Northwest High School Honor Band

Rickey H. Badua is Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, teaches beginning & instrumental conducting, and oversees all aspects of the wind studies program. His scholarly research involves championing new wind band repertoire and studying the globalization of the wind band medium. Dr. Badua’s most current research project involves exploring the wind band developments of Australia and Asia.

Dr. Badua is active as a presenter and guest conductor throughout the U.S. and abroad including appearances at the Midwest Clinic International Band & Orchestra Conference, Oxford Conducting Institute, College Band Directors National Conference, California All-State Music Educators Conference, Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association Conference, Georgia Music Educator’s Association Conference, and the National Association for Music Education-Northwest Division Conference; his most notable engagements include being one of the first American conductors to guest conduct the Admiralty Navy Band of St. Petersburg, Russia and being selected as finalist for The American Prize in Wind Conducting Competition. He has guest conducted in Australia, Spain, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and Russia.

Dr. Janet Kim is the Director of Wind Bands and Coordinator of Large Instrumental Ensembles at the University of Connecticut. In this role, they conduct the UConn Symphonic Wind Ensemble and teach courses in Woodwind Techniques, advanced instrumental conducting, instrumental pedagogy, and wind literature. Additionally, they oversee graduate studies in wind conducting.

Prior to this position, Dr. Kim served as the Director of Instrumental Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Nebraska Wesleyan University. They earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from The Herb Alpert School of Music at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Kim also holds a Master of Arts degree in Instrumental Conducting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Jazz Studies, magna cum laude, from Montclair State University. Their primary conducting mentors include Dr. Travis J. Cross, Dr. Timothy A. Paul, Dr. Jason Worzbyt, and Dr. Shelley Axelson.

Dr. Kim’s career began as a band director and conductor at Northern Valley Demarest High School, later continuing as a band director at several other public schools in New Jersey. They led ensembles that performed at Region and District Band Festivals, earning gold and silver ratings. During their graduate studies at UCLA, Dr. Kim developed a strong interest in audio technology and electronic music. While in Los Angeles, they served as the Associate Director of the Peninsula Symphonic Winds in San Pedro, CA, and successfully led a fully virtual ensemble through the pandemic. In recognition of their expertise, UCLA hired Dr. Kim to teach Audio Technology 101.

An active guest conductor and clinician, Dr. Kim has worked with honor bands, clinics, workshops, and festivals across the United States, Canada, and South Korea. They are a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and access in music education. Dr. Kim presented on incorporating diversified programming practices at the 2022 Nebraska State Bandmasters Association conference and has written articles on the impact of diversifying music programming for the California Band Directors Association. They have also been interviewed for several podcasts discussing the tokenism of BIPOC composers and the importance of visibility. Dr. Kim’s work in quality programming was featured at The Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. Recently, they joined the Carnegie Hall Music Educator initiative, where they lead workshops on the impact of intentional programming for music educators nationwide.