Meeting Profile: Music to Their Ears

It only takes a few minutes of browsing the Midwest Clinic's Web site to get the picture: These people love music. They are passionate teachers. And they're absolutely nuts about teaching music.

With about 5,000 professional attendees (15,000 total) and a 56,100 net square foot showfloor featuring 341 exhibiting companies, the clinic ranks among the healthiest of SMERF events. Its format, however, makes it a unique gathering of educators. Whereas others congregate to talk about what's new in their field, clinic attendees are there to ... well, play.

The Midwest Clinic, owned and operated by a nonprofit of the same name, is a Chicago staple. Braving the Illinois winter in a timeframe most groups wouldn't even consider, it takes place each year just before Christmas at the Hilton Chicago. The most recent clinic was Dec. 18-22.

Such dates work well for teachers, said the clinic's associate director, Darcy Nendza, because by then many of them have finished their holiday concerts and are preparing for the break from classes.

So far, “we've never had a major issue with the weather,” Nendza said, adding, “knock on wood.” On the flip-side of that worry: “We have no struggles with dates.”

She said the clinic, which began with a group of Chicago-area music teachers getting together in 1946, has no intention of leaving its native city.

The 62-year-old convention for instrumental music educators, professional musicians, composers and arrangers includes about 75 clinics and 40 performances over the course of four days. During these sessions, the played note takes precedence over the spoken word. Teachers go eager to hear new arrangements and new techniques demonstrated on instruments.

One such teacher is William Carson, director of bands at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. An attendee for about two decades and exhibitor for one, Carson said, although he loves reuniting with colleagues from around the world, his favorite part of the event is the music itself.

He recalled his favorite Midwest Clinic moment: a Quincy Hilliard concert several years ago that brought the executive director and concert presenter John Paynter - and much of the audience - to tears. Carson said he couldn't wait to return home and implement the new piece into his own program.

Such performances are what distinguish the clinic from other conventions. The Midwest Clinic invites bands and orchestras of all levels and from all over the world to give concerts. To be accepted, they must complete a rigorous application process, and competition is stiff.

“You can have the best jazz band in your state, and still not be good enough for Midwest, because you're up against 50 other states and other countries,” Carson said.

After all, the performances aren't just for entertainment; they serve a more serious purpose. “It has to be new music and at certain grade levels,” Nendza said. “This allows teachers to take pieces home and work with their ensembles on them.”

The emphasis on live music also has created something of a conundrum for the clinic: how to grow? According to Nendza, the exhibition has been sold out since well before she joined the organization seven years ago. “We send contracts out the third week in January, and we'll be sold out by tax day (April 15),” she said.

So, why not just move to McCormick Place? “Talks are in the works,” Nendza said, “but our space needs are so specific. We need at least two, and preferably three, concert venues. We're always on the lookout.”

One would think venues would be falling all over themselves to woo the event, which used a total of 12,664 room nights in its most recent staging. In addition to those who stay on site, the clinic draws a large commuter population, and dozens of related industry associations hold meetings in conjunction with the event.

Carson believes the Clinic's success lies in its ability to connect teachers with innovative programs and opportunities. It was through his exhibit, which serves mainly as a recruiting station, that Coe College was able to secure an all-expense-paid trip to perform in a Korean music festival a few years ago.

“It took two years to work out the details, but it was worth it,” he said.