Everything Band: Episode 40 - John Southall

​Current Past President of the Florida Music Educator's Association and 2017 Midwest Clinic Medal of Honor winner John Southall joins me for an inspiring conversation about music education.

Topics:

• Why a good music education program should inspire the potential teacher to continue to learn and grow throughout their career.
• Creating a sustainable and passionate appreciation for music and the arts in as diverse a community as possible.
• The Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic Medal of Honor and Alfred Watkins.
• Why healthy competition can help build community and teach life lessons as long as we remember that students and their well-being must be more important than the success of the performing ensemble.
• Put the same amount of energy that you put into being a good teacher into our personal lives.
• Be like a magnet and bring everyone into your orbit!

Links:

• John Southall
• Indian River College
• Midwest Clinic Medal of Honor
• Bernstein, arr. Grundman: Candide Suite

​Biography:
John K. Southall, PhD, currently serves as the Coordinator of Music Education and Director of Bands at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida. He also serves as Music Director of the Port St. Lucie Community Band. He has been an active music education advocate, conductor, clinician, adjudicator and presenter across the United States for over 30 years.
Dr. Southall received the PhD and the MME from Florida State University and the BME from Florida A&M University. He has served as a Courtesy Associate Professor of Music Education/Therapy at the Florida State University. He has served on the faculties of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Nova Southeastern University (FL) and Broward College (FL). Dr. Southall has served as the Community Endowed Teaching Chair in Fine Arts at Indian River State College. He has served as the music curriculum specialist, K-12, for the Broward County school district in Florida. He has also served as the Director of Bands at Western High School, Piper High School and Ely High School in Broward County, Florida.

Dr. Southall currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Florida Music Education Association and is also the Conference Chairman for the FMEA annual Professional Development Conference. He has served as Chairman of the Board for the Center for Fine Arts Education (FL) and as Chairman of the FMEA Finance committee. He has served as the Events Coordinator for the FMEA conference. He is also an editorial board member for the Florida Music Director magazine. Dr. Southall has served as the Chairman of the Affective Response Special Research Interest Group (NAfME). He has served as an editorial board member for the Research Perspectives in Music Education journal (FL). He has also published in national and state journals.

Dr. Southall has served as president of the Broward Music Educators Association and as Chairman of the Broward County Band Directors Association (FL). He has served on the executive board of the Broward County Cultural Affairs Division. He is the sponsor and coordinator of the Indian River State College Treasure Coast Four County Honors Band Festival. He has served as the coordinator and presenter for the Florida Bandmasters Association’s Adjudicator Renewal Seminar. He has served as a District Chairman for the Florida Bandmasters Association. He has served as coordinator of the Broward Music Educators Region Band Festival. He has served on the Florida Bandmasters Association’s Ethics committee. He has served on the FBA adjudication committee. He has served on the FBA All-State Selections committee. He has also served as an FMEA conference Session Coordinator.

Dr. Southall was a participant in Vision 2020: The Housewright Symposium on the Future of Music Education. He has served as the conductor and director of the Florida State University Summer Music Camps Honors Chamber Winds program. He has served as the Associate Director of the FSU Summer Music Camps. He has also served on numerous K-20 committees and curriculum writing teams in Florida. He has conducted band clinics in secondary schools across Florida. He has served as the assistant conductor of the Youth Symphony of Florida (Ft. Lauderdale) and is the coordinator of the IRSC Summer Middle School Band Camp.

John and Kelly Southall live in Port St Lucie, Florida, with daughters Kimberly and Kathryn, son-in-law Jacob and grandchildren Neala Rose and Oliver.
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Dr. Southall is a member of FMEA, NAfME, FBA, FCMEA, Phi Beta Mu, Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma. He was selected as the Florida College Music Educator of the Year by FMEA. He has also been selected as the Broward County Arts Teacher of the Year (FL) and the Western High School Teacher of the Year (FL).