Like the best teachers in any subject, Dana Hamant is a consummate student. In his 31 years as a music instructor, he has attended every single annual Music Educators Association conference in his home state of Kansas and missed only two Kansas Bandmasters Association conferences. (He is also a frequent attendee at NAfME and other professional gatherings.) The reason for his near-perfect attendance record is simple: "You get to listen to people who know more about what you're doing than you do." Those are humble words, coming from the recipient of the 2012-13 National Federation of State High School Associations' National Citation Outstanding Music Educator Award. The distinction, awarded thus far to only 25 music teachers, came just as Hamant was retiring from his 16-year stint as band director at Wichita East High School, overseeing the school's symphonic winds, concert band, marching band, and jazz band. Hamant, who is now back in the classroom with middle schoolers, will be honored in a ceremony in June.