A special award of
The John Philip Sousa
Foundation
Leonard Ingrande has been the band director of Central High School in Fresno, California for the last 14 years. Prior to arriving at Central, he had served as the Music Specialist for the San Diego Unified School District. He also taught at the middle school, high school and college levels.
Ingrande earned both his Bachelor of Music Education and his Masters in Conducting from the University of Southern California.
He has as President of the Central Section of the CMEA as well as the CMEA Jazz Representative and the CMEA Representative for Stand Up for Music.
The Bandworld Legion of Honor was established in 1989 to honor, over the course of a year, eight of the finest band directors in our business.
Recipients have taught for at least fifteen years, have maintained a very high-quality concert band program, and have contributed significantly to the profession through dedication to bands and band music.
Each is honored at the annual Sousa Foundation awards ceremony during the Midwest Band Clinic in Chicago, Illinois.
Chairman of the Legion of Honor Committee is Terry Austin, Virginia Commonwealth University.
His groups continually earn Superior and Unanimous Superior Ratings at the CMEA and District Music Festivals. They were also FIrst Place Gold in the Heritage Music Festival in Seattle, WA.
Ingrande says, ” I have been performing since the age of nine. I have played in concert halls, rock bands, jazz bands, chamber ensembles,I have conducted classical and pop concerts. I believe it shaped me become a better teacher. Since that age, I have had great Mentors and teachers in High School and college who had high standards and expectations, who held me accountable. But, they treated me with respect and patience. I strive every day to give my students what my mentors, teachers, and peers gave to me.”
His philosophy is this,”I believe that music is an essential part of a students education. It is also my belief that all students should have the right to an education in music, which provides them with a lifelong joy through singing or playing an instrument. Music Education allows students to grow musically, socially and intellectually using the objectives of cultural education, music education, school, and community service. To quote Dykema and Gehrkens, “the teacher teaches the children through the medium of music.”
