The INpact Band
The First BANDtastic!™ Middle School Honor Band
OPPORTUNITY: The INpact Band was the very first BANDtastic!™ event created by Drum Corps International in 2012. This world class honor band performance experience for middle school students is designed to celebrate the commitment to excellence made by middle school music programs. Sue Kuehnhold, Senior Director of Ensemble Services, first approached Fran Kick to help create a Friday night leadership opening session with students and parents. He also emceed a series of performing artists. On Saturday afternoon, the students joined Fran with his Kick Start session in Lucas Oil Stadium.
In 2015, INpact director Katy Briel reached out to Fran Kick to design a pre-event training session with all the volunteer leaders plus bring an interactive leadership team building series of sessions for the middle school students to be led by the INpact Mentors during the weekend.
RESULTS: Every year, Fran Kick has worked with this program that inspires middle school students to consider remaining involved in music as they make important skills development decisions going into their high school years and beyond. Learning how self-motivation, personal leadership, and the power of persistently being committed to excellence—in band and in life—brings out an individual’s best and collectively makes everyone in any organization better.
Students who participate in the BANDtastic!™ Honor Band program enjoy the following:
- Experience a once-in-a-lifetime performance in front of thousands of spectators as a part of Drum Corps International Championships in Lucas Oil Stadium
- Take part in rehearsals and sectionals with professional artists and engaging educational clinicians
- Participate in a Kick It In® educational leadership session with industry renowned motivational speaker Fran Kick that is specifically designed to inspire and excite the minds of middle school students
- Take part in additional structured activities that promise to be packed full of engaging performances and speakers
- Tickets to the DCI Championship Finals and the opportunity to observe performances from the “best-of-the-best” marching music ensembles
- Exclusive BANDtastic!™ gear and “Swag” bags
UPDATE: In 2023, members of the INpact Band were selected from over 1,000 middle school students, all of whom were recommended by their own band directors. For those selected, events in Indianapolis began Friday, August 11, with an array of rehearsals, educational programs and activities with an experienced team of educators and volunteers. Participants had the opportunity to rehearse with Dr. John Noworyta, Director of Bands at the University of Indianapolis, and to learn valuable leadership skills from Fran Kick.
PRESENTED BY:
BANDtastic!™ is a program of Drum Corps International designed to celebrate the commitment to excellence made by middle school music programs all across the U.S.
“You are a rock star!”
Katy Briel, Band Director at Clark-Pleasant Middle School, Greenwood, IN