Meet Yamaha Master Educator Richard Floyd
Richard Floyd is the State Director of Music Emeritus at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a recognized authority on the art and craft of teaching and making music. He is an ideal director for honor ensembles or lecturer at staff development days and MEA events. Floyd specializes in challenging student ensembles and music educators alike to reach their highest level of craft and artistry.
When directors have the opportunity to work with the incomparable Richard Floyd, it doesn’t take long to discover that it is his commitment to artistry and passion for the art of making music that are what define him as a conductor. He believes making music is core to our human experience. Floyd is unique in that he continually creates artistic, musical connections for every level of music-maker, whether they are in a middle school, high school, collegiate or an adult ensemble.
Sharing his passion for the art of making music with students and fellow educators is one of Floyd’s greatest joys. Directors who have the opportunity to see him work with an ensemble observe an uplifting, artistic rehearsal. He desires to lead educators to view what they do as their calling — passion-filled, with art, beauty and inspiration — instead of merely a job.
One of the key distinctions to Floyd’s conducting and teaching is that he leads musicians to uncover the art that is inherent in each piece of quality literature by encouraging them to think and make discoveries on their own. In doing so, Floyd provides an enlightening experience where music makers create their own artful decisions and subsequently enjoy the rewarding feeling that comes with a sense of ownership of those choices in performing with others.
A few of Richard Floyd’s session titles are:
- To Be a Better Teacher, Be a Better Conductor
- Pathways to a Happy Workshop
- What They See is What You Get
- The Seven Deadly Sins of Music-Making
- Getting to the Art of the Matter
- Hear It, Feel It, Fix It
- Fail Safe Fixes for Frequently Frustrating Flaws
- The Music You Play Matters
- Do You Hear What I Hear?
- The “Three Es” of a Productive Rehearsal: Efficient, Effective and Engaging
- Getting It Correct Don’t Make It Right
To learn more about clinics by Richard Floyd, please contact Jalissa Gascho at jgascho@yamaha.com.