Barbara Buehlman: a study of her career in music education and as a pioneer of the female band director movement
The purpose of this study was to document the music education career of Barbara Buehlman, one among the first female band directors to receive national recognition. Her grade school and junior high school bands in Round Lake, Illinois were known for their excellence and were invited to perform at national conferences. Buehlman wrote numerous band arrangements, several of which are still in print and included on the repertoire lists for state festivals. Buehlman was equally well known for her work as an administrator. From 1980–1997, she served as Executive Administrator of the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic. During her tenure, the Mid-West expanded in both size and scope, becoming the largest instrumental music education conference in the world. Buehlman held similar administrative positions with the Illinois Grade School Music Association and the Northshore Concert Band. Buehlman’s career is examined as it relates to the unique female experience in the American band movement. Beginning with her college education at Northwestern University, Buehlman was denied opportunities that her male colleagues received. Later she encountered obstacles in her efforts to find a teaching position and in the publications of her arrangements. Despite these challenges, Buehlman was able to attain national recognition for her work. She was the second female to be elected to the American Bandmasters Association and to be given the Mid-West Clinic Medal of Honor. She was also the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree from VanderCook College of Music. Because of her work, the female band director had become more common by the end of her career. Numerous female band directors have acknowledged Buehlman as a role model in their careers. Her Round Lake school bands enjoyed a national reputation, and her work as both an arranger and administrator extended her impact upon music education on both the national and international level. The current study documents Buehlman’s influence on the band profession, and her status as one of the first female band directors of national renown.
Historical Research, Women in Band, Female Conductors, Band History, Biographical Study
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign