Jacobs School of Music associate professor Eric Smedley has been appointed IU’s new director of athletic bands. This position includes leadership of the Marching Hundred, IU’s 300-member marching band.
Smedley is the former chair of the music school’s Department of Bands and the former associate director of the Marching Hundred.
“Eric Smedley is a Jacobs School of Music graduate and an alumnus of the Marching Hundred,” Rodney Dorsey, chair of the bands department, said. “His tangible connection with the history of the organization and his clear vision for the future will serve our students well.”
Smedley served as a faculty member at Boise State University and Western Kentucky University before joining the Jacobs faculty in 2011. In addition to serving as an educator, Smedley has conducted in North America, Russia and Japan. In 2018, his IU Symphonic Band was selected to perform at the College Band Directors National Association North Central Conference.
Former director of athletic bands, David Woodley, will still serve as a faculty member in the Department of Bands. He will be honored during IU’s Homecoming this fall for his 27 years as director of athletic bands.
