Eric Songer

High School Honor Band Guest Conductor

Mr. Songer attended the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire where he earned his degree in music and math education. He participated in many performing groups including Jazz One, the symphony orchestra, the brass choir, the wind ensemble, the symphony band, the trombone choir, the Singing Statesmen, the Blugold Marching Band, the Andante Brass, and various jazz combos. Highlights of his college days included going to England with the jazz ensemble, organizing the UW-Eau Claire Jazz Festival, forming the nation’s largest collegiate chapter of International Association of Jazz Educators, performing officer duties in MENC and Phi Mu Alpha, and even DJing on the collegiate radio station. Eric completed his Masters in Education at St. Thomas in 2004.

This is Eric’s 25th year teaching at Chaska Middle School.  He was named Teacher of the Year in District 112 in both 2007 and 2021 and was a semifinalist for 2008 Minnesota Teacher Of The Year.  He was named Young Band Director of the Year in 2008 by the American School Band Directors Association.  The Chaska Middle School-West Band Department was featured in the February 2009 issue of “The Instrumentalist”.  Eric has also written articles for “Music Education Journal” and was featured in the first issues of “Modern Band Journal” in 2022. Eric was the runner up for Minnesota Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2009, was inducted into the Kettle Moraine High School Hall of Fame in March 2010, and in 2014, was named a quarterfinalist for the Music Educator of the Year Grammy Award.    

Eric served as the secretary of the Minnesota State Unit of IAJE (now JEN) from 2005-07 and also belongs to ASBDA, MBDA, NAfME and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He is on the board of the South Central Chapter of MBDA (Minnesota Band Director’s Association). He started and co-organizes the Minnesota Modern Band Festival which takes place every year for K-12 music programs that run modern bands.