For those of you new to us I thought it might be a nice idea to take a quick trip through history so you have a better understanding of just how unparalleled, unmatched, unsurpassed and unrivaled the George N Parks Drum Major Academy® really is.
I realize using such powerful words requires immense substantiation so allow me to provide it:
- 1973: the first time George N Parks taught drum majors at West Chester State Teachers College (now West Chester University). Over 40 years ago!
- 1975: George Parks becomes Drum Major of the Reading Buccaneers Senior Drum and Bugle Corps, a position he held for 13 years.
- 1978: George N Parks founded the Drum Major Academy® held at Hampshire College, MA.
- 1982: DMA expands and offers a location in Ohio.
- 1988 – present: DMA continued expanding over the years to now offer workshops in 13 different locations, reaching between 2500 – 3000 students each summer.
Over 40 years of continued success! That’s hard for any organization to claim.
But what makes DMA SO successful for SO long?
There are three reasons we believe have been behind the longevity of DMA. First and foremost, the philosophical foundation George Parks built his company upon remains unchanged! This point alone is perhaps the sole reason for our unprecedented success. The second reason is our commitment to understanding HOW a student learns–while the philosophical foundation has never been altered, our educational approaches are continuously reviewed and adjusted to fit the needs of the vast spectrum of student learners we see each summer. The third reason we believe has been critical to our success is the utilization of college professors/band directors and music educators from every level of teaching as our clinicians. Seasoned professionals instruct our students in every area of the curriculum.
The 2015 Drum Major Academy® summer workshop season begins in 2 days. Workshops will be held in Alabama, Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas, Ohio, Colorado, California, Texas, N. Carolina, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and our home in Massachusetts. But before we finish up at the home location we can’t wait to get back to our 42nd consecutive summer at the “Grand Daddy of Them All,” the OLDEST Marching Band Clinic in the country, West Chester University, hosted by Vivace Productions, Inc.!!
