Dance & Aux Forum

FAMU Release: FAMU Reopens National Search for a New Director of Marching and Pep Bands

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida A&M University (FAMU) continues its national search for a new Director of Marching and Pep Bands. The position has been reopened and the deadline to apply is March 1, 2013.

The university started the process in June 2012 by posting an advertisement on its website to solicit candidates for the position.  Since then, the job description has been posted in the Chronicle of Higher Education and Diverse Issues in Higher Education.  The university's goal is to hire a new band director before the end of the spring 2013 semester, said Interim President Larry Robinson.  The new Director of Marching and Pep Bands will play a lead role in implementing new policies and procedures that are critical to the future of the Marching “100,” which has been suspended for the 2012-13 academic year.

Interim Provost Rodner Wright will continue to serve as chairman of the search committee, which consists of 13 members and include faculty, staff, students and alumni.

“We want an individual with outstanding experience in band management, the proven ability to educate and inspire students to excel in the classroom and in the traditions of FAMU's renowned performance style, and the capacity to lead and mentor faculty, staff and other colleagues,” said Robinson.  “We desire someone with unrelenting commitment to our core values, and unwavering resolve to eliminate hazing from the band and FAMU. The ideal candidate would have the ability to promote the values of respect and dignity among all members of the Marching “100.”

The new director will report to the chairman of the FAMU Department of Music. That is a change from the previous director, who also served as department chairman. Robinson explained that would add an extra layer of supervision. Qualifications should include a terminal degree in music and experience teaching and conducting at the collegiate level. It will be a full-time, tenure-track position and the academic rank will be commensurate with the person's experience and expertise.

The new director will oversee all aspects of the marching and pep bands. Specific duties and responsibilities include overseeing all activities of band student organizations and ensembles; providing creative direction; recruiting students for membership; teaching the marching band courses and other courses as needed; planning and directing the summer high school band camp; fund raising; planning and executing the band's travel to athletics events and other events that have been approved by the University and functioning as the liaison between the Athletics Department, the Division of Student Affairs and the Department of Music.

The director will work closely with the Department of Music Compliance Officer, a newly created position. Together, they will ensure that staff and members of the Marching and Pep Bands are made aware of and comply with the University's policies and procedures regarding anti-hazing, academic requirements, rehearsal hours and travel.

FAMU announced yesterday evening that the University has decided to reopen its search for a director of its famous marching band, which was suspended indefinitely after the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion.

Florida A&M University had been prepared Tuesday morning to name the new band director but abruptly canceled a press conference when it failed to reach an agreement with the finalist for the job.

Interim President Larry Robinson said Wednesday that there was a last-minute disagreement with finalist Jorim Reid, a FAMU graduate who is the director of bands for North Carolina Central University.

"We thought we were close to a decision on the band director and, turns out, there were some issues we didn't think we could get resolved," he said.

While Robinson did not go into detail about the disagreement, he said it had to do with the way the university was restructuring the music department in the wake of Champion's death in November, 2011.

Associated Press Release

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida A&M University is delaying the hiring of a new director for its famed marching band.

The university had scheduled a news conference Tuesday to announce a successor to former band director Julian White.

But a university spokeswoman told a crowd of nearly 100 faculty members and students that the appointment was on hold. Sharon Saunders told reporters that the finalist for the job and the university were still negotiating a final contract.

Saunders she did not know what caused the problem, but said apparently one issue is the structure of the job. FAMU changed the responsibilities of the band director in the wake of the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion.

The school's Marching 100 remains on suspension and there is no schedule yet for its return.

Tallahassee, FL - Florida A&M University has scheduled a press conference Tuesday, January 15th at 9:15 a.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium.

It is expected that Interim President Larry Robinson will officially announce the hiring of the new director of the marching and pep bands to the campus community.