HOME OF SALUTING AMERICA'S BAND DIRECTORS™
The project sponsor
The Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation was created in 2017 to carry on the legacy of the late Mike Sewell, longtime band director in the Pickerington, Ohio school system. This Foundation project, named Saluting America's Band Directors™ (SABD), was conceived as a way to recognize and salute the extraordinary dedication and accomplishments of band directors everywhere—public and private schools at all levels, colleges and universities, the military and community bands. An all-volunteer advisory team of professionals in management, marketing, music education, fundraising and information technology was assembled to plan and execute the initial SABD project: to march in the world-famous Rose Parade.
The Band Directors Marching Band™
The concept behind the Saluting America's Band Directors (SABD) project was to create a unique marching band of band directors comprising band directors and music educators from across North America. The band was recruited through advertising, social media, word of mouth and endorsements from well-known leaders in the profession. Renowned band director Jon Waters joined this effort to lead the Band Directors Marching Band.
"America's Band Directors: We teach music. We teach life.™"
The extraordinary dedication and accomplishments of band directors are well known to their students, to their families, to parents and to school teachers and administrators. These dedicated music educators and leaders work long hours to not only teach and conduct music, but to teach life itself. Student lives in particular are positively changed by a motivational leader who taught, inspired and mentored them. For this reason, we chose the theme for our project to be "America's Band Directors: We teach music. We teach life."