July 25th & 26th, 2024

Contact Us

888-890-3836

Email Us: Eckroth Music Company

SCHEDULE

July 25

6:00 pm -- Registration

6:30 -- 9:00 pm -- Jazz Band Reading Session

9:00 -- 11:00 pm -- Social

July 26

8:30 am -- Registration

9:00 am -- 4:00 pm -- Concert Band Reading Session

Lunch Included

2024 Hotel Rooms

A block of rooms has been reserved at Hilltop Inn. 406-245-5000 to receive the blocked price. Rooms should be booked by July 8th.

Map

About New Music Reading Workshop

Eckroth Music, in conjunction with Hal Leonard and Eastman Music are proud to present the NEW MUSIC READING WORKSHOP on July 25 & 26, 2024 at MSU-B, Billings, MT (Glacier Room).

Frequently Asked Questions

• Where is the workshop location?
• MSU-B, Billings, MT (Glacier Room)
• Will there be OPI Renewal Units?
• Yes, you can earn 9 OPI Renewal Units.
• Do we need to bring our instrument?
• If you are interested in playing in the band, please reach out to Mike Miller to see if there is a seat available in your section.
• What should I wear?
• Business Casual attire is appropriate for the workshop. The workshop is held indoors; sometimes a sweater/jacket is nice to have along in case the air conditioning is working really well that day.
• What is the schedule?
• Thursday evening will kick off with Jazz Reading from 6:30 - 9 PM, followed by the Eckroth Music Social Hour until 11. Friday morning, Concert Band reading will begin at 9 AM and go until 4 PM. A lunch will be served from noon until 1 PM.
• Meals
• Your registration fee includes a lunch on Friday. In addition, there is a social hour on Thursday evening also included with the registration fee.

Scott Jeppesen

2024 Jazz Clinician

Scott Jeppesen is currently an Associate Professor of Music at Montana State University Billings, teaching Music Theory, Music History, Commercial Improvisation, Commercial Composition/Arranging, Jazz Combo, Music Business, and private lessons on saxophone, clarinet, and flute.

Scott is an alumnus of the University of Southern California, where he earned a Bachelor of Music (BM), Master of Music (MM), and Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in Jazz Studies.

Before accepting the position at MSUB, Scott lived in Los Angeles for seventeen years. During that time, he performed with many legendary artists, including Maria Schneider, Bobby McFerrin, Burt Bacharach, Lalo Schifrin, Alan Pasqua, Bill Watrous, Shelly Berg, Manhattan Transfer, Stevie Wonder, Nancy Wilson, Artie Shaw, Bob Mintzer, Dave Brubeck, Natalie Cole, Louis Bellson, Al Jarreau, Steve Miller, Randy Brecker, and James Moody. Scott has composed and arranged for many different artists, including Steve Miller, Ramsey Lewis, Natalie Cole, Ruben Studdard, Dave Koz, Ledisi, Burt Bacharach, Monica Mancini, Scott Martin, and the PBS Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, which aired in the spring of 2007.

In 2009, he cofounded Cultivating Creative Minds with his wife, Roxanne, which provides art instruction to elementary school-aged students throughout Santa Clarita, CA.

Scott has released two solo albums: "El Guapo (2013)" and "Wonders (2016)." An in-demand guest artist and clinician, Scott has performed for many colleges, high schools, and middle schools across the United States.

Since 2019, Scott has served as the musical director for the Rocky Mountain Jazz Collective. This ensemble aims to increase appreciation and awareness of jazz music through the performance of themed programs with cultural and historical significance to the history and development of American music. Since its formation, the RMJC has performed tributes to Henry Mancini, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Blue Note Records, Oliver Nelson, and Sammy Nestico. In 2023, Scott arranged "Christmas on Broadway," a 100-minute-long holiday show for a big band, string orchestra, and Broadway vocalists Nicolas Dromard and Desirée Davaar. With Scott as guest conductor, the Billings Symphony Orchestra performed the show at the Alberta Bair Theater in December of 2023. Scott is writing ten new arrangements of Stevie Wonder's music, which the ensemble will perform in June 2024.

Scott is a D'Addario Performing Artist.

Erin Cole Steele

2024 Concert Band Clinician

Erin Cole Steele is the Director of the Division of Education and Senior Educational Clinician for Conn Selmer Inc. In addition, she is an Academic Associate at Arizona State University’s School of Music, Dance, and Theatre. Previously, Erin was the Director of Bands at Tapp Middle School in Cobb County, Georgia (1995-2017) where she was named Teacher of the Year. Under her leadership, the Tapp Band received numerous accolades including performing at the 58th annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. During her tenure at Tapp MS, she commissioned four pieces of music including Robert W. Smith's "The Great Locomotive Chase," Frank Ticheli's "Simple Gifts-Four Shaker Songs," Samuel R. Hazo’s ”Ascend," and was part of a consortium commissioning Eric Whitacre's "The Seal Lullaby."

Erin is a contributing editor for Hal Leonard’s Essential Elements for Band. She has written chapters for three editions of the GIA publication series Teaching Music Through Performance and most recently wrote a chapter for the book Rehearsing the Middle School Band by Stephen Meyer.

Erin is an active guest conductor and speaker. She has presented sessions at the Midwest Clinic on several occasions as well as state and international conferences. She has served as the guest conductor for numerous All-State and regional honor bands, appearing in over 30 states. She served as the conductor for Youth Bands of Atlanta from 2011-2017 and a conductor for the "Encore" Music Camp for several years. She was the founder and administrator of the Cobb County Summer Band Camp in Georgia. Erin has served as a clinician for the Music for All Summer Symposium and is currently on the teaching faculty and executive director for The Conn Selmer Institute.

Erin Cole Steele earned her bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Georgia in 1995. While at the University of Georgia, she played cello, flute, and piccolo in the University Symphony Orchestra, chamber groups, Symphonic and Concert Bands, and the Redcoat Marching Band.

Erin's professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu, Sigma Alpha Iota, and the National Band Association from whom she was awarded the Citation of Excellence three times (2015, 2008, and 2003).

As a passionate supporter of school music programs, she continues to remain active in instrumental classrooms throughout the country and enjoys traveling for guest conducting and speaking engagements. Erin now resides in Scottsdale, Arizona where she and her husband Andrew enjoy hiking and biking on the weekends.

OPI Renewal Units

How to receive

You will receive 9 OPI renewal units for attending the jazz and concert band workshop. MSU will be present to complete the needed paperwork on sight. The registration fee includes the cost of the renewal units.

2024 Music Lists

Concert Band

Jazz Band