be critiqued by America’s most outstanding band conductors and composers. Don’s contributions to the continued growth and development of the festival, his tireless dedication to the field of instrumental music education and his unwavering commitment to the band medium are embodied in this festival.
Robert Meunier, Director of Bands at Drake University, now coordinates the high school festival under a new title, Adventureland Festival of Bands. Inquiries about the high school portion of the festival should be directed via email to Robert Meunier (robert.meunier@drake.edu) or call 515-271-3963.
Fine Arts News
November 1, 2023
November 15, 2022
Fine Arts Calendar 
