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Bobby Lambert (Mount Pleasant, SC) Bobby is Director of Bands at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Originally from Cherokee, North Carolina, Mr. Lambert attended Western Carolina University to obtain his bachelor’s degree in music education and then attended the University of Massachusetts to receive a graduate assistantship and a Master of Music Degree in saxophone performance.
From 2001 until 2013, Mr. Lambert was the assistant band director at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois, where he enjoyed great success in both the marching and concert arena. The marching band was a consistent finalist at the Bands of America Grand National Championships and a repeat winner of the Class 2A National Championship. At the state level, the band continued its winning streak as the Class Champion for the State of Illinois Marching Band Championship that began in 1980. Under his direction, the Concert Band at Marian found great success in performance assessment, consistently receiving superior ratings and being named overall champion at The State of the Art Catholic Concert Band Festival and class champion at The Illinois State University Concert Competition and The University of Illinois SuperState Concert Festival.
In 2005, he founded the school-wide leadership program at Marian, designing the curriculum and coordinating its implementation to over 1200 students with over 50 faculty members. Drawn from the world of business, finance, and psychology, the leadership program curriculum gives every student practical experience with communication skills, group dynamics, and ethical leadership.
Since 1997, Mr. Lambert has directed student leadership camps around the country. In 2013, Mr. Lambert headed the inaugural Bands of America Drum Major Institute at Ball State University as part of the BOA Summer Camp. This contemporary camp brings the most experienced staff and the latest information to student leaders from across the country. Over 1000 high school students participate in various leadership programs with Mr. Lambert each summer. In 2017, he started the Charleston Band Director Institute, which brings high school and middle school conductors to the campus of Wando to work with high school students and clinicians, such as Greg Bimm, on the art and craft of band direction.
In addition to serving as a consultant with several programs across the country, Mr. Lambert has worked with the All-American Marching Band sponsored by the U.S. Army and the Bands of America Honor Band in the Tournament of Roses Parade. He has also served as guest conductor for honor bands in several states including Texas, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and Illinois.
The Bands of Wando have continued to thrive under the direction of Mr. Lambert and his fellow directors. Since his arrival in 2014, the marching band has won every state championship for which it has competed (2015, 2017, and 2019) and placed at BOA Grand National Championship each appearance (2014 – 7th, 2016 – 8th, 2018 – 6th). The concert bands have performed at the South Carolina Music Educators Association Professional Development Conference (2017), the University of South Carolina Band Clinic (2017), and the prestigious Midwest Clinic (2019). As a program, the Bands of Wando has seen the highest numbers of All-State membership every year along with consistent membership in the Music for All Orchestra, Honor Band, and Jazz Band of America. The jazz bands have earned consistent superior ratings and also performed at the SCMEA Conference (2018).
Mr. Lambert’s professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu, ASBDA, NAfME, and Phi Mu Alpha. He has been honored with an induction to the Marian Catholic Fine Arts Hall of Fame in 2013 and voted a Chicagoland Outstanding Music Educator in 2009. He now lives in South Carolina with his family.