WINTER OKLAMUSIC 12 13 II small file.pdf - Oklahoma Music ...

OMEA ELECTIONS: OFFICERS FOR 2013 - 2014 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
NOMINATED FOR PRESIDENT–ELECT OF THE OKLAHOMA MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION
Alex Claussen
Candidate for OMEA President Elect
Alex Claussen is the High School Band Director and
Instrumental Music Supervisor for the Bartlesville
Independent School District. He earned his BME from the
University of Central Oklahoma in 1996, and has taught at
the Middle School, High School, and University levels in
Oklahoma.
Accomplishments his bands have earned include, class
5A State Marching Band Champions, class 6A Marching
Band State Finalist, Oklahoma Outstanding Achievement
Awards, Oklahoma Sweepstakes Awards, and high honors
in various festivals throughout the United States. The
Bartlesville HS Band & Orchestra travel internationally
every four years, having completed a concert tour of
Germany and Austria in 2009. Most recently, Bartlesville
High School’s marching band, the Bruin Brigade, has
accepted an invitation to march in the 2013 St. Patrick’s
Festival Parade in Dublin, Ireland this spring. In addition to
the marching band performing in the parade, the concert
band, orchestra and choir will also perform a concert tour
throughout Ireland.
Claussen earned his National Board Certification in
2010, and has been nominated for the Kurt Schmoldt
Excellence in Education Award. Both the American School
Band Directors Association and Phi Beta Mu, an honorary
Bandmaster Fraternity, have named him the Outstanding
Young Band Director of the year for the state of Oklahoma.
The Southwest Oklahoma Band Director’s Association also
named him the 2002 Outstanding Band Director of Year.
Continued on page 56
John Schimek
Candidate for OMEA President Elect
John B. Schimek is the Director of Strings and Music
Education Programs at Oklahoma City University where
is Professor of Double Bass and Music Education, a
position he has held since 1993. An advocate for school
music programs, Schimek works with junior and senior
high school orchestras, university, community, and Youth
Orchestras as a clinician and has conducted All-City, All-
Region, and national and international All-State Honors
Orchestras. He has appeared as guest conductor for
orchestras at the prestigious Midwest International Band
and Orchestra Clinic, in Chicago.
His teaching experience includes all levels, elementary
to graduate school, and he has worked with bands,
orchestras, and choirs. In Oklahoma City, Schimek
conducts the Society of Strings, an orchestra for adult
string players. In addition, Schimek directs the successful
OCU Summer Double Bass Camp. During 2012-13 he will
conduct orchestras or present clinics in Oklahoma and
seven other states.
Schimek has published articles in several journals
including the American String Teacher, Teaching Music,
Oklahoma Music Educators, Kansas Music Educators,
Bass World, and is published in the textbook, Teaching
Music Through Orchestral Performance, Vol. 3. He has
numerous works published for string orchestra and for
double bass ensembles.
Currently on the executive board for the International
Continued on page 56
50 OKLAHOMA MUSIC, Winter, 2012-2013 OMEA web site: www.okmea.org