Come and learn about leadership from a university/community leader during our 18:83 Speaker Series!  Each session will be at 2:30pm on a Wednesday in the Memorial Union (1st floor Social Stair).  Each speaker will be focusing on leadership and personal/professional development for students.

This week's speaker is Rob Brooks, who is the Associate Director of Bands at the University of North Dakota, where he is the Director of the “Pride of the North” Athletic Bands and Director of the 1:00 Jazz Ensemble. 

A native of Oklahoma, he attended the University of Oklahoma where he received his Bachelors of Music Education degree. He then attended New Mexico State University for his Masters of Music degree in conducting where he served as Assistant Director of the Marching Band, Director of the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Bands and Director of the 1:00 Jazz Ensemble.  After completing his degree at NMSU, Professor Brooks was Assistant Director of Bands for the Dalhart Independent School District in Dalhart, Texas where he taught the junior high and high school bands.  In 1998, Robert assumed his duties at UND and founded the “Pride of the North” Athletic Bands as well as the 1:00 Jazz Ensemble.  He has instructed graduate and undergraduate courses in instrumental literature, instrumental classroom methods and materials, and marching band techniques, as well as offering private instruction in arranging, trumpet, jazz improvisation and bass.   He also serves as a frequent guest conductor of the UND Wind Ensemble and University Band. 

In addition to his teaching duties, Professor Brooks maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator and arranger for bands throughout the upper Midwest.