Music Projects/Programs

Solving Problems, Adding Value, Implementating Ideas

WATCH INTERVIEW ▸

“The research that you are sharing correlates with so many other research points that have been developed over the years. BRAVO!”

Mary Luehrsen, NAMM Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations

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“Thank you all for your commitment and contributions to service and the future of the profession!”

Chris Woodside NAfME Executive Director

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Tri-M® + NAfME Collegiate Back-to-School Event

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“After twenty years of sharing the stage with fantastic speakers who bring a substantive message to their audiences, I haven’t experienced anyone who can communicate with such power and passion as Fran Kick.”

Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser NAfME Tri-M Chair

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NAfME Collegiate Advocacy Summit Virtual Keynote

“The video is awesome and just what I needed right now.”

Susan Smith NAfME Collegiate Advisory Council Chair

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NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles

“I want you to know how much your contributions to this work matter!! THANK YOU for all you did to help make our 2022 National Conference such a huge success!”

Scott Sheehan NAfME President (2022-2024)

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Saskatchewan Music Educators

In 2021 (during the COVID-19 pandemic) Fran Kick created a three-part series of student leadership video presentations plus a parent advocacy video program for the Saskatchewan Music Educators Association. Resulting in 3X the number of band and choir classes expected to participate including 853 individual students plus 100 parents.

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NFHS Performing Arts Conference

Fran Kick created the first-ever virtual opening interactive keynote for the 2020 National Federation of State High School Associations Performing Arts Conference conducted online September 14-18, 2020.

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U.S. Army All-American Bowl

Fran Kick created an interactive presentation for all the community leaders and educators attending the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

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Macy’s Great American Marching Band

Fran Kick has worked with the Macy’s Great American Marching Band since 2009 helping to bring together high school musicians from across the U.S.

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Crown Leadership Camp & Clinic

Since 2015, Fran Kick has collaborated with Carolina Crown for their CrownLEARNING events, including a sold-out 2024 Drum Major & Leadership Camp and a One-Day Leadership Clinic on-tour with the Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps.

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UTSA Student Leadership Camp

In 2024, Fran Kick joined the University of Texas at San Antonio Marching Band Leadership Team to KICK IT IN during the 2024 Drum Major & Student Leadership Camp creating their largest-ever sold-out camp.

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Weekend + Week Leadership Camp

Fran Kick first began working with this organization in 1990 as a speaker and a clinician. In 1998-99 his efforts shifted to re-develop and re-design both the Leadership Weekend Experience as well as all the weeklong Summer Symposium leadership programming. He coordinated the curriculum, schedules, staff, budget, and marketing to reach and teach 26,201 students. For 25 years, he worked with 3 different CEOs and served the organization as a year-round Strategic Educational Advisor as well as a member of the Music for All Educational Advisory Team.

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{Virtual} Leadership Lessons

Fran Kick created a series of 12 lessons containing 26 separate eCourse learning videos for the Music for All {Virtual} Leadership Experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. This online program featured 14 leadership faculty members from current and past Leadership Weekend Experiences.

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micro-Learning Summer Sessions

Music for All contracted Fran Kick to produce and create this series of 13 micro-Learning Summer Sessions so marching band students and directors could Learn it, work it, share it! virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Join Our Groove TikTok Challenge

During COVID-19, Fran Kick helped produce a Music for All “Join Our Groove” TikTok viral challenge with faculty from the Summer Symposium.

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Administrator Performing Arts Summit

Fran Kick led an opening session and facilitated an interactive issue/idea-prioritizing activity with school board members, principals, administrators, fine arts supervisors, and music booster officers from across the county in 2011 at Avon High School and in 2012 at Carmel High School, Indianapolis, Indiana during the BOA Grand National Championships.

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Music for All National Festival

Fran Kick presented the opening keynote to over 3,000 music students, parents, and educators. He challenged the audience to bring home the ABCs of self-motivation to their own community. Fran also presented a parent program later that morning to all parents attending the National Festival as well as a student leadership workshop session later that evening.

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Mind the Gap

Mind the Gap, presented by Yamaha, is a video and podcast series for young and future music educators that started during the COVID-19 pandemic. Episode 3 featured Fran Kick and a panel of music educators including Cecilia Clark, Scott Edgar, Lori Schwartz Reichl, and Myra Rhoden on Developing Self-Motivation.

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FMEA Student Leadership Workshop

In 2012, Fran Kick created and presented the first FMEA Student Leadership Workshop at the Florida Music Education Association. Fran KICKed IT IN with FMEA returning in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2024 presenting to educators, future educators, and high school students.

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Texas Bandmasters Association

Since 2012, Fran Kick has presented both professional development sessions to teachers and student leadership sessions at the Texas Bandmasters Association Annual Convention/Clinic in San Antonio.

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Iowa All-State 75th Anniversary

Fran Kick helped celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Iowa All-State Music Festival in 2021. Serving as Young Artist Showcase Master of Ceremonies, Opening Keynote Speaker, and IMEA Clinician.

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Youth Brass Band of Battle Creek

In 2013, 2014, and 2015, Fran Kick presented the opening keynote plus a series of leadership team building interactive training sessions that were incorporated into the educational programming, master classes, and clinics with the Brass Band of Battle Creek Youth Brass Band Day.

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Indiana State Fair Band Day

Fran Kick served as the “on track” host and emcee for the Indiana State Fair Band Day Sweet 16 Finals in 2021 and 2022. This marching band competition serves as the summer season championship for the Central Indiana Track Show Association.

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Live-streaming Clinic on FloMarching

In 2017, Fran Kick co-hosted this first-of-its-kind interactive online Marching Arts Forum Clinic presented by FloMarching. The live-streaming weekend event also included a Q&A panel discussion facilitated by Fran Kick.

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Drum Major Leadership Academy

Since 2020, Fran Kick has served as a Strategic Educational Consultant to the Drum Major Leadership Academy advising and guiding program design, leadership curriculum, and marketing. From 2021 to 2022, DMLA experienced a 20% increase in the total number of participating students and a 32.5% increase in paying students.

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Music Travel Consultants Training

Fran Kick, created a series of interactive customer service training sessions facilitated in 2014 and 2015. Culminating with a sequence of Tour Director Training sessions for all contracted tour directors and full-time office staff.

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BANDtastic™ INpact Honor Band

The INpact Honor Band was the very first BANDtastic!™ event created by Drum Corps International in 2012. Fran Kick created a series of leadership team building sessions for middle school students and pre-trained all the volunteer mentor leaders prior to each event.

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Break Ranks! Podcast Episodes

Break Ranks! was a season-long podcast series for the marching band activity launched in 2005 with Bands of America. Created by Edward R. Murrow National Award-Winning News Broadcaster Dan Potter, Fran Kick wrote and recorded 6 short season-specific segments for use during this weekly podcast.

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DCI Board of Directors Strategic Plan

Fran Kick served on the DCI Board of Directors 2015-2020 and led the strategic planning process. This first-ever strategic planning initiative for DCI involved more than 1,300 individuals in 9 stakeholder categories. He guided the process with the CEO, plus the Board of Directors, to deliver a comprehensive 4-year strategic plan

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DCI Drum Major Leadership Summit

Fran Kick has worked with Gene Monterastelli and all the participating World and Open Class DCI Drum Majors every year since 2013. The Drum Corps International Drum Major Leadership Summit is held every January as part of the Drum Corps International Annual Meeting.

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Kick Start Your Season with DCI

Fran Kick created and delivered an 8-year summer series of pre-concert, stadium-sized, leadership, team-building events across the U.S. Presenting 48 programs in 15 different collegiate and NFL stadiums including: Lucas Oil Stadium, the Alamodome, the Georgia Dome, and Detroit’s Ford Field with 500 to 5,000 students attending each program.

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Future Music Educators’ Experience

Fran Kick produced and coordinated this award-winning biannual collaboration of 9 national arts associations bringing thousands of college students from more than 200 different campuses to Indianapolis every August and every November from 2009-2023.

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MusicExpresso® Online Publishing

Fran Kick founded and created MusicExpresso in 1996 and launched a fully functioning online e-commerce prototype in 1997—the first non-paper-oriented online educational music publishing and distribution company of its kind.

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Central States Judges Association

In December of 2000, the Executive Director for the Central States Judges Association contracted Fran Kick to present at their Annual Seminar on August 18th 2001. Fran did an opening keynote followed by a morning educational session: “Adjudication that’s visually, musically, & constructively beneficial!” Greg Bimm, band director at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois presented after lunch and Fran finished the day with a seminar wrap-up closing keynote.

Ohio Music Education Association

Fran Kick is a long-time friend and hired clinician with the Ohio Music Education Association since 1992 for All-State Conferences, Conventions, Workshops, All-State, All-Region, and District Honor Bands. In 1998, Fran presented a director/adjudicator session at the OMEA Annual Conference titled: “Adjudication that’s visually, musically, & constructively beneficial!” OMEA then contracted Fran that summer to present a series of 6 marching band continuing education adjudication sessions across the state June–July.

Servant Leadership Assoc. for Music

In January 2024, Fran Kick presented pro bono to a record-breaking virtual “Open House” with the Servant Leadership Association for Music. His live video presentation focused on communication, feedback, and developing better leadership with smarter followership. As a result, SLAM membership increased by over 8% in that single month alone.

Attitude Concepts for Today

Fran Kick created and presented a series of middle school student leadership workshops with “Dr. Tim” Lautzenheiser from 1992-1997. These developmentally appropriate middle school student leadership workshops were presented alongside selected high school student leadership workshops Tim presented across the U.S.

Music Related Client Events

American Guild of English Handbell Ringers Area II Summer Regional Conference 1995
Attitude Concepts for Today 1992-1997
Bands of America/Music for All 1990-2023
Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps 2016
Bluecoats THE BLUE WAY Summer Educational Experience 2018
Boise State Keith Stein Blue Thunder Marching Band 2000, 2001
Brass Band of Battle Creek Youth Brass Day 2013-2015
Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps 2001-2004, 2009
Calgary Round-Up Band 2024
Calgary Stampede Showband 2024
Calgary Stetson Show Band 2024
Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps 2015-2019, 2021-2024
Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps Organizational Retreat 2016
Central States Judges Association Summer Clinic 2001
Connecticut Music Educators Association Conference 2011
Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps 2004, 2016
Drum Corps International Summer Clinics 1999-2019
Drum Corps International Drum Major Leadership Summit 2013-2024
Educational Programs Band Leadership Training 1990-1993
Festivals of Music 1991-1993
Florida Music Education Association Clinic-Conference 2011-2013, 2015-2016, 2018, 2020
Fred J. Miller Summer Clinics 1991-1999
Genesis Drum & Bugle Corps 2021-2022
Georgia State University Summer Leadership Institute 2021
Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band 1991
Indiana Bandmasters Association All-State Band 2005
Indiana Music Educators Association 2010-2012, 2014
Indianapolis Children’s Choir Retreat 2012
Indiana State Fair Band Day 2021-2022
Iowa All-State Music Festival 2021
Iowa Music Educators Association 2021
Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association Conference 2004
Kent State Marching Golden Flashes 1993
Kentucky State Marching Band Championships 1996
Kiwanis Kavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps 1994
Kutztown University Marching Unit 2001
Lakeshore Marching Band Association 1997
Macy’s Great American Marching Band 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2022
Marching Arts Forum presented by FloMarching 2017
Midwest International Band & Orchestra Clinic 1994
Missouri Music Educators Association 2020
Music for All Chapters Summit 2005, 2006
NAfME National In-service Conference 2013, 2022
National Association of School Music Dealers Convention 2011
NFHS Performing Arts Conference 2020
Music Travel Consultants Tour Director Training 2014-2015
National Band Association Annual Convention 1994
Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Convention 2009
New Jersey Collegiate MENC Convention 2009
Ohio College Music Education Leadership Conference 1993
Ohio Music Educators Association All-State Ensembles 2010, 2011
Ohio Music Educators District III Professional Development, 2019
Ohio Music Educators Association Conference 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999
Ohio Music Education Association Music Support Group Mini-Conference 1992, 2006
Ohio Music Educators Association Marching Band Judges Summer Clinics 1998
Oklahoma Bandmasters Association Convention 2002, 2013, 2019
Ontario Drum Corps Association Annual Symposium 1992, 1994
Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Summer Leadership 2000
Pennsylvania Music Educators Association State Conference 2001
Retail Print Music Dealers Association Convention 2002
Saskatchewan Music Educators Association 2021
Servant Leadership Association for Music (SLAM) 2024
Showchoir Camps of America 1995
South Carolina Bandmasters Association Convention 2002
South Carolina Music Educators Association Convention 2002
Southeast Texas League of Middle Schools 5th Annual Teachers Conference 1994
Texas Bandmasters Association Convention 1993, 2012-2023
Texas Music Education Association Conference 1996
Tournament of Roses/Bands of America Honor Band 2013
Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps 2018
University of Arkansas Summer Music Camp 2005-2007, 2010
University of Dayton Marching Band 1998
University of Georgia Marching Band Camp 2012
University of Illinois Marching Illini 2016
University of Kansas Marching Jayhawks 1994-1996
University of Kansas Midwestern Music Camp 1998-2001
University of Kentucky Band Camp 1997-2005, 2007
University of Texas at San Antonio Drum Major & Student Leadership Camp 2024
Virginia Band & Orchestra Directors Association All-State 2008, 2013
Western Band Association 2004
Western Carolina University Summer Symposium 2004
Westman Band Directors Association, Manitoba, Canada 2006
Winter Guard International Convention 1991
Wright State University Honor Band Festival 2022
Yamaha Young Performing Artists Program (YYPA) 2014
7th Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps 2021

FRAN KICK, B.A. Music Education, M.A. Educational Psychology, CSP, is an author, professional speaker, and consulting advisor to many music-related nonprofits, associations, and companies. He helps organizations as well as individuals see things differently so they can solve problems, collaboratively create solutions, and engage more people in the process of “making things happen.”

“I get a real KICK out of watching Fran in action. He’s got the right stuff and delivers it in a powerfully positive presentation.”

Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, Attitude Concepts for Today, Inc.

Music Projects/Programs

Solving Problems, Adding Value, Implementating Ideas

Music Related Client Events

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