St. Louis Brass Band

Dr. John Bell has served as the Music Director for the St. Louis Brass Band since 2008. In addition to his work in the brass band arena, he serves as the Director of Wind Ensemble at McKendree University, in Lebanon, Illinois, and Professor of Music Emeritus at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, a role he held for 30 years. As a member of the NABBA Board his focus has been on developing an empirically based and criteria referenced adjudication system, as well as coordinating all aspects of the adjudication process for NABBA's regional and national events. Dr. Bell is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association and has been as an invited clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States, Asia and Canada, for Drum Corps International, Music for All, the World Music Festival, and numerous state championship events in the pageantry and concert arenas. Previous appointments include Music Director of the Rocky Mountain Brassworks in Denver, Colorado, Associate Director of Bands at the University of Northern Colorado, Doctoral Conducting intern at the University of Illinois, and band director at Willowbrook and Rolling Meadows High Schools in the Chicago suburbs. Ensembles under his direction have been selected for performance at the international conference of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in Chiayi City, Taiwan; the national convention of the Music Educators National Conference (now NAfME); divisional conferences of the Southwest and North-Central College Band Directors National Association; the state conferences of the Illinois Music Educators and Colorado Music Educators; and twice in New York City’s Carnegie Hall.