Dr. Michael Schaff

Michael Schaff is in his 9th year as an Associate Professor of Conducting and Music Education at The Crane School of Music, SUNY College at Potsdam, where he just completed his term as the Chair of Music Education.  He is conducting the Crane Concert Band,  Wind Ensemble, the faculty New Music Ensemble (NUMA) and the Potsdam Campus/Community Band.  Dr. Schaff has also conducted the Clarkson Community Orchestra, the Northern Symphonic Winds, the Orange County and Onondaga County New York Music Educators Wind Ensembles, and at the New England Music Camp, in Maine.  Previously at Colorado State University he served as Director of Bands, Director of the Marching Band and Horn Instructor.  He was also Musical Director and Conductor of the Denver Concert Band, and was horn soloist and conductor for the DCB in England, Scotland and Wales.  He performed French horn in the Cheyenne Symphony, the Ft. Collins Symphony, and the Front Range Chamber Players.  Dr. Schaff taught grades six through twelve in the public schools for six years in Georgetown, Texas, where his bands won state and national recognition, and where he earned a Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association.  Dr. Schaff holds a Bachelor in Music Education degree from The Ohio State University, a Master of Music degree in applied French horn from The University of Texas at Austin, and is the first graduate of the Doctor of Music degree in Wind Conducting from Indiana University.  He maintains a busy schedule as a clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor for bands and orchestras of all levels, throughout North America.   He is a member of CBDNA, NYSSMA, NYSBDA, MENC, Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa Lambda and Phi Kappa Phi.

Clinic: "Did you want the Whipped Cream, Nuts and a Cherry?"

This session will deal with helping to make the music "complete".  A director of any group (elementary band, J.H., H.S., or college) must help the students to connect with every aspect of expression, style, nuance, feeling and emotion that a particular musical selection can offer.  The students of the Canandaigua Middle School band will show the audience that even young students can learn to go beyond the notes to make that dish of vanilla ice cream, a complete sundae.