Troy University’s John M. Long School of Music hosted the 52nd annual Southeastern United States Clinic and Honor Bands (SEUS) Feb. 6 -8. The event brought 600 high school students along with their band director, parents and friends to campus from across the Southeast.
In 1973, SEUS was started by Dr. John M. Long as a way for students to meet other musicians and learn new skills to bring back to their bands at home.
“SEUS is a remarkable event that brings high school band students from all over the Southeast to prepare for a concert and perform together,” said Dr. Mark Walker, Director of Bands for the John M. Long School of Music. “Not only is it a recruiting opportunity for us, but it also gives our current university students hands-on experience in operating a large event which helps to prepare them as future music educators. My hope is that everyone learned something new and enjoyed playing music together.”
“This year, students were able to work with and learn from a star-studded roster of clinicians, including world-renowned composers and some of the most accomplished bandmasters and conductors in the world,” said Kenny Beck, Executive Director of SEUS. “It’s also important to highlight that a few of these clinicians walked the same halls and played on the same stage as these students when they came to TROY after high school. Not only does TROY create opportunities for students to work with world-class musicians but also creates an atmosphere for student to become world-class musicians, and we look forward to continuing that tradition for years to come.”
Payton Watford, a Florala High School student who has attended SEUS previously, enjoys all the opportunities the event has to offer.
“What I love most about SEUS is that you get to experience new things,” she said. “You also get to be around people in bigger bands, smaller bands and you get to learn instruments. All in all, it’s a really good experience.”
The event included performances from both local and guest bands, plus honor band rehearsals for visiting high schoolers and clinics for their band directors. The guest bands for 2025 were the Decatur High School Wind Ensemble and the Houston County High School Wind Symphony.
“An international panel of guest conductors, including two Troy University alumni, joined us and lead the honor band students through rehearsals and concerts,” Walker said. “Additionally, Ms. Carol Britten-Chambers, our Distinguished Composer in Residence, worked with the high school students and Troy student composers.”
The Troy University Symphony Band also presented a gala concert Friday night in Claudia Crosby Theater, and the Honor Bands performed their concerts on Saturday to close out SEUS.
“We were happy to host more than 600 students, their parents, and band directors at Troy campus this year,” said Dr. Hui-Ting Yang, Director for the John M. Long School of Music. “Not only did the students learn from the guest composer and conductors, but they also had the opportunity to work directly with our applied faculty during the masterclass session. We hope the students enjoyed their time on campus, and that this SEUS event was a great experience for everyone!”
In conjunction with SEUS, the School of Music also hosted the induction ceremony for the National Band Association Hall of Fame of Distinguished Conductors on Saturday, Feb. 8.
