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UNO Faculty, Students, and Alumni Honored by Nebraska State Bandmasters Association

Nebraska State Bandmasters Association (NSBA) winners.

Pictured from left to right: Karen Fannin, Zac Konrad, Brian Nelsen, Lydia Kirkland, Lauren Milbourn, Stacey Sailors, and Austin Sailors. Not pictured: Chaz Fonda and Beth Myers.

Several members of the UNO School of Music, from faculty to students to alumni, were honored this week at the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association (NSBA).

UNO’s Director of Bands, Dr. Karen Fannin was elected to serve on the executive board as the next NSBA President. Joining her on the board will be UNO alumni Chaz Fonda (Bachelor of Music Education, 2012) and Zac Konrad (Bachelor of Music Education, 2006 and Master of Music in Music Education, 2011). Fonda will serve as the new Treasurer of the organization while Konrad will serve as the Junior High/Middle School Chair.

Chaz Fonda also received a Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association and was selected as the recipient of the Don Johnson Continuing Education Scholarship and the Band Director Scholarship.

Four UNO alumni received the Jack R. Snyder Young Band Director Award, given to outstanding Nebraska band directors in their third through seventh year of teaching. Recipients included Brian Nelsen from Elkhorn South (Bachelor of Music Education, 2018), Lauren Milbourn from Millard South (Bachelor of Music Education, 2018), Stacey Sailors from Minatare (Bachelor of Music Education, 2012), and Austin Sailors from Mitchell (Bachelor of Music Education, 2010 and Master of Music in Performance, 2013).

Beth Myers (Bachelor of Music Education, 2018) is in her third year as band director at Omaha Central High School. Under her direction, the Central Jazz Band was selected through a competitive recorded audition process to perform at the NSBA Conference. Selection for performance at the NSBA Conference is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on a high school band.

Current UNO Music Education major Lydia Kirkland was selected as the recipient of the NSBA undergraduate scholarship, presented to a college student who has completed a minimum of five semesters in a Nebraska college or university music education program, with a wind or percussion instrument as their primary area of study.

Congratulations to faculty, students, and alumni for representing UNO so well at the state level!