Nicholas V. Holland, III, associate director of bands and director of athletic bands at Charleston (South Carolina) Southern University, has been named director of the U.S Army All-American Marching Band (USAAAMB) for 2014 and 2015. Holland joined the USAAAMB staff in 2011 as the piccolo/clarinet instructor. He is an active adjudicator and clinician of marching and concert ensembles throughout the United States.
The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is the official selection partner of the USAAAMB and partners with title sponsor, the U.S. Army, along with Drum Corps International and All-American Games.
High school seniors chosen for the band possess exceptional musicianship, marching achievement, character, and leadership skills.
At Charleston Southern, Holland directs the “Pride of the Lowcountry” marching band and the “6th Man Band” basketball pep band. He is musical director and conductor of the CSU Symphonic Band, assistant conductor of the CSU Wind Ensemble and the South Carolina Youth Wind Symphony, and teaches music appreciation courses.
Holland holds BM and MM degrees in music education from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, and a PhD in music education from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.
Earlier in his career Holland was associate director of bands and coordinator of instrumental music education at The University of Memphis in Tennessee, director of bands at Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia, and director of band and percussion instructor at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, NM.
He is a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the South Carolina Music Educators Association (SCMEA) the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Holland also has conducted extensive research on noise exposure in collegiate bands has been published in UPDATE: Applications for Research in Music Education, and his articles on percussion pedagogy and instrumental music education have been published in Percussive Notes, and Keynotes online magazine.
He presented research on noise exposures in athletic bands at the CBDNA Southern Division conference, and the Georgia Music Educators Association annual conference.
Holland is also an active percussionist and performs frequently with orchestras, community bands, and praise bands.
He performed with the Bridgemen (1985) and Sky Ryders Drum and Bugle Corps (1986-1988) and was Front Ensemble instructor for the Sky Ryders in 1999.
Apply for the 2014 USAAAMB
Students who want to apply for the 2014 band and submit audition materials must do so by May 3, 2013 and there will be no exceptions. To be eligible for the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band students must
- Be a high school senior in the 2013-2014 school year
- Be a member of your high school band from the time of application through the Bowl performance on January 4th, 2014
- Be in good standing with your school and community
- Be an American citizen. (Legal residents with appropriate documentation will be considered)
- Commit to availability in San Antonio, Texas, from Monday December 30th, 2013 through Sunday January 4th, 2014.
Find audition information and and an overview of the USAAAMB.
Roz Fehr, NAfME Managing Editor for News, April 18, 2013. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)
