Brian Ingelson B.A. M.Ed. Director of Bands

Palm Springs, California 

Brian Ingelson is an educator, conductor, producer, director and international adjudicator, clinician and judge. His formal training began as a trumpet player at the Mount Royal Conservatory of Music and Speech Arts and then continued to the University of Calgary, Canada where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree, then completing his Master’s Degree with an emphasis in conducting from the University of Missouri- Columbia. Mr Ingelson taught public school in Calgary for several years in addition to instructing and conducting the Airdrie Community Band and bands of the Calgary Marching Show Band Association including being the first conductor of the Calgary Stetson Show Band. In 1994, Brian accepted a position as a Professor for both the Music and Education Departments at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Community College of Southern Nevada. The following year he and his family relocated to beautiful Palm Springs where he assumed the Director of Bands position at Palm Springs High rebuilding the band program from 18 members to more than two hundred. His bands have performed around the world in more than fifteen countries on five continents. In 2013, the Palm Springs High School band was selected from more than 2800 groups across the United States to perform at the  47th Inaugural Parade in Washington DC for President Obama. His jazz bands have performed in concert with Barry Manilow , Max Weinberg, Carol Channing, Gavin MacLeod and Suzanne Somers and has opened for legendary bands including the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Count Basie Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Harry James Orchestra, Dallas Brass, Royal Crown Revue, Stan Kenton Legacy Band, Beatles Tribute Bands, and Tim Welch as “Elvis”. Honors include the National Legion of Honor Award, multi year Finalist GRAMMY FOUNDATION® Educator of the Year, Steinway Society “For the Children” Award Recipient, several Desert Theater League Awards for Outstanding Music Director, an Alberta Achievement Award for his work with the 1988 Olympics, and has received multiple Certificates of Special Congressional Recognition from Washington D.C. Upon retirement from Palm Springs High in 2022, a statement honoring Brian and Beverley Ingelson was read into the Permanent Congressional Record by the Honorable Raul Ruiz of California and a Proclamation declared by the City of Palm Springs declaring May 18, 2022 “Beverley and Brian Ingelson Day”. He is a sanctioned judge of the World Association of Marching Show Bands (WAMSB), has hosted the 2017 World Championship in Palm Springs in 2017- the first to be held in the United States, has consulted with National and Regional Championship organizers, and has judged for National, Regional and World Championships in Canada, Germany, Spain, Britain, Colombia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. 

WIth more than forty years of experience of conducting, directing, fund-raising, traveling, producing, adjudicating, writing, and performing with students of all ages, I have been fortunate to have had a multitude of unique experiences around the world. I have always believed in serving others and hence my decision to teach and help others through music. There have been so many wonderful memories that are so uplifting when lives were changed for the better and provided. My first job was in establishing and building a program at an inner city middle school during the middle of a recession, one of only two student teachers to have been hired from a class of forty. In the course of three years, the band grew from 25 to more than 100. In my “spare time” I continued to work at a men’s fashion store and teach three bands at night and gig when time allowed. During the Winter Olympics held in 1988, I sang with the Olympic Choir and laid down the vocal tracks for the Opening Ceremony with Gary Willis and Tommy Banks, and my bands were involved with the evening medal presentations. During the games I received an invitation to pursue my Masters degree in conducting and work with Marching Mizzou at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Returning to Calgary following earning my degree I taught for four more years, made the best decision of my life marrying Bev and then growing the GP Vanier Band commissioning “They Came Sailing” by Andre Jutrus, taking them to Europe to perform, and growing the band from 160 members to 325 with a school population of 550. 

 

In 1994 we immigrated to the United States where I taught at the College of Southern Nevada and University of Nevada Las Vegas. A year later I accepted the Director of Bands position at Palm Springs High School growing the band from 18 to 220, restarting the orchestra program, performed for 4 Presidents of the United States, countless celebrities, performed with thousands of students/ judged/ taught workshops on every continent except Antartica, performed at an Inaugural Parade representing California, performed on TV for more than a billion people multiple times, helped charities that in turn helped tens of thousands of people, loved raising our three children and sharing life with my incredible wife and life partner, and hopefully helped make the world a better place. Through these experiences I was provided with opportuities to learn  and to share with others.

 

Is there a way I can help you or your organization?

 

• 2019 Ireland: St. Patricks Day Parade and Festival, Performances at Manor House, Ray D’Arcy Show, and  Dublin Parade
• 2018 London New Years Parade: Concerts at Codogan Hall and Whitehall Palace
• 2016 Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy: Performances in Sibenik, Lasko, Ljubjana, 
• 2014 China/ Taiwan: Great Wall, Youth Memorial Performances in Taiwan
• 2013 Inaugural Parade, Washington DC: Sole representative of California
• 2012 Wales, England, Scotland: Edinburgh Spring Festival
• 2009 South Africa: Capetown Hall, Gugelethu Township, Soweto, Johannesberg
• 2007 China, Olympic Music Festival:  Beijing/ Shanghai
• 2005 Australia, New Zealand: Concerts at Sydney Opera House, Auckland St Mary’s
• 2003 Denmark, Scotland: Performances at Tivoli Gardens, Prince’s Stage, International Trade  Center
• 2001 England: London New Year’s Millenial Parade, Concerts at Westminster Hall, Whitehall Palace, Trafalger Square
• 1999 Italy, France: Performances at Brianzza International Festival representing the USA, Disneyland Paris
• 1998 Australia, New Zealand: Concerts at Sydney Opera House, National Theater- Canberra, Auckland St Mary’s
• 1996 Canada- Vancouver Hyack Festival: Concert and Parade.
• 1993 England/ France: Gp Vanier Junior High School Band at the West Sussex Music Festival, Euro Disneyland- World Premiere commission “They Came Sailing” composed by Andre Jutras
• 1991 Australia-: Bishop Grandin High School: Guest Marching Director
• 1991 Canada- Ottawa, Hull, Montreal: Performance for Prime Minister of Canada, Museum and church performances

• 2022 Proceedings and Debates of the 117th Congress, First Session “Honoring Brian and Beverley Ingelson for their Decades of Service in Public Education”, Hon. Raul Ruiz, M.D. of California
• 2022 Proclamation- City of Palm Springs, California declaring May 18, 2022 “Beverley and Brian Ingelson Day”
• 2022-2001 Multiple Certificates of National Congressional Recognition
• 2022-2001 Multiple Certificates of State Senate Recognition
• 2022-2000 Multiple Certificates of California Senate Recognition
• 2022-2000 Multiple Certificates of California Assembly Recognition
• 2018 Palm Springs Certificate of Recognition- Hosting the World Association of Marching Show Bands World Championships- First event in the United States
• 2017 NAMM Support Music Special Merit Award 
• 2015 Grammy Foundation© Signature School Community Award
• 2013 Conductor, Inaugural Parade Band representing California
• 2013 Guest Conductor, Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, Chicago  
• 2012 National Legion of Honor Award recipient 
• 2011 Grammy Foundation Signature School Finalist
• 2010-2018 Desert Theater Awards: 11 nominations, 3 Best Musical Director 
• 2009 Grammy Foundation Signature School Finalist
• 2007 Family of the Year, Desert Interdenominational Church Council
• 2006-1998 Palm Springs High School Teacher of the Year
• 2004 Sam’s Club Teacher of the Year
• 2004 Conductor, California Music Educator’s Association State Conference
• 2001-2004 Who’s Who in America
• 2000-2004 Who’s Who among American Teachers
• 2000 Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year
• 1998 Soroptomist International Teacher of the Year
• 1994 President’s Citation, University of Calgary Alumni Association
• 1990 Pi Kappa Lambda, Honor Society for Men and Women in Music
• 1990 Pi Kappa Delta, elected member, Honor Society for Men and Women in Education
• 1988 Alberta Achievement Award for contribution to 1988 Olympic Games, Performing Arts

 

Additional Conducting, Performance and Judging Experience

• 2023 Fanfaronade Groitzscher Musikfest- Adjudicator- Groitzch, Germany

• 2023 WAMSB World Championships- Buckhannon, West Virginia USA- Judge/ Adjudicator/ Consultant

• 2023 Music in Motion- Judge- Calgary, Alberta, Canada

• 2023 Alberta International Music Festival- Adjudicator- Calgary, Alberta, Canada

• 2022-2019 Malaysia International Virtual Championships (WAMSB/  SEA)

• 2019 Music Judge/ Adjudicator- Medellín Marcha Musical, Colombia

• 2019 World Championships- Calgary, Alberta, Canada- General Effect (WAMSB)

• 2017 Director/ Conductor, “Palm Springs ComicCom Super Symphony”

• 2016 Music Judge/ Adjudicator - Three Kings Parade and Festival, Madrid, Spain

• 2012-2016   McCallum Theater Concert Band, Co- Conductor

• 2015 Music Judge/ Adjudicator - London Music Festival, U.K. 

• 2015 East Asia World Championships, Bogor Malaysia Judge/ Adjudicator

• 2014 Music Judge/ Adjudicator European Championships Rastade Germany, (WAMSB)

• 2013 Guest Conductor, Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic- Chicago, Vandercook Symphonic Band

• 2013 Inaugural Parade Band representing the State of California, Washington DC

• 2007 Olympic Youth Music Festival Mass Band on the Great Wall, Beijing China

• 2004  Rotary International Judge, Regional Finals

• 2001-2010    District Honor Band Concerts

• 1999  Clinician, Terrace College, Brisbane, Australia

• 1997 Judge: Western Shrine Band Association

• 1995 Trumpet: UNLV Wind Symphony Recording Session

• 1994 Judge: Star of Nevada Invitational Marching Competition

• 1991-93 “Accidentals” Adult Concert Band- Director

• 1991-92 Calgary Wind Symphony 

• 1989-90 MUMC Chancel Choir

• 1988-89 Founding Conductor: Stetson Show Band6

• 1987-88 Vocalist: 1988 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies- 1000 member Olympic Choir and 16 piece recording ensemble: Tommy Banks Producer

• 1987-89 Director, Airdrie Community Band

• 1987-89 Director, Varsity band, University of Calgary

• 1979-88 Conductor, Asst. Conductor, Instructor: Calgary Round Up Band

Musicals Conducted

Broadway Musicals utilizing a  “Pit Orchestra” with numerous awards bestowed by the Desert Theater League. These shows comprise hundreds of students and teachers that led to two week runs of these iconic shows:

Bye Bye Birdie 1997 ( Rosemary Mallet Director)

Oliver 1999 ( Rosemary Mallet Director)

Westside Story 2001* ( Rosemary Mallet Director)

The Wiz 2003 ( Rosemary Mallet Director)

Evita 2005

Les Miserables 2006 (Darien Martus Director)

Beauty and the Beast 2008 (Scott DiLorenza- Director)

The King and I* 2010 (Christina Plank- Director)

Phantom of the Opera 2011 (David Catanzarete- Director)

Hairspray 2013* (David Cantanzarete- Director)

Annie 2017 (Allyson Boylan- Director)

Bye Bye Birdie 2018 (Allyson Boylan- Director)

*denotes Winner Outstanding Musical Director, Desert Theater League

Shows Produced

• 2017 World Association of Marching Show Bands (WAMSB) World Championships- first time to be held in the United States

• 2017 Desert Oasis Health Care “Holiday Spectacular” with Gavin Macleod, Joey English, and Chase Huna

• 2016 Count Basie Orchestra with Scotty Barnhart

• 2016 Desert Oasis Health Care “Holiday Spectacular” with Alvin Taylor, Joey English, and Chase Huna

• 2012 Glenn Miller Orchestra 

• 2012 Max Weinberg with the PS Swings Jazz Band

• 2011 Max Weinberg with the PS Swings Jazz Band

• 2010 Stan Kenton Legacy Band

• 2010 Glenn Miller Orchestra

• 2010 United States Coast Guard Band

• 2008 Harry James Band

• 2010 Quentin Lemmonier

• 2008 Band of the Golden West Air Force Band

• 2007 Dallas Brass- included performance with music students from PSUSD

• 2004 Help! (Beatles Tribute Band

• 2004 Maynard Ferguson and the Big Bop Nouveau Band

• 2003 Royal Crown Revue

Celebrity Performances

• Have conducted performances with/ for : Barry Manilow, Gavin MacLeod, Alvin Taylor, Tim Welch (“Elvis” Headliner Frontier Hotel Las Vegas), Max Weinberg, Ken Kragen (We Are the World, Hands Across America, etc) , Merv Griffin, Lou Rawls, Monty Montana , Ernest Borgnine , Smoky Robinson, Hollywood Reporter, Elizabeth Dole , Mary Bono, Monty Hall , Ruth Van Heuven (Consul General Italy), Pat Boone, Variety Club International Awards, Mr. Blackwell, Leslie Neilsen, Royal Crown Revue, Johnny Mann, Nancy Sinatra, Indian Wells Desert Symphony, Peter Graves, John Wooden, Tchaikovsky Conservatory Band- Moscow , National Veteran’s Convention, Coachella Valley Symphony, Tour de Palm Springs, Ben Stein , Sinatra Classic, Bill Austin, Dick Van Dyke, President Gerald Ford, President George W. Bush, Betty Ford, Elizabeth Dole, and many more.

The students throughout performed with legendary musicians and groups. Numerous iconic bands and artists were brought in to  the students to the world of professional musicians and to help generate revenue for the music program in order to give student the opportunities they enjoyed. 

Maynard Ferguson and the Big Bop Nouveau Band 1998

Royal Crown Revue 2003

Maynard Ferguson and the Big Bop Nouveau Band 2004

Harry James Orchestra with Fred Radke: Jazz Band Opening Act 2006 

Suzanne Somers (PS Convention Center) Jazz Band Opening Act 2006

The Dallas Brass with the Palm Springs High Symphonic Band 2007

The Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz Band Opening Act 2007

Beatles (Help!) 2008

Band of the Golden West Air Force Band: Members performed with 2008

Barry Manilow – Manilow Music Kick Off 2008

Barry Manilow McCallum Theater 5 nights 2009

Barry Manilow took the Band to Las Vegas

Beatles Tribute Band 2010

Count Basie Orchestra: Jazz Band Opening Act 2010

The Glenn Miller Orchestra: Jazz Band Opening Act 2010, 

Stan Kenton Legacy Band: Jazz Band Opening Act 2010

Royal Crown Revue: Jazz Band Opening Act 2010

US Coast Guard Band 2010

Max Weinberg and the Palm Springs High Jazz Band 2011

Max Weinberg and the Palm Springs High Jazz Band 2012

The Glenn Miller Orchestra… Jazz Band Opening Act 2012

BNP Paribas “Hits for Haiti” court performances (multiple years) and opened for legendary Tony Bennett with the Jazz Band

McCallum Theater Band 2013 

McCallum Theater Band 2014

Count Basie Orchestra: Jazz Band Opening Act 2016

Elvis! Tim Welch as Elvis at “The Show” Agua Caliente Hotel Rancho Mirage 2018

The band has also performed for or with notable celebrities including:

President Ford

President G.W. Bush

President Obama 

President Biden 

Ernest Borgnine (Academy Award winning Actor)

Maynard Ferguson (Trumpet- “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky, “Eye of the Tiger”)

Scotty Barnhart (Count Basie Orchestra)

Butch Miles (Count Basie Orchestra)

Fred Radke (Harry James Band)

Mike Vax (Stan Kenton Legacy Band)

Leslie Nielsen (Emmy and Order of Canada Award winning Actor/ Comedian)

Alvin Taylor (Alumni- performed with Little Richard, George Harrison, countless others)

Gavin Macleod (Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Love Boat

Barry Manilow (legendary Grammy, Tony, and Emmy winning award musician)

Monty Hall (“Let’s Make A Deal”)

John Carlos (Olympian and icon)

Lorna Luft (Singer, actress, sister of Judy Garland)

Carol Channing (Tony Award Winning actress “Hello Dolly”, television actress, etc.)

Max Weinberg ( “E Street Band – Bruce Springsteen, The Conan O’Brien Show, etc.)

Chris Botti (Trumpet- Grammy Award winning musician)

Elizabeth Dole (First woman to hold two cabinet positions in different Administrations)

Joe Torre (All star Winning Baseball player and coach)

Barbara Sinatra (Founder Barbara Sinatra Center)

Nancy Sinatra (Singer, Songwriter “These Boots are made for Walking)

John Tesh (Emmy and Grammy Award winning Musician)

Kaye Ballard (Emmy Award winning Singer, Actress, Comedian)

Ken Kragen (Producer “We Are the World”)

Levar Burton (“Roots”, Star Trek; The Next Generation”, Reading Rainbow”)

Mary Bono(Congress Representative)

Raul Ruiz (Congress Representative)

Suzanne Somers (Emmy, People’s Choice Award winning Actress, Singer, Entrepreneur)

Tony Bennett (Grammy and Kennedy Center Award winning Musician)

Blythe Danner (Emmy and Tony Award winning Actress)

Daniel Glass (“Royal Crown Revue”, “The Mask”, “The Contender”)

Gordon Goodwin (“Big Phat Band”)

Adam Frey (Associate Professor at the University of North Georgia) 

Michael David Edwards (Olympian “Eddie the Eagle”)

Mary Wilson (“The Supremes”)

John Wooden (The Wizard of Westwood”, Award winning Coach)

Band “Firsts”

★First High School Band to march a PRIDE PARADE (Award Winning movie: Pride of Palm Springs made about the band  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2828460/reference

★First band to Host the World Association of Marching Show Bands World Championships in the United States (2017)

★Selected from more than 2850 groups to participate in the 2013 INAUGURAL PARADE in Washington DC.

★First Band invited and to continue to perform at Comic Com Palm Springs for thousands of students each year.

★Multiple Baton Twirlers from the Spirit of the Sands have had their students become Feature twirlers at USC and UCLA

★First High School Band in the Coachella valley to travel and perform intercontinentally with many groups now following suit. Since their first off continent tour to Australia  and New Zealand in 1998, they have gone on to visit and perform in  Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France, England, Denmark, Sweden, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, China, Slovenia, Taiwan, and South Africa. First American High School Band to perform in Croatia and South Africa.

★Established FIRST DISTRICT HONOR BAND WITH STUDENTS FROM EACH OF THE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS- conductors included Gary Grant, U of Edinboro, Steve Sherman, Red Deer College- Canada, Anthony Labounty- UNLV.

★First Band in the valley to be honored with the GRAMMY FOUNDATION Signature School Community Service Award

★The Spirit of the Sands Jazz band starred in “Sing, Sing, Sing!” with Chris Botti, an award winning short film  looking at an extraordinary public school jazz ensemble from interviews and performances of 23 high school students. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2032531/?ref_=fn_al_tt_9

★First band from the valley to play at State Music Conference (CMEA- California Music Educators Association) 2004

★First Band to export a CD from New Zealand- “The Spirit of the Sands Down Under” - producer was Music Director of Sarajevo Olympics.

★When elementary instrumental music programs were cut by the school district, Mr Ingelson established a free instrumental music program "Music is Instrumental" with assistance from the Anderson Children's Grant to start and mentor elementary students by High School students. Students who started in the program continued and ended up taking Band throughout Junior and Senior High and many went on to perform at University.

★First program to maintain GUARD program throughout the year giving visual students the opportunity to travel and perform on world class stages

★First program to offer Professional Band Performances with workshops to ALL PSUSD, DSUSD, and CVSD HIGH SCHOOLS- Count Basie Band, Maynard Ferguson, Glenn Miller, Royal Crown Revue, Max Weinberg, etc.

★Ongoing cultural exchanges hosting home stays, performances, and bands for multiple groups from Australia, New Zealand, England, Italy, and more recently has been working with the Asian American Association in hosting groups from China and Taiwan.

★First Band in Riverside county to perform at NAMM (National Association Music Merchants) Anaheim show consecutively for two years. The show is an international event that has every major music business from around the world participating.

★First High School Band to perform at the BNP Paribas. When the 29 Palms Marine Band was deployed and then subsequently dissolved due to federal funding cuts, Palm Springs High School replaced these professional bands. We continue to honor our country by performing at these internationally televised events

★The Band has established a record as being the longest running consecutive band appearing at the Memorial Day Veteran’s Ceremony in Cathedral City,  Veterans Day Parade, Festival of Lights, Palm Springs PRIDE Parade, etc.

★They have competed and won the ability to represent the school and community at the Disneyland Community Arts Showcase for many years competing against hundred of groups each year from Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange Counties and previously Riverside and San Bernardino Counties and where students pay nothing to perform and visit the park.