The 2010 Kappa Kappa Psi/ Tau Beta Sigma District Leadership Conference will begin on July 23-25 in Memphis, TN. This is a three day intense leadership training activity for district presidents and governors. Adam Cantley, National Vice President for Colonization and Membership will facilitate these meetings.

The Kappa Kappa Psi National Council is having its quarterly business meetings July 21-23.

Congratulations to National Headquarters Accountant and Office Manager Di Spiva who celebrates 10 years of service to Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma. Send well wishes to Di at hqna@kkytbs.org

Brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi

With the MWD Convention wrapping up yesterday, the 2010 Convention season has ended. Thank you all for attending your district conventions this year. We encourage you to fill out your district convention specific survey at your earliest convenience so we all can continue to improve program every year. If I did not get a chance to meet you directly, I hope we get a chance next year.

AEA,

Derrick Mills
Kappa Kappa Psi
National President

The National Councils of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma have adopted an addendum to the Hazing/Risk Management Policy dealing with the subject of branding/scarification.

June 1 marks the deadline for the DSMM, J. Lee Burke Student Achievement Award, and the AEA scholarship.  Other awards do not have an official deadline, but are recommended to be submitted prior to the National Council meeting in late January.  Those awards are the A. Frank Martin Award, the Bohumil Makovsky  Award, the Chapter Leadership Award, and the Silver Baton.  Also, some academic awards are due at the end of terms.  Go to the National Programs heading and click on “Fraternity Awards” for more details and application procedures!

Brothers,

I’m excited to present the first video of “VPSA LIVE!” This first segment is titled “Having the time of your life at District Convention,” and focuses on the upcoming district conventions. Take the time to watch this brief video and start planning now to get the most out of your district convention!!

You can find the video on the newly created Kappa Kappa Psi Youtube Channel at:

www.youtube.com/kkpsihq

AEA,
Jack Lee

—
Jack Lee
National Vice President for Student Affairs
Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity
www.kkpsi.org

Brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi:

We are sad to report the death on November 14, 2009 of Kappa Kappa Psi Past National President Richard (Dick) William Rodean of Denton, Texas.

Dr. Rodean served as National President from 1979-1981 at the 31st Biennial Convention held on the University of Cincinnati campus. Mary Jeanne van Appledorn’s LUX: Legend of Sankta Lucia received its premiere performance by the National Intercollegiate Band.

After completing his public school education in the Chisholm schools, Rodean was accepted into the Eastman School of Music where he earned the Bachelor of Music degree in 1963 and the Master of Music in 1964. He received his Ph.D. in the Division of Fine Arts at Texas Tech University in 1980.

Rodean began his teaching career as a high school band director in Brighton, New York. He then served as assistant band director at the University of Buffalo for two years before accepting the position of band director at the University of Tampa, where he subsequently became the Chair of the Music Department and Chair of the Fine Arts Department. During that time, he was also principal bassoonist with the Tampa Philharmonic and the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra. Rodean served as National President of Kappa Kappa Psi from 1979-1981. In 1981, he joined Texas Woman’s University as Chair of Music, Dance and Drama. Throughout his tenure, he continued his love for musical performance as a member of the Zephyr Winds chamber ensemble and with the Wichita Falls Symphony. He held the positions of Associate Dean and Interim Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences before retiring in 2005.

If you would like to send a note of condolence the address is : Rodean Family, 2212 Burning Tree Lane, Denton TX 76209-1411.

Please join me in congratulating the Mu Omicron chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi at George Mason University. This chapter was installed on December 5th on the GMU campus. It was my privilege to serve as the installing officer for this event.

Despite the rough weather, these new members were welcomed into Kappa Kappa Psi by Alumni and active brothers from Alpha, Omicron, Beta Delta, Beta Chi, Gamma Xi, Eta Omicron and Iota Delta. Also in attendance were Past National Vice President for Programs Deb Eakins and Current NED Vice President Natasha Catino. Special thanks to the NED Alumni Association for presenting the chapter their new KKPsi flag.

A special thank you goes to the Omicron Chapter at West Virginia University for serving as the advising chapter and to Joe Panzer from the Alpha Chapter for serving as the advising person.

Please feel free to send notes of congratulations to chapter president Bailey Awkard baileydawkard@gmail.com.

Mu Omicron, Chapter #303, is the second installation of this biennium. Kappa Kappa Psi currently has 18 colonies across the country. If we continue to show our relevance to college band world through living our values and furthering the mission of Kappa Kappa Psi, then we can expect to see this continued growth in our fraternity.

Adam D. Cantley
National Vice President for Colonization & Membership

Please check out the following article about Distinguished Service To Music Medal Award winner Jack Anderson and the Pitt Band.

http://www.pittnews.com/article/2009/12/09/anderson-conducts-dances-his-way-success-pitts-band

It’s 20 minutes before kickoff. In the locker room, Pitt football players are psyching themselves up for the game.

But on the field, the Pitt varsity marching band is performing its pregame show to pump up the crowd – and Jack R. Anderson is dancing.

“Jack loves when the band plays ‘Dude Short,’ which is the ending to one of our songs,” piccolo squad leader Emily Mallit said. “It’s really peppy, just quick little sound bites. Whenever we play it, he starts jumping up and down.”
Whether dancing or conducting, Anderson knows how to keep Pitt’s band running smoothly in his 15th year as director of the program.

“The chords are so big and the drum parts are written so well that it gets your blood boiling a little bit and just makes me dance,” Anderson said of the piece.

Anderson knows how to pump up fans at games with “Hail to Pitt”, but he can also motivate his band members at practice.
“He’s been able to take the very complex and military – like setting of a college marching band and make it very enjoyable for everyone involved,” senior drum major Tyler McGaughey said.
Anderson tries to make practice fun. With practice four days a week, if band wasn’t enjoyable, he said, nobody would stick around.
“It has to be fun,” Anderson said. “Because if it’s not fun, and they don’t enjoy doing it, and they don’t use it as their outlet, they’re going to find something else to do. We just have a good time together.”

“Band is a lot of work, but it’s fulfilling and gratifying,” Mallit said. “Jack isn’t in-your-face intense. He’s a silent intense. He doesn’t have to yell at you or get up in your face. You want to perform your best to meet his expectations.”

According to Mallit, Anderson is a grandfather figure, almost family.

The rapport between teacher and student runs deep in band, so much that Anderson invites members over every year for Thanksgiving dinner. Because Pitt usually plays a game around Thanksgiving, some members of the squad can’t return home to see family over break.

Anderson said that 10 people showed up for dessert this year.
“Thanksgiving happened to be my birthday this year, so they brought candles and cake and sang ‘Happy Birthday,'” Anderson said. “I don’t want them sitting alone [on Thanksgiving]. My house is always open.”
Anderson knows firsthand the work band members must put in, because he played in the varsity marching band in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

He recalled the band outperforming the football team in his college years.

“We got killed in football in Miami in 1968,” he said. “But the Pitt band got a standing ovation that night in the Orange Bowl. Pitt wasn’t very good at that time – we saw a lot of 1-9 seasons – but the band got a lot of recognition because it was very good.”

The Anderson family has strong ties to Pitt. Both of Jack’s daughters attended the University and marched, his sister played in the concert band and his father was the program’s assistant director.
“I grew up on the sidelines from 1950 on,” he said. “So I’m approaching 60 years basically with the band.”

In turn, the University has been kind to him. Anderson met his wife as an undergraduate.
Currently, Anderson has a lot on his plate. As director of bands, he heads the varsity marching band, pep band and symphonic band and logs hundreds of miles traveling to away games. He is the only full-time employee of the department.

Anderson thanked alumni volunteers and associate director Dr. Mel Orange.

“The people that come in to fit uniforms, the people who come in at night to set up ladders and yard markers for practice … They’re all volunteers,” Anderson said.

Anderson also guest conducts for the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, an organization that adjudicates middle and high school bands. Because Pitt doesn’t have a school of music, Anderson has a tougher job recruiting members.

“[The PMEA] is a recruiting process for us” Anderson said. “I get out into the schools and meet the honors band students, the best students in the area. Hopefully they meet me and say, ‘Well maybe I’d like to go to Pitt.'”

McGaughey remembers Anderson recruiting him.
“I was a drum major for two years in high school, loved my band and never thought that it could get any better,” he said. “I definitely did not want to join a college band. When I was visiting the engineering school here, Jack got in touch with me and asked me to come and talk to him about joining the band. I decided I would go just to humor him. In less than an hour he talked me into joining.”

In part because of his bond with his pupils, Anderson has won several awards in the past few years. Kappa Kappa Psi, a national college band fraternity, awarded him the Distinguished Service To Music Medal for marching band in 2007, and other groups have awarded him similar honors. Pitt’s Greek Life named him Professor of the Year in 2006 and 2007.
But Anderson believes the awards belong to the entire Pitt Band.
“It’s a shared recognition … My job is easy because 100 percent of my students want to perform,” he said. “I just kind of steer the ship and make sure we stay on course.”

And though he turned 62 last month, Anderson has no plans to retire.

“I have no plans on giving this up right now,” Anderson said. “But it depends on how I hold up.”

McGaughey, who graduates this spring, hopes future Pitt band members have the chance to work with Anderson.
“Jack really is the heart and soul of our band,” McGaughey said. “Whenever he leaves, it will never be the same.”