The National Band Association is pleased to announce that Ed Lisk and John Thomson (posthumous) are the 2024 recipients of the Al and Gladys Wright Distinguished Legacy Award. This award is presented for lifetime achievement rather than for a single contribution, no matter how monumental. Nominees must have a minimum of 30 years of distinguished service to the profession, supporting the mission and goals of the National Band Association, which include the promotion of the concert band and concert band music, teaching, mentorship, scholarship, and service to the band profession.
Edward S. Lisk is an internationally recognized clinician, conductor, and author. He is a graduate of Syracuse University School of Music with graduate studies at Ithaca School of
Music, Eastman School of Music, Syracuse University, and Oswego State University. Mr. Lisk served with distinction for many years as the band director at Oswego High School (NY). His many contributions to music education include authoring The Creative Director series published by Meredith Music Publications, and coauthoring the highly acclaimed 11-volume publication by GIA, Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. He is also the editor for the Edwin Franko Goldman March Series for Carl Fischer Music Publications, which include, On The Mall March, The ABA March, Bugles and Drums March, Onward-Upward March and On Parade March.
Mr. Lisk’s service to the profession includes having served as Vice President (Emeritus) of the Midwest Clinic Board of Directors and as a Past President and CEO of the John Philip Sousa Foundation. He is also a past- president of the National Band Association and served NBA as Executive Secretary Treasurer from 1997-2002. Additionally, Mr. Lisk was one of the original founders of the New York State
Band Directors Association. Mr. Lisk is an inducted member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association and in the year 2000, served as the 63rd President of this distinguished organization founded by Edwin Franko Goldman.
Called a “unique leader in the profession” and “a dynamic force in music education,” Edward S. Lisk has been invited to speak and conduct throughout the United States and abroad. His active guest-conducting schedule includes all-state bands, honor bands, university, and professional bands. Since 1985, Mr. Lisk has served as an adjunct professor, appeared as a clinician/lecturer, adjudicator, and guest conductor throughout 85 universities in 46 states, five Canadian Provinces and Australia. He has served as guest conductor for the U.S. Air Force Band, Australian Wind Symphony, U.S. Interservice Band, U.S. Army Field Band and the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.”
Mr. Lisk’s many honors include the 2009 Midwest Medal of Honor, the 2012 Phi Beta Mu International Outstanding Contributor to Bands Award, the Sudler Order of Merit from the John Philip Sousa Foundation, the New York State Band Directors Association “Outstanding Band Director Award”, the “Key to the City of Oswego”, the Oswego School District “Administrator of the Year”, the Phi Delta Kappa “Area Educator of Year”, the Oswego Classroom “Teacher of the Year”, the A. R McAllister “Distinguished Bandmaster of America”, the Greater Oswego Chamber of Commerce “Civic Award”, the 2009 Syracuse Symphony Outstanding Music Educator Award, the 2015 NBA Academy of Winds and Percussion Award (AWAPA), and distinguished member of the National Band Association Hall of Fame for Distinguished Conductors.
John A. Thomson received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in trombone performance and music education from Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied with Richard Strange and Philip Catelinet. While completing course work towards a PhD in Music Education at Northwestern University, he served for two years as a Teaching Assistant in both the Departments of Conducting and Performing Organizations and Music Education, where he studied with John Paynter and Bennett Reimer.
Mr. Thomson was the Director of Bands at East Allegheny High School near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1967 to 1981. Under his direction, East Allegheny bands presented feature performances at the 1976 Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the 1975 Music Educators National Conference Eastern Regional Meeting, two Mid-East Instrumental Music Conferences in 1973 and 1977, and three Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Conferences in 1970, 1975 and 1980.
From 1982 to 2007, Mr. Thomson was Director of Bands at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. During these years, his ensembles regularly performed with established guest conductors, accompanied well-known solo artists, and collaborated with various contemporary composers leading to sixteen world premiere performances. In 1984, the wind ensemble completed a successful concert tour of Switzerland, Germany and Holland. He conducted a New Trier Honor Band on a concert tour of Hawaii and Australia in 1998. Under his direction, New Trier wind ensembles performed at the l985 and l990 Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinics, the 1994 Music Educators National Biennial In-Service Conference, the l989, l993, 1998 and 2007 Illinois Music Educators Association All-State Conferences, the l990 Western Illinois University Band “Showcase”, the 1996 Atlanta International Band and Orchestra Conference, the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Superstate Festivals at the University of Illinois and the 2003 Chicagoland “Invitational” Concert Band Festival. The wind ensemble received the Downbeat Magazine Award for best classical instrumental ensemble (band) in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2004.
For twenty-three summers, Mr. Thomson conducted student and staff bands at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan, and conducted the camp’s 1992 International Band on their four week performance tour in Europe.
Following his New Trier retirement, he served for 10 years as an adjunct professor in music education at Roosevelt University in Chicago and observed student teachers in the field for Northwestern University and the University of Illinois.
Personal awards included several National Band Association Citations of Excellence, the American School Band Directors Association Stanbury Award, the Mr. Holland’s Opus Award (sponsored by Bob Rogers Travel), the Chicagoland Outstanding Music Educator Award (sponsored by Quinlin & Fabish Music Company), the Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Illinois Bandmaster Award and the Phi Beta Mu Illinois Band Directors Hall of Fame at Northwestern University. Additionally, Mr. Thomson had been inducted into the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Hall of Fame.
Mr. Thomson was an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association and served as that organization’s Goldman Memorial Citation Committee Chair. Additional professional affiliations included the National Band Association (Revelli Composition Award Committee), American School Band Directors Association (Past Illinois State Chair), National Association for Music Education, Illinois Music Educators Association (Past District VII Band Chair and All-State Selection Committee), Phi Beta Mu and Phi Mu Alpha.
Mr. Thomson passed away on November 12, 2024.