Ask anyone in Medina (Ohio) to name the music man, and the immediate answer will be Marcus Neiman. He was director of bands at Medina High School (1972 through 1980), fine arts consultant for the Medina County Schools Educational Service Center (1980 through 2000) and director of fine arts tours and festivals (2001 through 2010), and the longest conductor of Medina Community Band in the organization's history (1972 through present). He's earned the title.

He attended the Akron Public Schools, received his bachelor of science in music education degree from The University of Akron, master of music in music education degree from The University of Michigan, postgraduate hours at The Kent State University, and The University of Akron in music education and arts administration.

Neiman serves The University of Akron as an assistant lecturer with major responsibilities of supervising visual arts education student teachers (2003 through present). He was appointed to the position of part-time lecturer for the music department at Case Western Reserve University with major responsibilities of teaching their “Foundations of Music Education Course” and supervising music education student teachers (2004 through present). He was appointed to the position of interim director of concert band for the Kent State University Hugh A. Glauser School of Music (May 2010) and will assist with administrative responsibilities through the summer of 2012.

Active in local affairs, Neiman is an associate member of the Medina Area Chamber of Commerce, a member of the 1993-94 class of "Leadership Medina County," and has served on various arts committee for school and community and is a founder and past president of both the Medina County Arts Council and the Medina County Performing Arts Foundation. He has served as a panel member and consultant for the presenter-touring component of the Ohio Arts Council and was a fee support artist on the OAC presenter-touring roster. Neiman is a past executive board member of the Ohio Arts Presenters Network and Ohio Alliance for Arts Education.  He also served as the director of development for the Chicago based (William D.) Revelli Foundation. Neiman is the grant writer for Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME) and SoundTree, Inc., and provides numerous clinics and workshops on fundraising and grantwriting.

Neiman has served The Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) as a member of the governmental relations, communications, and adjudicated events committees, district president, state chair for Music In Our Schools and public relations, state editor of their professional journal TRIAD, and state chair for their council of supervisors.  He was elected by OMEAs membership to serve as state president from July 1, 1998 through July 1, 2000. He currently serves OMEA as a woodwind adjudicator for their solo and ensemble adjudicated events and state historian. Neiman was awarded the prestigious “Distinguished Service Award” by OMEA on January 29^th, 2010. The award is the highest award that OMEA can bestow on a member.

Neiman has been published in Music Educators National Conference journal MEJ, The Instrumentalist, The School Musician, The Music Educator, OMEAs TRIAD, FANFARE magazine, Bands of America Newsletter, and the Conn-Selmer electronic newsletter Keynotes magazine. His first book, edited for MENC, entitled Life in the Music Classroom, was published by MENC in April 1992.  He is listed in Marquis “Who's Who in America (58th Edition).

Neiman has appeared with junior high/middle and high school, college and university, community bands, and American Federation of Musicians union professional bands as a guest conductor and in his characterization of famed bandmaster John Philip Sousa in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, (state of) Washington, and Wisconsin. In addition to conducting the Medina Community Band (since 1973), he formed his own professional touring band The Sounds of Sousa Band (in 1992) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the formation of Sousa's first non-military band. To this date he has performed for over 250,000 people in the role of Sousa. Neiman is a member of Local 24 (Akron), American Federation of Musicians.

Neiman made his first international appearance as John Philip Sousa in October of 2004 when he appeared as special guest conductor of the Volga Concert Band in Saratov, Russia (October 15th). During Neiman's visit to Russia, he also presented lectures at the Moscow Conservatory of Music and Saratov Conservatory of Music.  

During his almost four decades as conductor of the Medina Community Band, Neiman's goal has always been to preserve the presence and character of the traditional “town-band.”  There are no auditions, membership dues or fees, or chair placements in the ensemble. Membership is open to adults who desire to continue their growth as instrumentalists. In addition, Neiman has encouraged composers to write for the band. Over the years the band has commissioned works by Douglas Court, Robert Feldbush, Percy Hall, Stuart Ling, Tadd Russo, Edmund J. Siennicki, and David Shaffer.

He and his wife Mary Ann, who is a professional clarinetist and program administrator - preparatory and continuing education department for the Cleveland Institute of Music, reside in Medina with their two cats Sasha and Dmitri. Marcus has two daughters (Nancy and Jennifer) from a previous marriage, three granddaughters (Hannah and Maddie Schneider and Kailey Smith), one grandson (Owen Smith), and a godson (Donovan Holcomb).

Revised - May 9, 2010