The NBHB District Music Clinic, hosted at Northwest College, brings together select musicians from high schools throughout the Big Horn Basin. For two days, students have the opportunity to work with outstanding guest conductors and fellow musicians.
Participation
High School students are recommended by participating Choir and Band Directors. Recommendations are submitted using the Online Form.
Band: We ask that you submit the top 15% of your high school concert band (or equivalent). When submitting be sure to include awards or honors these kids have received on their instrument. All schools will be allowed at least 5 students represented in the band regardless of their own high school band enrollment. Directors are asked to use discretion when submitting students for clinic. We want directors to select students who are capable and willing to put in the time and effort to learn the music PRIOR to coming to the event. This should be a great experience for all who come. Note, we will always include All-State and All-Northwest members.
Choir: We ask that you submit the top 25% of your high school choir numbers in balanced SATB quartets. When submitting be sure to include awards or honors these kids have received. All schools will be allowed at least 5 students represented in the choir regardless of their own high school choir enrollment. Directors are asked to use discretion when submitting students for clinic. We want directors to select students who are capable and willing to put in the time and effort to learn the music PRIOR to coming to the event. This should be a great experience for all who come. Note, we will always include All-State and All-Northwest members.
Band: Dr. Zach Paris
Dr. Zach Paris is the Director of Bands and Percussion Studies at Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming, where he directs the Northwest College Jazz Ensemble I, Jazz Ensemble II, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Combo, and also teaches music history and applied percussion lessons. Before coming to Northwest College, Zach taught courses at Iowa Western Community College, Central Arizona College, Arizona Christian University, the University of Nebraska, and Arizona State University.
As a performer, Zach is an extremely versatile percussionist that specializes in a wide range of musical styles. His omnivorous approach in performance and education has led him to a career in jazz, latin, pop, country, rock, and heavy metal drum set, as well as marching percussion, classical percussion, African percussion, multi-percussion, and four-mallet marimba. In these areas, Zach has won a number of competitions including the Nebraska Guitar Center Drum-Off finals, the Victoria Drum Festival Solo Competition, the Heartland Marimba Festival Solo Competition, the Scottsdale Guitar Center Drum-Off, the Paul Seidel Drumming Competition, and the Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competition. He has also been recognized as a winner of 2 DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards in the Graduate Blues/Pop/Rock Soloist category.
His performance background includes appearances with the Arizona Music Festival Orchestra, the Pan Asian Dance Coalition, Randy Brecker, Jason Palmer, the Phoenix Symphony, Dave Pietro, Dave Douglas, Ballet Arizona, Walter Smith III, Andy Narell, and the Symphony of the Southwest. He is also one of the original founders of the rock band Righteous Vendetta (Sony Records). He spent 2 years with the band, touring the country playing countless venues and festivals in over 35 states. The band also won a number of competitions, including the Mountain West Region of the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands. He can be heard on Righteous Vendetta’s first 2 recordings “Complexity of the Fallen” and “The Dawning” (Red Cord Records).
Zach currently holds associate degrees in music education, music performance, and music technology from Northwest College (where he was named the 2010 Music Student of the Year), a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Wyoming (where he was named the Presser Scholar in 2013), and a master’s degree in percussion performance (MM) from the University of Nebraska, and a doctorate in percussion performance (DMA) at Arizona State University.
Vocal: Eric Hagmann
Eric Hagmann is the Vocal Music Instructor - Artist in Residence at Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming, where he directs Collegiate Choir, Vocal Jazz, and teaches applied voice lessons. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Minnesota: Duluth where he studied Music Theory and Composition with an emphasis in piano. While there, he received both Departmental Honors and the Music Theory Award for his work. In June of 2021, he completed his Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies with an emphasis in Jazz Voice at the University of Northern Colorado where he was proud to hold the position of the Vocal Jazz Teaching Assistant for the 2020-2021 school year. Additionally, he was granted the School of Music Outstanding Student Award in Jazz Voice.
Before pursuing graduate school, Eric spent seven years as an adjunct faculty at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN where he had the privilege of directing Vocal Revolution, a contemporary pop a cappella ensemble. His experience with vocal music runs deep having sung with choirs as early as elementary school. In college, he sang with the Downbeat Award-winning vocal jazz ensemble, Lake Effect, under the direction of mentor Tina Thielen-Gaffey. Toward the end of his undergrad, he cofounded Fermata Nowhere, an a cappella ensemble consisting of fellow vocal jazz members for which he acted as the primary arranger. After graduation, he had the great honor of performing with the Phil Mattson Singers, and he was fortunate to participate in Phil’s final DCINY Vocal Jazz Festival held at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Later, Eric spent four years singing with the Twin Ports Choral Project in Duluth, MN under the direction of Bret Amundson.
Eric’s time at UMD provided him with ways to develop his piano skills which lead to several performance opportunities in his future. For 12 years, he accompanied UMD’s vocal jazz ensembles for auditions, retreats, and concerts. Additionally, he accompanied the high school faction of the Lake Superior Youth Chorus and travelled with them on their 2012 tour through Ireland. He spent two years playing with the Troppo Big Band in Chippewa Falls, WI. While teaching in Duluth, he also performed with the St. Scholastica Jazz Band, and he gigged with the Zenith City Sharps, a local jazz quartet, for one year before moving to Colorado. His most recent side project was playing with The Squalls, a variety group made up of current and former students from UNC.
Arranging has been a long-term passion that has been with Eric since high school. Since then, he has arranged music for other vocal ensembles, show choirs, and he has provided music for UMD’s annual Cabaret show for 10 years. He currently has over 45 published arrangements available on sheetmusicplus.com consisting mostly of contemporary pop a cappella tunes in various voicings. Recently, he has been creating charts specifically for vocal jazz ensembles and building his chops in Logic Pro X to make demo tracks of his work.
Schedule
COMING SOON: District Clinic Schedule.
Concert
A free concert will be held at the close of District Music Clinic on Saturday, November 20 at 2:30 PM, in the Nelson Performing Arts Auditorium. Family, friends, and community members are invited to attend.
Equipment
The College will have available a concert bass drum, a set of four timpani (E, F, Bb, and Eb), snare drums, chimes, vibes, xylophone, marimba, and assorted, basic percussion instruments. Bring all other percussion needs with you including mallets and sticks. Please call if you have special requests.
If you have any questions, please call or email.
Zach Paris
(307) 754-6427
zach.paris@nwc.edu
Northwest College
231 West 6th Street
Powell, WY 82435
FAX: (307) 754-6340
