Incorporating Best Practices of Alternative Performing Traditions for Audience Engagement

While many concert band performing traditions began for practical reasons, it may be time to reexamine them to see if they still serve a useful function in connecting with modern audiences. This presentation will examine different aspects of presenting concerts (staging, interaction, narration) and explore the best practices of other performing traditions (theater, pop, and jazz) to determine which ideas we can adopt to enhance the audience experience.

Robert Bruns

Robert Bruns earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education from Ithaca College, where he studied trombone under Dr. Harold A. Reynolds. After teaching public school band in New York state for five years, he enlisted as a musician in the US Army in 2004. In 2013, Robert completed the US Army Warrant Officer Candidate school and served as an Army Bandmaster until his retirement in 2025.

As an officer, Robert led bands throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. He has written articles for the International Trombone Association Journal and the Music Educators National Conference (now National Association for Music Education) Journal and is a frequent book reviewer for Pan Pipes magazine.

Robert Bruns currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife Christine and their 16 year old son Michael. He is a singer and active member of the local community theater scene.

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