The Red Deer Royals’ director has received provincial recognition.
Michael Mann, the Royals’ marching band and Red Deer Community Band Society director, is a member of Phi Beta Mu, an international bandmasters’ fraternity. He received the David Peterkin Award at a provincial music conference in Calgary over the weekend.
The award is in recognition of Mann’s service to music education and the band community.
“I was surprised when they announced my name,” Mann recalled this week.
The award is more of a “chapter award,” said Mann, adding the Alberta group, Mu Alpha, is part of the larger international fraternity.
He said one of his colleagues put his name forward for the award, and a committee of previous winners voted on the nomination.
“It was an honour. You kind of go about doing your thing, your day to day stuff, and you don’t really do it for the accolades,” said Mann.
The Red Deer resident has been with the Red Deer Royals marching show band since 2004, and in the director position since 2012.
The band was in Ireland for the group’s 50th anniversary this summer and performed at various venues. They placed well and won in many categories in the Celtic Band Festival.
The Royals are made up of musicians between 11 and 21 years old, representing about 20 schools in the area. Apart from developing musical skills, the students also learn about team work, discipline, commitment and respect as part of their band experience, said Mann.
Mann is a teacher at Ecole Camille J. Lerouge School in Red Deer.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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