Author Archives: podium

Installation of Gamma Eta at New Mexico State University

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Brothers:

I’m pleased to announce the installation (reactivation) of the Gamma Eta Chapter (#79) at New Mexico State University. This is the first installation of the biennium.

Beta Lambda Chapter from Eastern New Mexico University served as the advising chapter, and Mr. Dustin Seifert (Director of Bands, Eastern New Mexico) served as the advising person. A large contingent from the Gamma Iota Chapter at the University of New Mexico was also present. Others in attendance include alumni brothers from Alpha Psi (West Texas A&M) and Alpha Iota (Univ. of Colorado). Over 40 people attended the event.

Officers in attendance included SWD Vice President Justin Chesak. Mr. Steve Nelson, National Executive Director, served as the Installing Officer.

The newly elected officers of the Gamma Eta Chapter are:

President:  Julianne Brittany Guiterrez

Vice President:  Jennifer Guerrero Flores

Secretary: Antoinette Regine Gucela

Treasurer:  Courtney Marie Lucero

Sergeant at Arms:  Daniel DeJesus Flores

Member-at-Large: Enoeka Sara Abasumoh

Sponsor:  Ingrid Larragoity-Martin

DOB:  Dr. Christopher Hughes

Please send notes of congratulations to the new Chapter President Julianne Guiterrez at jbgut17@nmsu.edu.

Congratulations to Gamma Eta! Welcome to the brotherhood!

AEA,

Evan L. Thompson
National Vice President for Colonization & Membership
Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity

Northeast District Governor Announcement

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Brothers of the Northeast District –

I am pleased to announce to you the individuals that will serve as Northeast District Governors for the upcoming 2015-2017 biennium.

Marie Burleigh will return in her role as a Northeast District Governor.  You all have worked with her throughout the past several years, and I know that Marie is excited to continue in this role.  She is a valuable resource to the active members of the Northeast District, and I am confident that she is going to continue to help guide the district officers and the entire district as the NED continues to Strive for the Highest.  Additionally, Marie serves as a valuable member of the national leadership team in this capacity.

I am pleased to announced that joining Ms. Burleigh as an NED Governor will be Mr. John Leonard.  Mr. Leonard currently serves as the associate director of bands at Northeastern University in Boston, MA where he is the Director of the Pep Band, Director of the Concert Band, and manages several administrative tasks within the department including the scholarship program.  For the past several years John worked alongside DCI Hall of Fame recipients George N. Parks and Thomas P. Hannum, writing music for and instructing the Power and Class of New England, the UMass Marching Band, and served as the Director of the UMass Hoop Band from 2008 until 2012.  John is an honorary member of the Epsilon Nu chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi at UMass, and the Delta Delta chapter of Tau Beta Sigma at UMass.  He is also the sponsor of the Nu Theta chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi at Northeastern University.

If you would like to send a congratulatory e-mail or an introduction, you may reach John at jo.leonard@neu.edu.

I look forward to seeing the great things the Northeast District will continue to accomplish.  The work of your district officers and governors will help push this district to new heights.  Remember, tour work matters, band matters, and Kappa Kappa Psi Matters.

AEA,

Jack Lee

National President

Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity

www.kkpsi.org

Kappa Kappa Psi Mourns The Loss of Dr. David Oakley

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David OakleyKappa Kappa Psi joins The University Missouri – Rolla college band community in mourning the loss of Dr. David Oakley, who passed away on September 10, 2015. Dr. Oakley served as a professor of music at UMR for 33 years before his retirement.  Dr. Oakley’s involvement in Kappa Kappa Psi began in 1960 with an honorary membership in the Delta Gamma chapter.

However, his involvement was not limited strictly to the UMR campus, Dr. Oakley also served as District V Governor (1975-77), National Secretary/Treasurer (1977-79), National Vice President (1979-1981) and as the installing officer for a number of chapters including Eta Upsilon, Theta Rho, and Eta Pi.  As a cap to his service, Dr. Oakley was elected to the position of National President of Kappa Kappa Psi in August 1981. During the 1981-83 biennium, a formal chapter visitation program was instituted. At Dr. Oakley’s request, the position of Second Vice President (currently known as the Vice President for Professional Relations) was restored to provide visibility with the band profession. Dr. Oakley addressed the idea of ‘long life’ in a prospective member’s thinking, emphasizing full participation in college band and the fraternity until graduation.

Dr. Oakley presided over the 32nd Biennial Convention in 1983 at Texas Tech University. Robert Jager’s Stars and Stripes Variations received its premiere performance by the National Intercollegiate Band in the University Center. Dr. Donald Hunsberger served as guest conductor and James Sudduth provided support as the host conductor.

Full obituary available here

2015-2016 Chapter Personnel Report Information

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DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL FALL 2015 MAILER

The Chapter Personnel Report for your chapter for the 2015-2016 school year is now available for submission in the Online Membership & Reporting System.  The names that are pre-populated on this form are members who were active during the 2014-2015 academic year and persons reported as initiates during 2014-2015. Use the “Members to Add” section for any additional names that were missing from the list.  (If a member is transferring in to your chapter, please contact Aaron Moore at hqacc@kkytbs.org prior to submitting your Chapter Personnel Report to verify their status and have their name added to your report.)  If you have Initiate Registration Forms that are still pending in the OMRS, those will need to be completed before your new members are available to be added to the Chapter Personnel Report. Be sure to fill out the membership status of each person listed, even if it is “inactive” or “alumni”.

2.      Prior to beginning the Chapter Personnel Report, please ask each of your members to log in to the OMRS to check their name, address, and graduation date for any needed corrections.

3.      The Online Membership & Reporting System will automatically determine whether your submitted forms are to be considered Early, On-time, or Late based on the date that the form is submitted to National Headquarters for processing.  For Chapter Personnel Reports, Chapter Personnel Updates, Initiate Registration Forms and Honorary Initiation Forms, signed summary pages and fees must also be postmarked by the following deadlines or the status of the submission will be changed to Late regardless of when the online form was stepped to a status of “Form & Payment Sent to National Headquarters.”

4.      Summary Page: After the approval of the Director of Bands your reports and forms will show a status of either “Submitted to Headquarters” or “DOB Approved, Pending Collection of Fees”.  If the form shows the “DOB Approved, Pending Collection of Fees” status, you will need to update the status to “Form & Payment Sent to National Headquarters” in the OMRS. At this point, you will need to print the Summary Page and gather signatures from the listed Active, Conditional, Associate or Initiate Members to verifying that each has read, understands, and agrees to abide by the policies of their organization. The signed Summary Page, along with any required payment, is then mailed to National Headquarters before the forms postmark deadlines to not be considered late

5.      Deadlines for all forms:

 

Submission Status

Deadlines

Chapter Personnel Report

(semester schools)

Form & Payment Sent to National Headquarters

Status:  September 30

Postmark:  September 30

Chapter Personnel Update

(semester schools)

Form & Payment Sent to National Headquarters

This form is only for status changes after dues have been submitted using a Chapter Personnel Report.

Chapter Personnel Report

(quarter schools)

Form & Payment Sent to National Headquarters

Status:  October 15

Postmark:  October 15

Chapter Personnel Update

(quarter schools)

Form & Payment Sent to National Headquarters

Status:  October 15

Postmark:  October 15

Initiate Registration

 

Form & Payment Sent to National Headquarters

Status:  within 30 days of 3rd Degree

Postmark:  within 30 days of 3rd Degree

Honorary Initiation         

Form & Payment Sent to National Headquarters

Status:  within 30 days of 3rd Degree

Postmark:  within 30 days of 3rd Degree

Fall Activity Report             

DOB Approved, Submitted to Headquarters

Status:  December 1

Chapter Summary Report

DOB Approved, Submitted to Headquarters

Status:  June 1

Graduating Senior Report

DOB Approved, Submitted to Headquarters

Status:  within 30 days of graduation

Officer & Chapter Update

DOB Approved, Transaction Completed

As soon as possible after elections.  For beginning of the year elections, you should wait to submit until after the Chapter Personnel Report is Transaction Confirmed / Completed

6.      CHAPTER FEE & MEMBER DUES:  It is encouraged that fees and dues, along with correctly completed forms, should be submitted on or before SEPTEMBER 15th* of each year. Chapters that do not complete their online submission and postmark their signed summary page and fees by September 30th will immediately be placed on probation, their Chapter Personnel Report will be considered late, and the Chapter will be assessed a late fee of twenty-five percent (25%) of the total member dues and chapter fee; see the table below for amounts.   Chapters that do not pay by January 1 will be suspended and may be removed from the roster of active chapters.

.

The fee schedule for Kappa Kappa Psi is as follows:

On-Time

Late

Chapter Fee

$75.00

$93.75

Member Dues

$100.00

$125.00

Initiate Fees

$110.00

$137.50

Honorary Fee

$50.00

$62.50

 

*  Chapters at schools that start after September 15 should  report their dues by October 1 (late fees wills be due if the report is submitted after October 15)

and will need to include proof from their university of their late starting date. 

7.      INITIATE FEES (an important reminder): An Initiate Registration Form must be submitted through the OMRS, and the signed summary page and fees must be postmarked within thirty (30) days of initiation.  Failure to submit the fees within the thirty (30) day period will result in a twenty-five percent (25%) late fee being assessed on the total number of initiates. If the late fee is not included, there will be a delay in processing the initiates; see the above table for amounts.

8.      A detailed guide to using the OMRS can be found online at http://www.kkytbs.org/forms/OMRS Guidebook v2.0.pdf.  If you have any additional questions concerning the OMRS, please feel free to contact National Headquarters.

9.   Finally, I encourage you all to take care of your administrative and financial responsibilities on-time, or better yet, early!  By doing so, you enable your Headquarters Staff to focus on providing better service to you, rather than tracking down chapters who have procrastinated on their administrative and financial obligations.  You will also be better able to devote your time and energy to serving your band program and to enjoying the experience of being a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi.

Remember, Kappa Kappa Psi Matters!

Have a terrific year!

Jack D. Lee, III

National President

2015-2017 Southeast District Governor Appointment

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Brothers of the Southeast District –

I am pleased to announce to you the individuals that will serve as Southeast District Governors for the upcoming 2015-2017 biennium.

Dr. Craig Aarhus will return in his role as a Southeast District Governor.  You all have worked with him throughout the past several years, and I know that Craig is excited to continue in this role.  He is a valuable resource to the active members of the Southeast District, and I am confident that is going to continue to help guide the district officers and the entire district as the SED continues to Strive for the Highest.

As you all know, the election of past SED Governor Evan Thompson as Kappa Kappa Psi’s National Vice President for Colonization and Membership leaves a vacancy in the SED Governor position.  I have worked closely with Dr. Aarhus and Vice President Thompson to select an individual that will complement the momentum the SED currently has.

I am pleased to announced that joining Dr. Aarhus as a SED Governor will be Latrondrick Hunter.  Tron is no stranger to the SED.  Tron comes to us with great experiences; experiences that will definitely help him in his new governor role.  He was initiated in to the Zeta Eta chapter at South Carolina State University in 2010.  He is a recipient of the J. Lee Burke Student Achievement Award.  After receiving his Instrumental Bachelor of Arts degree, Tron began graduate work at Alabama A&M University in pursuit of a Masters of Music Education degree.  There he operated as the Drill/Show Coordinator.  His duties included creating field designs and producing and arranging halftime show concepts.  Currently, Tron contributes to the world of music by producing marching band field shows for high school and collegiate band programs across the Southeast.

If you would like to send a congratulatory e-mail or an introduction, you may reach Tron at lhunter6@gmail.com.

I look forward to seeing the great things the Southeast District will continue to accomplish.  Your work matters, band matters, and Kappa Kappa Psi Matters.

AEA,

Jack

—

Jack Lee

National President

Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band  Fraternity

www.kkpsi.org

Founded in 1919 at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Kappa Kappa Psi is the leading fraternity solely dedicated to supporting and developing college and university band programs. Kappa Kappa Psi has affiliation with over 210 college and university campuses across the United States of America. Guided by our values, mission and ritual, Kappa Kappa Psi is purposefully working towards our vision; With a dedicated spirit of unity and cooperation, we are unequivocally committed to become the world standard of excellence for band fraternal organizations. Collectively, Kappa Kappa Psi members are inspiring one another and all college band members to Strive for the Highest.

Notification of Dues Increase

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Just a few short weeks ago, the National Chapters met at the 2015 National Convention to participate in numerous leadership development activities, elect our new National Council and Board of Trustees members, and to attend to other business of the Fraternity/Sorority.  Over the next month, you will receive further updates about the changes to come out of convention, but we wanted to call your attention to one change that will begin to affect members immediately.

The 2015-2017 biennial budget for each organization was reviewed and approved by the Ways & Means Committee and then adopted by the majority of the National Chapter in attendance in Lexington.  After a period of six years with no dues increase, both organizations have voted to raise dues and initiate fees by $15 effective for the 2015-2016 school year.  This increase is to cover the growth of the organization, allow for increased development of our programs, and to support several capital improvement projects at our National Headquarters properties.  The following table lists all chapter and membership fees for the 2015-17 biennium:

Active, Conditional, Associate Membership Dues

$100.00 (On-Time)

$125.00 (Late)

Initiate Fees

$110.00 (On-Time)

$137.50 (Late)

Chapter Fee

$75.00 (On-Time)

$93.75 (Late)

Honorary Initiation Fees

$50.00 (On-Time)

$62.50 (Late)

It is important that all chapter officers check to see if they have any pending forms in the OMRS.  These fee changes will go into effect on Friday 8/14.  Once the fees are updated in the OMRS, all pending forms with a balance due will be updated to the current fee structure listed above.

Mourning The Loss of Professor Robert D. Jorgensen

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Robert D. Jorgensen

Kappa Kappa Psi joins The University of Akron college band community in mourning the loss of Professor Robert D. Jorgensen, who passed away on July 4, 2015. Director of Bands at The University of Akron for 26 years and as Director of Bands Emeritus since his retirement in 2013, Jorgensen also held the titles of Professor of Music as well as Assistant Director of the School of Music. Since 2006, Mr. Jorgensen has served as musical director/conductor of The Freedom Brass Band of Northeast Ohio.

During his tenure at Akron, the University of Akron Symphonic Band was invited to perform at 11 conferences of the Ohio Music Education Association, the 1992 conference of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA); the 1998 CBDNA conference; the 2003 American Bandmasters Association Convention; and the 2004 CBDNA conference. Under his direction, the UA Symphonic Band also performed at Severance Hall in Cleveland in April 2003, followed by a 2008 European tour.

Professor Jorgensen has been widely honored as a music educator and conductor. He received the Outstanding Bandmasters Award from Phi Beta Mu, International Bandmasters Fraternity, in 1999 and the Citation of Excellence Award from the National Band Association in 1981. In 1992, Kappa Kappa Psi honored Professor Jorgensen with the A. Frank Martin Award. Recently, Mr. Jorgensen received unanimous support from his colleagues for the distinction of Professor Emeritus at The University of Akron. He was also honored on December 6, 2013 as a recipient of The University of Akron Honorary Alumni Award.

Mr. Jorgensen has appeared as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator throughout the United States and, in 2009, he was invited to serve as an adjudicator for the St. Patricks Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland. He has held professional memberships in the The American Bandmasters Association, (past president), National Band Association, Mid-American Conference Band Directors Association (past president), College Band Directors National Association, NAfME – The National Association for Music Education, Ohio Music Education Association, and Phi Beta Mu. Mr. Jorgensen was also an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi (Zeta Omicron) and Tau Beta Sigma (Epsilon Iota).

Mr. Jorgensen earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree from Michigan State University. He was euphonium soloist with the United States Army Field Band in Washington, D.C. from 1969-1972. Prior to joining the faculty at The University of Akron in 1987, Professor Jorgensen had served on the faculty at Morehead State University in Morehead, KY and had also served as Director of Bands at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, TX.

Professor Jorgensen’s work as a dedicated and devoted musician and educator lives on through the thousands of students he taught and influenced throughout his career.

2015-2017 Western District Governors

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Brothers of the Western District –

I am pleased to announce to you the individuals that will serve as Western District Governors for the upcoming 2015-2017 biennium.

Current WD Governors, James Llamas and James Hudson,  will not return as governors for the upcoming biennium. Both James Llamas and James Hudson has been exceptional members of the Kappa Kappa Psi National Leadership team.  Their professional life is embedded in the work that we do within Kappa Kappa Psi – bands.  Through those efforts, each of them will continue to live the mission and vision of our Fraternity.  I wish them both the best of luck in their future, and I wanted to publicly thank them for their tireless efforts as a WD Governor.

Serving as the Western District governors will be Lance Coochyouma and Charlene Ronne.

Charlene Ronne was initiated into the Brotherhood on April 10, 2009 as part of the Lambda Alpha Chapter at the University of California, Irvine. There she pursued and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in History while playing tenor saxophone and trombone in the UC Irvine Anteater Pep Band and the UC Irvine Wind Ensemble. During her time as an active Brother, Charlene was elected to the offices of Chapter Treasurer, Vice-President, and President. Additionally, during her senior year she was elected Western District President of Kappa Kappa Psi and received the honor of being a J. Lee Burke Student Achievement Award winner.

Lance is a two-term WD president, and served on the WD Council for four years.  Lance was initiated in to the Gamma Kappa chapter at Northern Arizona University in the spring semester of 2001.  He served as drum major there for three years, and then transferred to the University of Arizona where he was an active member of the Omega chapter and served as color guard captain.  He is a life member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.  Lance is also a recipient of the J. Lee Burke Student Achievement Award.

I am confident that Lance and Charlene are going to be an exceptional team, and that we can expect nothing other than excellence from the Western District.  As I have heard many times: The best are in the West, and I know that we can expect this to continue.

If you would like to send a congratulatory e-mail or an introduction, you may reach Lance at lance@kkpsi.org and Charlene may be reached atcharleneronne@kkpsi.org.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Lexington, KY this summer for the 2015 National Convention.

AEA,

Jack

—

Jack Lee
National Vice President for Colonization and Membership
Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band  Fraternity
www.kkpsi.org

Founded in 1919 at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Kappa Kappa Psi is the leading fraternity solely dedicated to supporting and developing college and university band programs. Kappa Kappa Psi has affiliation with over 210 college and university campuses across the United States of America. Guided by our values, mission and ritual, Kappa Kappa Psi is purposefully working towards our vision; With a dedicated spirit of unity and cooperation, we are unequivocally committed to become the world standard of excellence for band fraternal organizations. Collectively, Kappa Kappa Psi members are inspiring one another and all college band members to Strive for the Highest. 

2015-2017 Southwest District Governors

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Brothers of the Southwest District –

I am pleased to announce to you the individuals that will serve as Southwest District Governors for the upcoming 2015-2017 biennium.  I have determined that for the Southwest District that we will move forward with three district governors.  This will help the governors in their responsibilities of assisting the district officers, chapters, and individual brothers in a district that has over 60 active chapters.

Current SWD Governor, John Graham, will not return as a governor for the upcoming biennium. John has been an exceptional member of the Kappa Kappa Psi national leadership team.  His band program at The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff continues to excel under his leadership.  I wish him the best of luck in his future, and I wanted to publicly thank him for his tireless efforts as a SWD Governor.

 

Toni Castle will return in her role as a Southwest District Governor.  You all have worked with her throughout the past several years, and I know that Toni is excited to continue in this role.

Joining Toni will be Clinton Wieden.  Clinton is no stranger to the SWD.  Clinton’s involvement in Kappa Kappa Psi began in late 2001, when he was initiated as part of the Zeta Delta class of the Alpha chapter. He held multiple chapter and district offices, including two terms as the Southwest District President. His service as an active member saw him twice honored as Alpha’s “Brother of the Year,” and the Fraternity recognized his contributions by awarding him the J. Lee Burke Student Achievement Award in 2006.  He has also served in the past as a member of the HQ staff, and is a Life Member of both Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.

Also joining the SWD Governor team is Kalem Graham.  Kalem is the current Assistant Director of Bands at Langston University.  Kalem was initiated in to the Zeta Psi chapter at Virginia State University on February 20, 2003 and is also a Life Member of the Fraternity.  He previously served as Northeast District Member-at-Large.  Professionally, Kalem has served as Director of Bands at Franklin City Public School, as a graduate assistant at Radford University, and now as Assistant Director of Bands at Langston University.

 

If you would like to send a congratulatory e-mail or an introduction, you may reach Toni at tonicastle@kkpsi.org.  Clinton can be reached at wieden@kkpsi.org.  You can reach Kalem at kograham@langston.edu.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Lexington, KY this summer for the 2015 National Convention.

AEA,

Jack
—

Jack Lee
National Vice President for Colonization and Membership
Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band  Fraternity
www.kkpsi.org

Founded in 1919 at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Kappa Kappa Psi is the leading fraternity solely dedicated to supporting and developing college and university band programs. Kappa Kappa Psi has affiliation with over 210 college and university campuses across the United States of America. Guided by our values, mission and ritual, Kappa Kappa Psi is purposefully working towards our vision; With a dedicated spirit of unity and cooperation, we are unequivocally committed to become the world standard of excellence for band fraternal organizations. Collectively, Kappa Kappa Psi members are inspiring one another and all college band members to Strive for the Highest.

2015-2017 North Central District Governors

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Brothers of the North Central District –

At the 2015 NCD Convention, District Governor, Rod Whiteman, announced that he would not return as a governor for the upcoming biennium.  On behalf of the entire national leadership team, I want to publicly thank Rod for his outstanding work as a district governor.  He has had an opportunity to directly impact the leadership, development, and personal growth of countless brothers throughout the last 10 years.  He has done this in such a positive manner.

North Central District Governor Ishbah Cox will return in his position as an NCD Governor.

With Rod leaving the governor position, I have been working on selecting a replacement.  I am pleased to announce that filling the role of NCD Governor for the 2015-2017 biennium will be Jason Mlady.

Jason has a strong background in Kappa Kappa Psi.  He is a life member of the Gamma Pi chapter, and has previously served as the NCD President.  He has also served on the national level as a committee chair and committee member for various committees.  In 2013 he was awarded the J. Lee Burke Student Achievement Award.  Jason has a passion for Kappa Kappa Psi, and I am confident that he will continue the excellent work that we have seen from brothers of the NCD.

If you would like to send a congratulatory e-mail or an introduction, you may reach Jason at jasonmlady@kkpsi.org.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Lexington, KY this summer for the 2015 National Convention.

AEA,

Jack

—

Jack Lee
National Vice President for Colonization and Membership
Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band  Fraternity
www.kkpsi.org

Founded in 1919 at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Kappa Kappa Psi is the leading fraternity solely dedicated to supporting and developing college and university band programs. Kappa Kappa Psi has affiliation with over 210 college and university campuses across the United States of America. Guided by our values, mission and ritual, Kappa Kappa Psi is purposefully working towards our vision; With a dedicated spirit of unity and cooperation, we are unequivocally committed to become the world standard of excellence for band fraternal organizations. Collectively, Kappa Kappa Psi members are inspiring one another and all college band members to Strive for the Highest.