James D. Ployhar Honor Band 2012

The Ployhar Honor Band Festival was begun in 2003 to honor the distinguished VCSU alumnus, James D. Ployhar. After graduating with a music education degree from VCSU, Ployhar received his Masters degree from the University of Northern Colorado. He went on to a prolific and successful career as a conductor, composer, and arranger. His name appears on over 800 music publications. He authored two revered band courses, and received the National Band Association's Citation of Excellence and membership into the American Bandmasters Association. In 2006, Ployar became the first alumnus to be inducted into the VCSU Music Hall of Fame. Ployar passed away in 2007, and the annual Ployhar Festival serves to highlight his life and distinguished career.

High School band students from North Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, and South Dakota audition for acceptance into the annual Honor Band.

Interested students may send in recorded auditions in CD or MP3 format. Email submissions are encouraged. Click HERE for audition requirements. Please direct any questions about the festival to Dr. James Adams at james.m.adams@vcsu.edu or 701-845-7271.

Live auditions for the 2012 Ployhar Festival will be conducted during September at a limited number of sites. If you are interested in having your students audition live at your school, please contact Dr. Adams.

Please encourage all of your students to audition for this unique opportunity.

We are seeking quality brass musicians / music majors to form a featured VCSU Brass Quintet beginning Fall semester 2012. Due to a generous donation from an alumnus, we are offering 5 four-year full-tuition scholarships, one for each member of the quintet.

As part of their music curriculum, these players would rehearse, perform, and tour frequently. They would be responsible for performing with the VCSU Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble, and also function as a featured chamber ensemble with frequent tours to area schools and neighboring states, as well as on-campus performances. As a quintet, they would rehearse and perform upper-level literature from the solo, quintet, and orchestral repertoire, and serve as the top brass chamber ensemble for the university.

These are competitive scholarships valued at over $20,000. Auditions will be held starting October 8 during the Ployhar Honor Band Festival. For more information, please contact Dr. Adams. Musicians not selected for one of the featured quintet scholarships may be eligible for other music scholarships offered by the department.

High School seniors attending the Ployhar Honor Band Festival may choose to audition for music scholarships to attend Valley City State University. Multiple awards up to full-tuition are available. Scholarship auditions will be held prior to the first rehearsal on October 6, 2012 for interested students. Click here for more scholarship audition requirements and information. Any further questions may be directed to Dr. Adams.

Dr. James Adams is the newly appointed Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Brass at Valley City State University. Adams earned a doctorate in Trombone Performance/Pedagogy and Instrumental Conducting from the University of Northern Colorado, a Masters degree in Trombone Performance/Pedagogy from the University of Maryland College Park and a Bachelor's degree in Brass Performance/Pedagogy from Brigham Young University. Professionally, he has performed in Europe and the United States with a variety of ensembles, including the Washington Korean Symphony Orchestra, the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, the Longmont Orchestra and Chorale, the Greeley Chorale, the 2002 Winter Olympics Spirit Band in Salt Lake City, and on international cruise ships. He has taught brass students at public and private schools in Utah, Maryland, and Colorado, and currently is a brass instructor for VCSU's Community School of the Arts. He is also the conductor of the Valley City Civic Orchestra. Adams is active as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and soloist, and is a member of the International Trombone Association and NAfME. He currently lives in Valley City with his wife, three young boys and a daughter, where he also works as a piano technician and does gold-plating for instrument mouthpieces.

A number of hotels and bed and breakfast establishments are available in and near Valley City. Here is a list of addresses for each. Following the list are directions for arriving at the VCSU campus from Interstate 94. These are all approximately the same distance from campus.

1. AmericInn Lodge and Suites (has a nice swimming pool). 280 Wintershow Rd. SE, Valley City. 701-845-5551.

2. Super 8 Motel. 8th Ave. SW and I94, Valley City. 701-845-1140.

3. Wagon Wheel Inn. 455 Winter Show Road, Valley City. (Has a swimming pool) 701-845-5333

4. Another Time Guest Cottage. 116 5th Ave. SW (just off Main St., great food) 701-8450187.

To the VCSU campus:
1. Valley City has three exits off I94 so regardless of what direction you come from, take the middle exit.
2. At the end of the ramp, turn down-hill, north, on 8th Ave.
3. Proceed north on 8th Ave. about 500 meters. To the corner of Viking Drive and 8th Ave. At that point the Athletic "Bubble" should be on the left. Turn right onto Viking Drive.
4. Proceed three blocks, over the bridge and onto campus.
5. Continue until the Memorial Student Union is on the left. Turn left at the corner just past the Student Union. Foss Music Hall is located directly at the end of the block, on College St. SW.
6. Park anywhere on any street, or turn in either parking lot east or west of Foss.