Owego resident pens music textbook  

Owego, N.Y. resident, Robin Linaberry, a retired Director of Music at Maine-Endwell High School, is the author of a textbook published in April of this year by Routledge, a publisher of professional and academic books. 

Entitled “Strategies, Tips, and Activities for the Effective Band Director (Targeting Student Engagement and Comprehension),” the book offers practical and comprehensive ideas and solutions for band directors, as well as is an effective guide for students. 

Linaberry has ties to northeast Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York.  He grew up in Monroeton, Pa. and graduated from Towanda High School.  Following college, he was a student teacher at Northeast Bradford School District in Rome, Pa. and the Waverly, N.Y. School District, and also taught at Williamson High School in Tioga, Pa. 

Today, Linaberry is an award-winning band conductor that frequently serves as a clinician, guest conductor, and consultant.  He currently holds the seat of N.Y.S. Chair for The National Band Association and is the conductor of the award-winning Southern Tier Concert Band. He previously worked as Head Director for the American Music Abroad “Red Tour,” and held Adjunct Conductor / Teaching positions at Ithaca College, Binghamton University, and SUNY-Broome.  

The recipient of several honors and recognitions throughout his career, Linaberry was named the N.Y.S. Band Directors Association “Outstanding Band Director” and received the N.Y.S. School Music Association “Outstanding Contribution to Music Education” Award, among many others.

Regarding his retirement from Maine-Endwell, Linaberry said, “I could have stayed longer, but the timing was important for family reasons.”

Linaberry explained that he stepped up to care for both his mother and mother-in-law during their final years of life, and while his wife continued to work as an elementary school teacher. He is pleased that he was able to devote that precious time and be a familiar presence for their needs. 

Retirement was then redefined, and Linaberry decided he wanted to offer more to the world of music and his fellow band directors by sharing his experiences.    

“If there is a bucket list, writing this book is it,” Linaberry said.

The original concept was to simply share PDF documents with fellow music friends, but suddenly as the content expanded, the project grew, and before he knew it a book was born. 

Two publishers rejected the book, but offered positive feedback and recommendations for other publishers where they felt the book was better suited. Linaberry found Routledge to be that publisher. 

Since publication, Linaberry learned via Routledge that a variety of schools received an e-book version from the publisher. He was excited to find out that Graceland University in Iowa selected the book for their fall course schedule and that 82 other universities are now evaluating it for their spring courses.  In turn, Linaberry has received positive feedback about the book from various professionals in the field.

Linaberry remarked, “Nearly every idea presented in the book can be implemented immediately.”

Readers will find an illustrated book filled with an abundance of ideas from Linaberry’s three decades of experience that help to solve teaching problems and meet rehearsal goals, while filling the instructional toolkit. Chapters include Warm-Ups, Score Study, Tone Quality, Ensemble Balance, Rhythm, Meter and Tempo, Intonation and Tuning, Percussion, and more.

Contributing writers include Daniel Fabricius, former Owego Free Academy Director of Bands and Christian Carichner from Iowa State University.

Fabricius, a long-time friend of Linaberry’s, is now the Conductor of the University Wind Symphony at Binghamton University. Fabricius wrote Chapter 12, “Conducting the School Jazz Ensemble.”

Carichner, a Horseheads High School and Ithaca College graduate, is a well-known collegiate conductor and the Director of the Iowa State Marching Band.  Carichner wrote Chapter 11, “The School Marching Band Program.” 

Linaberry and Fabricius go back a few decades to their Mansfield University and Ithaca College days. From playing in bands together, such as Classy Brass, and performing at wedding parties and even with a house band at a 2000 presidential rally held at the Fountains Pavilion, or in featured bands at the Ice Capades in Binghamton, today they share their passion and wisdom for music and conducting with students and other individuals at various stages of their careers.

You can find more information at https://www.robinlinaberrymusic.com or visit www.routledge.com/Strategies-Tips-and-Activities-for-the-Effective-Band-Director-Targeting/Linaberry/p/book/9780367472184.