TESTIMONIALS

2025 - FESTIVAL BAND DIRECTORS SAID...

"The All-Iowa Concert Band Festival allows for a highly educational experience for both student and director. It's not about a rating, it's all about encouraging musicians to take their craft to the next level."

4A Band Director

"The All-Iowa Concert Band Festival has brought new energy and focus to Concert Band during the school year.  The event is incredibly well-rounded by asking students to further develop their performance and their listening skills.  The conducting feedback for directors is incredibly beneficial and helps us continue our professional development."

2A Band Director

"We have been bringing our students to the All-Iowa Concert Band Festival every year since it began, and I can say without reservation that it is one of the most important events in our concert band schedule. High quality clinicians, the opportunity to hear several other bands in one sitting, and a growth-oriented/non-competitive philosophy are a few of the things that make this festival unique and valuable as we consider performance opportunities for our bands. Directors should seriously consider adding this event to their schedule."

Carl Collins - North Scott HS Symphonic Band

"This festival demonstrates that band is alive and well in Iowa. Students and directors have the opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds in the country, and each band gets to share with each other the strong band tradition and phenomenal teaching happening in the state."

Jackson Churchill - West DesMoines Valley Concert Ensemble

"This festival allows our students to hear other concert bands, learn to assess, and gives us a large group educational experience in order to help us improve and get better before Large Group. I also love the feedback that is directly for me as the director. I am always looking for ways that I can improve and having a knowledgeable critique just for me is so insightful."

4A Band Director

"This festival is a zero-stress, completely positive environment where fantastic clinicians, educators, and composers meet your band where they are in their learning and give them helpful feedback to make everyone better."

2A Band Director

"This festival does a wonderful job of providing a phenomenal performance and educational experience for the students AND the conductors. The kids grew from the experience and I learned things too. What a wonderful festival, and the tribute to Guy Blair makes it all the sweeter."

4A Band Director

"I avoided attending the festival for years because I was worried that my small 1A band would struggle being compared to 3A/4A programs. However, all of our clinicians were extremely understanding and gave feedback appropriate for our program. It was a great experience and we will likely be attending again in the future."

1A Band Director

"This is one of the healthiest things we do all year!"

4A Band Director