Tim Lautzenheiser

Tim Lautzenheiser is a well-known name in the music education world as a teacher, clinician, author, composer, consultant, adjudicator, and, above all, a trusted friend to anyone interested in working with young people in developing a desire for excellence. Dr. Lautzenheiser has been a part of the Bands of America family for over 25 years. He served as Executive Director in 1980-82 and has since worked directly with tens of thousands of Bands of America students and directors in leadership and motivational training. His career involves ten years of successful college band directing at Northern Michigan University, the University of Missouri, and New Mexico State University. During this time Tim developed highly acclaimed groups in all areas of the instrumental and vocal field. Following his three years with Bands of America, he created Attitude Concepts for Today, an organization designed to manage the many requests for workshops, seminars, and convention speaking engagements focusing on the area of positive attitude and effective leadership training. He presently holds the Earl Dunn Distinguished Lecturer position at Ball State University. Tim also is the Director of Education for Conn-Selmer, and he serves as the national spokesperson for NAfME’s “Make A Difference with Music” program.

He is a co-author of Hal Leonard’s popular band method, Essential Elements.

Tim is a graduate of Ball State University and the University of Alabama. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from VanderCook College of Music. Additional awards include the distinguished Sudler Order of Merit from the John Philip Sousa Foundation, Mr. Holland’s Opus Award and the Music Industry Award from the Midwest Clinic Board of Directors.

Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser — co-host of EE Band Talk. Author, educator, motivational speaker, and longtime contributor to instrumental music education.

Posts by Tim Lautzenheiser

  • EE Band TalkPublished: Updated:

    EE Band Talk Episode 6: Three Scenarios and Kevin Lynch

    Late August 2020. Charlie, Tim, and Paul map the three buckets every band director is teaching out of — virtual, face-to-face, or hybrid — and walk each through with practical strategies. Kevin Lynch, fifth-year director at Shirley Heim Middle School in Stafford County, Virginia, joins to share how a county-wide team of ten directors unanimously decided to start sixth-grade beginners virtually.

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  • EE Band TalkPublished: Updated:

    EE Band Talk Episode 5: Flex Band, Performance Spotlight, and Lorinda Davidson

    Late-August 2020. The hosts make the case for beginning-band performance and walk through Hal Leonard's Flex Band catalog, then welcome Lorinda Davidson from the Brisbane Girls Grammar School in Australia — calling in from a 9:25 Tuesday morning while the U.S. is still in Monday evening — for an international view from a country already back to in-person rehearsals.

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  • EE Band TalkPublished: Updated:

    EE Band Talk Episode 4: Assessment, EE Quizzes, and Dan Harrison

    Episode 4 is about assessment — not the high-stakes kind, but the everyday formative checkpoints that tell a teacher whether the concepts are landing. Dan Harrison, longtime director at Thompson Middle School in Oswego, Illinois, joins along with Steve Smith for a deep look at how to use the EE quizzes and the EEi resource library.

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  • EE Band TalkPublished: Updated:

    EE Band Talk Episode 3: Review, Reinforcement, and Aaron Cole

    Episode 3 honors two giants the band world lost that week — Eddie Green and Robert Spradling — then digs into review and reinforcement strategies for the new school year. Aaron Cole, the master middle-school director from Tapp Middle in Georgia, joins as the featured guest along with EEi's Steve Smith.

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  • EE Band TalkPublished: Updated:

    EE Band Talk Episode 2: Recruiting Beginners with George Quinlan Jr.

    Episode 2 takes on the year-one problem head-on: how do you start beginners when nothing about the recruiting playbook still works? Charlie, Tim, and Paul welcome veteran Chicago-area music dealer George Quinlan Jr. and EEi's Steve Smith for a practical look at instrument selection, pre-band classes, and the new video-submission feature.

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  • EE Band TalkPublished: Updated:

    EE Band Talk Episode 1: The Maiden Voyage with Terry Little

    The premiere episode of EE Band Talk, recorded as music teachers prepared for an uncertain fall 2020 return. Charlie Menghini, Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, and Paul Lavender talk recruitment, retention, and culture, then welcome veteran beginning-band teacher Terry Little and Hal Leonard's Steve Smith to share what actually worked.

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