Frank Troyka

Conn Selmer Senior Educational Clinician

Frank Troyka is the retired Director of Bands and Coordinator of Fine Arts at Berkner High School in Richardson, Texas. A teacher of over 30 years, Frank came to Berkner in May of 2006 following seven years as Director of Bands at Cypress Falls High School in Houston. Ensembles under his direction have been selected to perform at the Music For All National Festival, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, and the Midwest Clinic on two occasions with the Symphonic Band at Cypress Falls in 2004 and with the Berkner Symphonic Band in 2011. In addition, Berkner High School Symphonic Band I was named Runner Up on two consecutive occasions in Texas Music Educators Association Honor Band competition.

 

Frank is an active clinician, presenting workshops across Texas, throughout the United States, and at international destinations, including Canada, The Philippines, Singapore, China, Dubai, Switzerland, South Africa, Malaysia, and Indonesia. He is a frequent presenter at faculty development workshops for public school music teachers and a guest lecturer and “hands-on” instructor for students and teachers.

 

In addition, Frank is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, and Phi Beta Mu International Bandmaster Fraternity. He is a Senior Educational Clinician with Conn-Selmer, Inc.; Senior Educator and Clinician for BD Performing Arts, the educational arm of the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps of Concord, California; and one of the founders of both the Generation Next and Day One series of presentations for The Midwest Clinic. He was honored as the 2002-2003 Teacher of the Year at Cypress Falls High School and, while at Berkner High School, was one of fifteen recipients in the state of Texas of the 2010 UIL Sponsor Excellence Award. In 2014, Frank was honored by the Texas Bandmasters Association as a recipient of the Meritorious Achievement Award. In March 2016, Frank was inducted into the Bands of America Hall of Fame. Most recently, Mr. Troyka was named 2019 Bandmaster of the Year by the Texas Bandmasters Association.

 

 

List of Clinic Topics

 

 

Leading the Leaders: Growing Beyond the Leadership Workshop

 

For band directors who wish to provide ongoing leadership training throughout a marching band season and the entire year.

 

 

Developing Intonation Awareness in Young Musicians

 

This presentation demonstrates how technology can be used in combination with traditional tools in order to develop and accelerate pitch awareness and discrimination in student musicians. Rehearsal techniques for intonation development are included.

 

 

From Assessment to Ownership: Creating Self-Directed Learners

 

This is a collaborative approach to assessment in which the teacher and student work one-on-one and in small groups to help create independent, self-motivated individuals.

 

 

A Comprehensive Approach for Quality Concert Ensemble Technique

 

Topics include rehearsal pacing and content, as well as a number of exercises and rehearsal strategies for developing clarity and ensemble precision.

 

Pedagogy from the Podium

Teaching embouchure, hand position, air flow, articulation, alternate fingerings, and tone production are ongoing tasks, not just part of a solid beginning band curriculum. This presentation will look at common problems of the middle school and high school concert bands and show how we often overlook the obvious in helping our bands sound more mature.

 

Teaching the Teachers: The Art of Mentoring

Young teachers are often faced with challenges they never anticipated, contributing to a disturbing rate of attrition in the first three years on the job. A good mentor can make all the difference in a young teacher’s career. But how does one become a good mentor? This presentation will explore that question and cite specific examples of successful mentorship.

 

 

Capturing The Hidden Leaders in Our Ensembles

 

Classroom management is doomed to failure when “management” is the only strategy. The common assumption is that there are leaders and there are followers. But the followers are actually hidden leaders who are far more influential than most would imagine. This presentation demonstrates how a teacher can identify those hidden leaders and motivate them toward genuine leadership and a healthy classroom culture.