High School Honors Band


Home
Honors Festival
Meetings
Calendar
Contact Us


Honors Festival Announcements

The District 1 Honors Festival audition entries and forms are due Thursday, November 10. Be sure to submit your information well in advance to avoid any complications.

District 1 OMEA Honors Festival

January 24, 2026
Stranahan Theater and Great Hall - Toledo, Ohio

High School Honors Band

The High School Honors Band is chaired by David Middleton (dmiddleton@tinora.org) and Rebecca Schwarzkopf  (rschwartzkopf@otsegoknights.org) of Northeastern Local Schools and Otsego Schools. 

Auditions

Directors must fill out the Director's Form. (The link for the Google Drive folder will be sent to you within 48 hours after filling out this form.)
Directors must fill out the Student Application Form.
Students must record the selected musical excerpt(s) for their instrument.
Directors must upload student recordings via Google Drive Folder.

CHECK CURRENT FESTIVAL DEADLINE DATES ON THE HONORS FESTIVAL PAGE.
Directors must submit proof of OMEA membership, student medical forms, and the required participation fee of $75 per participant.
Students will not be allowed to participate if the fee is not received by the first rehearsal.


IMPORTANT FESTIVAL DEADLINES

Dates and deadlines (please be sure to work ahead in case of delays or cancellations):

  • October 1, Applications Open 
  • Director form needs to be filled out by October 10 for audition folder access 
  • November 10: Application Deadline  
  • December 5: Notification Deadline 
  • December 15: Deadline to withdraw/paperwork due**
  • December 27, Payment postmarked by this date 


Rehearsals and Guest Director Information

REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE INFO
Rehearsal Wednesday, January 20 from 6-8:30 pm - Bowling Green High School
Rehearsal Saturday, January 23 from 9am-4pm - Bowling Green High School
Sunday, January 24 7pm performance @ Stranahan Theater, Toledo

HS Honor Band Guest Clinician: Dr. Daniel Farr 

Daniel Farr


Daniel Farr, DMA, is Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Miami University, where he has also been named an Armstrong Professor in the College of Creative Arts. Farr holds degrees from Florida State University (BME, MM) and The Ohio State University (DMA). He studied conducting with Russel Mikkelson, Patrick Dunnigan, and Alex Jimenez, and clarinet with Deborah Bish. Prior to his doctoral studies, Farr taught for ten years as a high school band director in Florida, where his ensembles consistently earned Superior ratings at marching, concert, and solo and ensemble music performance assessments.

Under his leadership, the Miami University Wind Ensemble has been selected to perform at the Ohio Music Educators Association Professional Development Conference and the College Band Directors National Association North Central Division Conference. Farr’s research interests include commissioning new works for wind band, advancing performances of music by underrepresented composers, exploring best practices for secondary school bands, and promoting mental health awareness among music educators. A sought-after clinician and clarinet pedagogue, he is President-Elect of the Mid-American Conference Band Directors Association and serves as the College Band Directors National Association State Chair for Ohio. Farr is an active member of Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, the College Band Directors National Association, the Ohio Music Educators Association, the Florida Music Educators Association, and NAfME: The National Association for Music Education.