Band Enrichment Opportunities

The Northwest Band is committed to providing students with opportunities to grow and excel beyond the band room. Band enrichment opportunities such as scholarships, summer music camps, honor camps, and workshops allow students to develop their skills, gain new experiences, and connect with fellow musicians. Whether you’re looking for ways to improve as a performer, explore new musical challenges, or receive financial support for your education, this page is your go-to resource. Check back regularly for updates, and visit this page to explore the latest opportunities available to our band students!

  • Cyclone Music Major for a Day is coming up on October 8, 2026. This event is designed to give high school and transfer students a glimpse of what it would be like to be a Music Major at ISU. Representatives from admissions, financial aid, and the Department of Residence will be providing an informational session for parents/guardians who wish to attend. Members of the Music Student Representative Council will be providing prospective students with a Q&A session to discuss all things related to being a Music Major at Iowa State University. In the afternoon, everyone is welcome to attend classes, observe rehearsals, participate in a free lesson by the applied professor of their instrument, and visit with current students and faculty. The event is free. Details and registration can be found by clicking on the Music Major for a Day link.

  • Band Day at the University of Northern Iowa is your chance to join the Panther Marching Band on the field. Come join us for an outstanding, positive, and friendly musical and social experience for high school band students! We hope you will enjoy the fellowship with other band students throughout the state and the fantastic performance of a massive band, playing to one of the most appreciative audiences in the country! The cost is $15 per student, which gets you admission to the game, pizza dinner, and a Band Day t-shirt. The registration deadline is October 11. Click here to register for Band Day.

  • Sunday, November 1 is the UNI High School Clarinet Choir Day. The event, which runs from 10 am until 5 pm, is open to all high school students and would make a great road trip for any and all clarinet players. The fee is $20 which pays for lunch and materials. A flyer for the event is attached. Visit music.uni.edu/clarinetchoirday for more information.

  • Learn more: https://festival.musicforall.org/honor-band/

  • Learn more: https://festival.musicforall.org/jazz-band/

  • Learn more: https://www.marineband.marines.mil/Educational/Concerto-Competition/

  • Each year, the Fort Dodge Area Symphony hosts a Young Artists Competition. The competition consists of two rounds: a Preliminary Video-Only Round (December 11) and a Final In-Person Round (January 16). Winners of the competition perform with the Fort Dodge Symphony on March 21. Detailed competition information including how to register and submit your video can be found by visiting www.fdsymphony.org/young-artists-competition/.

  • The Drake University Honor Band Festival, hosted on December 4 and 5, provides outstanding high school musicians with the opportunity to work with our nation's finest conductors in select band settings. During the two-day festival, students and directors develop their skills through rehearsals and clinics with guest conductors and members of the Drake music faculty. The culminating events are the two evening concerts that feature the Drake Bands and the Honor Bands presenting a wide variety of the finest music for wind band. The Honors Concert Band and Honors Wind Ensemble are composed of over 200 students from throughout Iowa and Nebraska.

    Participation in this honor band is determined based on director recommendation. If you would like us to recommend you for participation in this ensemble, please fill out the following application. You must return the interest form to Mr. Strohmaier by Friday, October 30 in order to be considered for recommendation.

    Honor Band Festival Student Application


    NOTE: The Drake Honor Band occurs at the same time as the Winter with Northwest, so any student who is involved in that concert may not participate in the Drake Honor Band.


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Camps / Clinics / Master Classes

Scholarships

  • Each year, the Iowa Bandmasters Association sponsors a scholarship for students who are pursuing a degree in music education at an Iowa college or university. For the audition, students are asked to perform a solo, sight read, sit for an interview, and take a music theory test. Registration is due on November 29 and auditions are held on January 9 at Ankeny High School. For more information, click the link below and talk to Mr. Strohmaier.

    Major Landers Scholarship Information