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The Symphony Band at the University of Michigan is embarking on a journey for the first time in many years.

Beginning a week-long excursion on May 6, the ensemble will visit various locations throughout Michigan, conducting engaging, collaborative clinics at several high schools in Belleville, Troy, Fenton, Grand Blanc, Flint, Midland, Interlochen, Traverse City, Muskegon, and Allendale. Each visit will culminate in a performance that is free for the audience.

Under the direction of Jason Fettig, the director of bands and a music professor at the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance, 58 student musicians will showcase compositions primarily created or arranged by Michigan-based composers.

“We take the responsibility to support the state of Michigan very seriously here at U-M,” Fettig stated. “We are presenting extremely high-quality concerts that will resonate with individuals, whether they are musicians or not, featuring music that genuinely honors our state.”

Fettig, who previously conducted “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band, has witnessed the significance of performing for audiences outside one’s local community firsthand.

“A tradition that started in 1891 was to tour the nation, taking the band out of Washington and away from the White House, to present concerts for communities all across the country,” he remarked. “Aside from times of conflict, we’ve maintained that tradition for over a century, and it was a profoundly impactful aspect of my career, getting out to meet people, and simply being a community of Americans sharing music together.”

When he joined the faculty at U-M in 2024, making it a priority to take the band beyond the campus and share the university with as much of the state as possible was essential.

“I brought this up to Mark Clague, the executive director of the Arts Initiative, and he was immediately enthusiastic. He even recalled his own experiences as a student here, touring with the Michigan Symphony Band, and noted it was one of the most significant parts of his education,” Fettig explained.

The U-M Arts Initiative aimed to revive the band’s long-lost annual tour tradition as part of their State of the Arts program by collaborating with a new group of partners: School of Music, Theatre & Dance; Office of Enrollment Management; Office of Government Relations; and the Michigan U-M Alumni Association chapters.

The clinics that the Symphony Band will hold with high school band members are designed to provide educational opportunities beyond the classroom, says Fettig. Whether U-M students pursue teaching or perform with professional orchestras and ensembles, educational outreach and mentorship will be integral to their future careers.

For many participants, this will be their inaugural experience in a clinic setting. Prior to their tour, students will be instructed by U-M’s Colleen Conway, a music education professor, on mentorship techniques: from effective communication to key focus areas during their hour together.

“However, I will also be conducting a significant portion of these clinics from the podium,” Fettig mentioned. “Part of this involves guiding our students through the educational experience, where I will be teaching alongside them and facilitating a curated environment for their own teaching experiences.”

Fettig aspires to inspire high school students to seek higher education and hopes these visits will ignite a stronger commitment to their instruments. Local band directors share this vision.

“I believe any occasion when high school students can listen to, learn from, and perform alongside collegiate-level musicians is immensely beneficial,” stated Chad Mielens, director of bands at West Senior High in Traverse City, one of the stops on the U-M Symphony Band’s tour.

“We continually strive to encourage lifelong engagement in music, and participating in a college ensemble is a superb opportunity for students to further their artistic journey.”

Over 400 U-M alumni are currently leading numerous elementary, middle, and high school music programs throughout Michigan. Their expertise has a far-reaching impact beyond the state.

“Michigan has had a profound influence on school band programs in America,” Mielens noted. “Between the establishment of the Interlochen Band Camp in 1928 and conductors like William Revelli and H. Robert Reynolds at the University of Michigan, our state has shaped the structure of high school and collegiate bands nationwide.

“School band programs contribute significantly to society by fostering essential skills, enhancing student engagement, and promoting community participation. They stimulate creativity, teamwork, and self-expression while improving academic performance and overall well-being. School music initiatives not only cultivate performers, but also nurture the next generation of concertgoers and music enthusiasts.”

Fettig asserts that one of the most crucial duties of a musician is to share their art through live performance.

“If our students return with enjoyable experiences, having felt a sense of community, and are motivated about their craft, then that, as an educator here, is my primary mission for them.”

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