Samuel Minge, Director of Bands

Mr. Minge has held the position of Director of Bands for East Clinton Local Schools since 2004 where he is conductor of the Wind Ensemble, Concert Winds, Musical Pit Orchestra and Electronic Music. He serves as Music Director and Program Coordinator for the Marching Astros. Prior to that he taught one year in the Middletown City Schools and completed his student teaching in the Mason City School District. He holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education and Music Performance from Miami University, a Master of Education Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Cincinnati and is pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Education through Boston University. Since his appointment at East Clinton, the music program has more than doubled in size and become a fully modernized fine arts program. Concert bands under Mr. Minge's direction have consistently earned Superior and Excellent ratings in adjudicated performance. The marching band is a regular competitor in Bands of America and Mid States Band Association events where they have earned multiple caption and placement awards. Mr. Minge has been selected as a clinician at OMEA Professional Development Conference, the Mid West Clinic, and is an active marching band adjudicator across the eastern US. He currently serves on the instructional staff for the 2 time DCA World Champion Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps. In 2013 he was named an Outstanding Educator by East Clinton Schools and received a Red Cross Educator Hero Award and is a quarterfinalist for the 2020 Grammy Music Educator Award. As a performer his experience includes the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Opera, West Virginia Symphony, the Sinclair Wind Symphony, Son del Caribe Salsa Band and Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey's Circus. He is a member of the Ohio Music Education Association, Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME Level I Certified), Central States Judges Association and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.