Howard Payne University hosted the 51st Band Leadership Camp this week, which was one of the largest in years, with over 400 in attendance from 42 schools. HPU’s Dr. Jonathan Kraemer led the camp, which focused on the marching arts and student leadership and featured six unique tracks: Band Member, Squad Leader/Officer, Drum Major, Marching Percussion, Color Guard, and even a Band Director/Sponsor track that offered professional development opportunities for music educators.
Dr. Kraemer serves as director of bands and assistant professor of music at HPU.
“One of the things that really sets us apart from other camps around the state is the emphasis that we place on cultivating student leadership,” Dr. Kraemer said. “In addition to having some of the best music education staff in the field, we are also very fortunate to be able to partner with SASI: The Leadership People, the premiere student leadership training organization in the country. This wonderful combination allows us to train up future student leaders who immediately have a positive impact within their respective band programs.”
Dr. Kraemer expressed his appreciation to HPU for the university’s involvement in the camp.
“We’re thankful to Howard Payne University for the continued support of and partnership with the Band Leadership Camp,” he said.
Next year’s camp dates will be June 8-12, 2026. For more information about the Band Leadership Camp, visit www.hputx.edu/bandleadershipcamp, where information on next year’s camp will be featured as it becomes available.
