Midwest Clinic, An International Band and Orchestra Conference records

On December 7, 1946, approximately 120 band directors assembled in a YWCA gymnasium on Chicago's west side for a six-hour clinic and new music reading session. In 1947, the event was expanded to two days and moved to the Hotel Sherman to take advantage of the larger facilities and to provide accommodations for out-of-town directors. The second installment brought many new features, including a printed program, an additional band, and a new name: The Mid-West Band Clinic. The VanderCook School of Music, Neil A. Kjos Music Company and Lyons Band Instrument Company sponsored the event.

For the next 25 years, the Hotel Sherman was home to the Midwest Clinic. In the 1950s, orchestras and jazz ensembles were introduced, and in 1962, the Midwest Clinic held its first official Orchestra Day. In 1963, the clinic expanded to its present format of four-and-a-half days. Since 1973, the Midwest Clinic music industry conference has been held at the Hilton Chicago and, in 1995, the Blackstone Hotel was used in addition to the Hilton for hosting clinic events. With the addition of this facility, the Midwest Clinic was able to present more clinics than ever in its history. In 1999, the Congress Plaza replaced the Blackstone Hotel as the second site of conference events.

In the earliest years of the "Mid-West Band Clinic," the organizers - H.E. Nutt, Howard Lyons and Neil Kjos, Sr. - invited outstanding bands to perform, based upon the reputations of the organization and its director. In addition to giving a formal concert, the bands were also expected to provide a sight-reading session, with the selections being requested by audience members on the spur of the moment. Today, the Midwest Clinic continues to feature performances by outstanding organizations, but now every group that desires to perform must first apply to do so.

In 1996, The Midwest Clinic started commissioning works for bands and orchestras. The first year, two pieces were commissioned. Today, the Commission Committee selects a different ensemble to be featured and made available to middle school and high school performers. See all of The Midwest Clinic's Commissions on their website.

Over the years, the focus of the Midwest Clinic has remained on bringing music directors into contact with not only the best published music, but also with new and established teaching techniques, and the latest products and services for the music educator.

Each year, The Midwest Clinic provides three awards to those who have made major contributions to instrumental music education. The Medal of Honor award was introduced in 1962. The Music Industry Award was introduced in 1991. The final award to be created was after The Midwest Clinic established itself as an international music conference. The International Award was introduced in 1992. See the music award history on The Midwest Clinic's official website.

The name of the Midwest Clinic has changed a number of times throughout its history, as reflected below:

For more information about the Midwest Clinic, visit these pages on the organization's website at: