YORK/OBA BEGINNING BAND SYMPOSIUM
ABOUT
The Beginning Band Symposium offers both new and experienced music educators a dynamic day of professional learning with expert clinicians from across Ontario. Sessions explore percussion techniques, program development, instrument repair, festival preparation, and more—providing practical strategies, fresh ideas, and opportunities to connect and collaborate with colleagues province-wide.
2025 FEES
Please note that you have to be a member of the OBA to attend the York/OBA Beginning Band Symposium.
The event fees are as follows:
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Symposium Fee
(Regular)........................................ $33
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Symposium Fee
(Student/Retiree)..............................$20
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If you are not a current OBA member, it is easy to join! Click here to become an OBA member.
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2025 FEATURED CLINICS
WORKSHOPS TO INCLUDE:
​Tips and Tricks for Managing a Percussion Section with Michael Yates
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Beginning Band Program 'Tactics' with Julia Jung and Mark Spisic (Secondary) and Tanya Sanders (Elementary)
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​Instrument Repair and Maintenance with Chris Hess​
The A,B,C’s of Preparing your Ensemble for Festival - a birds-eye view from the adjudicator’s table with David Lum and Mark Caswell
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Reading Session - A Round Table Discussion in a Band Setup with David Marlatt and Ryan Meeboer
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Schedule (2025)
8:30 – 9:00 Registration, coffee & muffins, secure your seat!
9:00 – 9:45 - Tips and Tricks for Managing a Percussion Section with Michael Yates
Managing the percussion section as a music teacher can be a stressful, time consuming, daunting and expensive task. Within this session Michael will give you some tips and tricks on maintenance, tuning, repair as well as where to spend your budget in the percussion section.
9:45 – 10:30 Beginning Band Program 'Tactics' with Julia Jung and Mark Spisic (Secondary) and Tanya Sanders (Elementary)
This presentation will outline some tried and tested ideas for starting and maintaining a beginner band program in an elementary or secondary school setting. Topics of discussion will include: introducing the concert band world to students with little or no musical experience, extra-curricular opportunities, feeder school outreach, support from your admin and community, school traditions, retention, creating a sustainable program, and an open Q&A.
10:30 Morning Break
10:45 – 11:45 - Instrument Repair and Maintenance with Chris Hess
Learn some tips on how you can maintain and prolong the life of your instruments without breaking the budget. This session will focus on identifying issues with instruments, fixes that can be done in the classroom, quick maintenance ideas that will keep your school instruments in good, working condition for your students.
12:00 Lunch Break
1:00 – 2:00 - The A,B,C’s of Preparing your Ensemble for Festival - a birds-eye view from the adjudicator’s table with David Lum and Mark Caswell
It’s that time of the year and you’re preparing your ensemble for the big festival. This is your first time taking a band to a festival or perhaps you are a seasoned pro and this is your 20th festival. Whatever your background or experience, we hope to be able to share our insights, experiences and other tidbits which should help you create an exiting and educational experience for your students. Our session will look at many of the musical and non-musical considerations to ponder when preparing for a festival performance.
2:00 – 2:15 - Afternoon Break
2:15 – 3:30 - Reading Session - A Round Table Discussion in a Band Setup with David Marlatt and Ryan Meeboer
Play through some new band titles and tried and true classic music from Eighth Note Publications and discuss several topics about band music with composers Ryan Meeboer and David Marlatt (president of Eighth Note Publications), including: the concert band grading system, what to look for when picking music, work arounds for percussion, concerts vs contests, candy music vs healthy music, complaints about publishers, and flex band.
Clinicians: Voices from Ontario Classrooms
MICHAEL YATES
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​​Michael Yates is a dedicated educator who has worked for the Halton District School Board for the past 12 years. Michael has spent the last decade as the Head of Music at Pilgrim Wood Public School in Oakville Ontario where he runs the intermediate band program. Under his direction the Pilgrim Wood concert bands, jazz band and drumline are considered to be of top quality within the Halton region. His journey into music education began at Mohawk College where he completed a three-year diploma in jazz drum set performance. In 2011, he obtained his Honours Bachelors of Music from McMaster University and was commended for his efforts with the Shannon Reeves Scholarship and Award. In 2013, Michael completed his Bachelor of Education at Nipissing University (Schulich School of Education).
JULIA JUNG​
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Julia Jung is a graduate of the University of Toronto, with a Master of Teaching from OISE/UT and has a performance background in both Concert Bands and Jazz Bands. She has been a secondary music teacher with the DPCDSB at St. Aloysius Gonzaga C.S.S. and the Music Subject Council chair for the past 17 years. In 2024 she was awarded the Tommy Banks / National Arts Centre Orchestra Outstanding Jazz Director Award from MusicFest Canada at the National music festival held in Toronto. Ms. Jung teaches music to grades 9-12 and is very passionate about directing Concert Bands, Chamber Ensembles and Jazz Bands of all levels and the importance of community outreach. She strongly believes that every child deserves the opportunity for a music education, and that they will benefit
no matter what they choose to pursue in the future.
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MARK ŠPIŠIĆ
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While completing his Bachelor of Science in Music Education at Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA ‘95) and Bachelor of Education at the University of Western Ontario (London, ON ‘96), Mark Špišić earned numerous awards for outstanding contributions to music education. Currently residing in Mississauga, Ontario, Mark teaches music to students in grades 9-12, at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School. Since 2003, he has directed concert bands, choirs, guitar ensembles and liturgical music ensembles. In his past role as DPCDSB Music Subject Council Chair, Mark spearheaded initiatives such as the Gr. 9 Band Festival and the Vocal Music Festival. He has a deep-rooted love for folk music, especially the music of his Croatian heritage. Mark has taught numerous Croatian folk ensembles throughout Ontario including Oshawa, Kitchener and Mississauga, where he is still active today. Mark has also taught and performed internationally with stops in Canada, USA, Croatia, Slovakia and Japan.
TANYA SANDERS​
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Tanya Sanders' love of music shines through in everything she does. Now in her 31st year as a music teacher with the HWDSB, her journey began by conducting the world champion Ventures Drum and Bugle Corps, taking her across North America and Japan. Over the years, she has led workshops for ARTS Revive and Queen's University’s Teacher Education program, and has proudly conducted and taught the HWDSB Honour Band for the past three years. Her music room is a vibrant, welcoming space — home to concert bands, jazz bands, small ensembles, and choirs. Despite all her experiences, Tanya says her favourite musicians are always the ones in her classroom. Her passion, mentorship, and unwavering dedication continue to shape and inspire young musicians every day.
CHRIS HESS​
Chris Hess is a Canadian saxophonist, producer, and vintage instrument specialist whose career spans over three decades. A longtime member of the legendary band KLAATU, he has shared the stage with artists such as R.E.M., Beastie Boys, Smashing Pumpkins, Alannah Myles, and 5
4-40. A JUNO Award nominee with Punjabi By Nature and a 2016 Now Magazine Indie Producer of the Year nominee, Hess has also recorded and performed music for Nelson Mandela’s 1998 SkyDome appearance.
Beyond performing, Hess is deeply devoted to vintage brass and woodwind restoration, specializing in saxophones. His craftsmanship and technical expertise have earned him recognition among musicians across Canada. An adventurer at heart, he’s also a kite-skiing Guinness contender, sailor, and nature enthusiast.
MARK CASWELL​
Mark spent a lifetime teaching music at Markham District High School where he was privileged to work alongside his wife and colleague, Dawn. The MDHS music department was home to numerous concert bands, choirs, jazz ensembles and chamber groups, all actively involved in their community. Mark is now working with Yamaha Music Canada as an Artist Educator, through which he has facilitated dozens of workshops and rehearsals for schools across Ontario. He is also an active adjudicator at festivals across Ontario and Alberta, including Musicfest Canada Nationals. Mark is a founding member of the Ontario Band Association, serving on several committees as well as a term as President. Mark launched the Ontario Provincial Band Festival in 2001/2002 and continued to serve as the Festival Coordinator for 22 years. He has been awarded an Honorary Lifetime Membership Award with the OBA.
DAVID LUM​
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Following a 30-year career with the Toronto District School Board (Agincourt Collegiate Institute and Bliss Carman Sr. P. S.). Currently, he teaches for the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Arts, Media, Performance and Design at York University. David is a recipient of MusicFest Canada’s Keith Mann Award and is a Laureate of the Legion of Honour for the John Philip Sousa Society. He is a Founding Director and Honorary Life Member of the Ontario Band Association and served on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Music Educators’ Association for 15 years. During his time with the OMEA, David initiated the Awards and Scholarships program and was awarded an Honorary Life Membership in 2022.
David is Conductor of the East York Concert Band, maintains a busy schedule as a clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor. And serves as a Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician.
RYAN MEEBOER​
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Ryan Meeboer is a music educator, who obtained his Bachelor of Music degree from McMaster University and his Bachelor of Eduction from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. As a composer, he has written and arranged many pieces for concert band, jazz band, and small ensembles. To date, Ryan has over 300 published compositions/arrangements for a variety of ensembles and band. As a performer, he has had experience in several groups, including concert, stage and marching bands, chamber choir, vocal jazz ensemble, acoustic duets, and the Hamilton based swing group, 'The Main Swing Connection’. Currently, Ryan is in his 25th year of teaching with the Halton District School Board.
DAVID MARLATT​
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David Marlatt has composed pieces for concert band, string orchestra, brass quintet, trumpet ensemble, piano, tuba, and trumpet. His writing style is diverse and he was written for a wide range of difficulty levels from very young concert band to professional brass quintet. He has also arranged over 800 pieces of repertoire from the Baroque to the Romantic eras. Mr. Marlatt is a trumpet player who obtained a music education degree from he University of Western Ontario, Canada. He was Principal Cornet in the Whitby Brass for 6 years and founder of the trumpet ensemble, Trumpets in Style. As a performer, he has played in jazz bands, brass quintets, orchestras, concert bands, brass bands, and period instrument ensembles.
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