History and Directors
- History
- Commissions, Premieres
- Former Directors of Bands
- Former Assistant/Associate Directors
- Visiting Assistant Director of Bands appointments since 1967
History
The Indiana University Department of Bands traces its history back through the founding of the Marching Hundred in 1896 to official University records that indicate a start-up fee in 1832 for a "university band," which began as a nineteen piece unit. During the early period of the band’s history the band members received no college credit, and provided their own uniforms. The original purpose of the band program was to provide recreation for interested students in the 1,016 student enrollment of Indiana University.
With the end of World War I, and the return of the American troops to college life, the band increased in size to 125 members. In 1923 the School of Music was organized, and for the first time, band members received university credit for their efforts. For more background, please click on the biographies of "Former Directors of Bands." (Back to top)
Commissions, Premieres
The department is actively involved in commissioning distinguished new literature for the wind band medium. World premieres have included works by composers David DeBoor Canfield, David Dzubay, Eric Ewazen, Frederick Fox, Don Freund, Bernhard Heiden, Sydney Hodkinson, Jere Hutcheson, Jonathan Newman, Eugene O’Brien, Michael Schelle, Gunther Schuller, Ellen Spokane, Eric Stokley, David Ward-Steinman, John Stout, Kevin Walczyk and others.
Consortium Commission premieres have included works by Robert Beaser, James Beckel, William Bolcom, Steven Bryant, Roger Cichy, Eric Ewazen, Joni Greene, David Maslanka, Cindy McTee, Michael Mower, André Previn, James Primosch, Joel Puckett, Andrew Rindfleisch, Chris Rutkowski, John Stevens, Benjamin Taylor and Gregory Youtz.
Works premiered in transcription by the Indiana University bands include The Upward Stream by Russell Peck, arr. Scott Jones; Down to the Sea in Ships by Robert Russell Bennett, arr. Kyle Glaser; Plenty of Horn by David Stock, arr. John Boyd; Paganini Variations for Solo Piano and Wind Orchestra by Witold Lutosławski, arr. William Petersen; Music for the Theatre by Aaron Copland, arr. Brett Richardson; and Inventing Flight by William Bolcom, arr. Jason Nam. (Back to top)
Former Directors of Bands
Archie Warner, 1916-1925
University Band transferred to the Military Department in 1925
Department of Bands organized separately from the Military Department in 1948
School of Music Department since 1951
Daniel L. Martino,1948-1953
Kenneth O. Snapp (Visiting), 1953-1954
Michael W. Bowles (Visiting), 1954-1956
Ronald D. Gregory, 1956-1966
Frederick C. Ebbs, 1967-1982
Ray E. Cramer, 1982-2005
Stephen W. Pratt, 2005-2018
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Former Assistant/Associate Directors of Bands (officially appointed, since 1967)
Robert Glidden, 1967-1969
Later Professor of Music at the University of Oklahoma, Dean of the College of Musical Arts at Bowling Green State University, Dean of the School of Music and then provost and vice president for academic affairs at Florida State University and President of Ohio University
Wilber T. England, 1969-1985
Later Associate Professor of Music at IU School of Music until retirement.
Joseph Hermann, 1986-1987
Later Associate Director of Bands at the University of Arizona and now Director of Bands at Tennessee Tech University
L. Kevin Kastens, 1986-1992
Later Associate Director of Bands at the University of Missouri-Columbia and now Associate Director of Bands and Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band at the University of Iowa.
Douglas Stotter, 1998-2005
Director of Bands at University of Texas at Arlington
Scott Weiss, 2005-2007
Director of Bands at the University of Kansas and then Director of Bands at the University of South Carolina
Paul Popiel, 2006-2010
Director of Bands at the University of Kansas
Jeffrey Gershman, 2008-2014
Associate Professor of Music and Director of the Wind Ensemble at Capital University
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Visiting Assistant director of Bands appointments since 1967
Brian K. Doyle (2005-2006) currently Director of Bands at SUNY Potsdam, the Crane School of Music
Matthew O. Smith (2010-2011) currently Associate Director of Bands at the University of Kansas
Patrick F. Casey (2007-2008) currently Coordinator of Music Education at Newberry College
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