The first few years of band instruction are critical in setting students up for long-term success, but they’re often filled with challenges: balancing diverse skill levels, managing limited instructional time, all while managing the emotional challenges many students face in today's complex educational landscape.
In this activity-based session, the clinician will share strategies for embedding social emotional learning & differentiating instruction in order to prevent poor performance habits & motivate all levels of learners to reach their highest potential. We will explore innovative approaches to teaching dynamics and articulation and explore strategies that will facilitate rhythm & note reading in order to enhance your students’ sight-reading abilities and overall musical literacy.
This clinic is designed to enhance both individual student growth and program-wide success, while offering directors proven tools that will boost knowledge retention, increase student confidence, and ultimately improve long-term retention within their band programs.
Target Audience
Beginning and Developing Band
Additional Notes
Clinician Info
Richard Canter
KHS America & Jupiter Instruments
Richard Canter is an accomplished music educator, conductor and clinician, currently serving as Director of Bands at Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. In this role, he leads a comprehensive band program which includes Beginning Band, Junior High Bands, the Marching Blue & Gold, Symphonic Band and the Wind Ensemble.
In addition to his work at Walnut Hills High School, Richard serves as Music Director and Conductor of the Cincinnati Junior Youth Wind Ensemble, a program sponsored by the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Throughout more than 26 years as a music educator, he has remained a passionate advocate for music education, serving four years of as District President for the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA). He is sought-after as a guest clinician and honor band conductor.
Richard’s commitment to music literacy and pedagogy led to the development of Scale & Rhythm Chunks, a widely used instructional resource adopted by band programs across the U.S. and internationally. Endorsed by Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser as “exactly what is wanted and needed: an idea whose time has come,” the “Chunks” program released its third edition in 2023, featuring a collaboration with Patrick Sheridan, co-author of the Emmy Award-winning The Breathing Gym® series.
Richard has presented clinics on effective band pedagogy spanning 30 states, including two appearances at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. In 2024, he was named an Educational Artist with the KHS America Academic Alliance, representing Jupiter Band Instruments and the full family of KHS educational brands.
His work has earned multiple accolades, including Educator of the Year, the Celebrate Excellence Award, the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) Music Composition Competition. He was inducted into the Ross High School Arts Hall of Fame in 2022 and the Finneytown Local Schools Hall of Fame in 2025.
Richard holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Bowling Green State University and a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Miami University (Ohio).