Pictures from the 2025 ABA Convention, February 26 – March 2, Chattanooga, TN
The American Bandmasters Association, founded in 1929, with John Philip Sousa as Honorary Life President, recognizes outstanding achievement on the part of Concert Band conductors and composers. The current membership (invitational) comprises approximately 300 band conductors and composers in the USA and Canada, and 80 Associate Members (music businesses and corporations that provide significant services to bands and to the publication of band music.)
A Message from the President . . .
WOW! What a wonderful event we were all privileged to be a part of at the ABA Convention in Chattanooga, Tennessee! Thank You to Randall Colemen for taking care of a thousand details so that we could all enjoy a special time with our wonderful ABA Colleagues and SOs! Thank you, Bobby Francis, for your dedication to the ABA as president and to First Lady Teresa, David and Cheryl Gregory, my wife, June and everyone else who jumped in and did everything from fundraising and flower preparation to saving the ABA members who missed the after-concert bus from being abandoned in Georgia! Thank you to all the performing ensembles for all of your hard work in preparing the convention concerts! We should never take for granted our wonderful opportunities to be together nor all the people who work tirelessly to make it possible. Plans for our next convention in Chicago are well under way due to the tremendous efforts of Brian and Megan Covey and their team. June and I look forward to enjoying another great adventure with each of you in Chicago: “My Kind of Town”! March 3-8, 2026 at the Swissotel, Chicago, Illinois!
I assume the responsibilities of becoming the 87th President of this storied organization with great admiration for all who have gone before, an overwhelming sense of wonder at the respect you have bestowed upon me and not a small amount of trepidation at the daunting task, ahead. (It is amazing how heavy that little wooden gavel is. I’m still trying to figure out where to keep it, so I don’t forget it next year.)
The Officers and Board of Directors are at work searching for the best ways to support and advance association projects while attempting to address questions from the membership on a wide range of topics. These are large tasks and your support for those goals is appreciated.
I hope you will always feel free to contact me with ideas and questions. Good ideas come from many places. Questions, even when the answer is not to our liking, often open discussions that can be productive.
ABA Committee assignments for 2025-26 are on the website.
Roy C. Holder, President
American Bandmasters Association
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