Defiance College Names Director of Bands

December 21, 2012

 

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College has announced the appointment of Bridget Leahy as Director of Bands beginning in the new calendar year.  

 "I am delighted that Bridget Leahy has agreed to become the first-ever Marching Band Director at Defiance College," said DC president Mark Gordon.  "Under the leadership of our Director of Music Programs Andrew Schultz, our music offerings at DC have grown exponentially.  The inauguration of our marching band is a significant step forward for the entire DC community, and we look forward to many years of even more wonderful entertainment, music, and spirit on campus."

Leahy's experience with percussion and marching music will prove very useful as she is charged with leading and launching Defiance College's first marching band in the Fall of 2013.

Leahy is currently a Master’s candidate at the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.  She will join the DC staff part-time through the spring semester as she completes her Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance. Leahy also has a Bachelor of Music Performance degree (percussion) from Iowa State University, where she was named outstanding senior by the music department faculty.

Leahy is an accomplished performer and instructor who brings a great deal of marching band experience to Defiance College.  She marched three seasons with the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps, an Iowa-based drum corps that regularly places among the top-15 drum corps at the Drum Corps International World Championships.  Leahy has also served on the instructional staff for the Colts organization.  

She has taught and consulted with numerous high school marching bands, including the highly-touted Carmel (Ind.) High School marching band.  Leahy also has extensive experience with a variety of percussion ensembles, including Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, and marimba.  She was a member of Iowa State's Indoor drumline.  

"I am very excited to join the Defiance College family,” said Leahy. “There is great potential here to build the marching band into a unique sound for the community and the college marching band scene. Looking forward to seeing you all at the first home game!"

Andrew Schultz, director of music programs at Defiance, said,  “I am looking forward to having someone with Bridget’s vision, talent and energy to start this unique marching band.”

President Gordon also added, "As we expand our music programs even further, we should also take a moment to express our continuing gratitude to Dr. Richard Stroede and Dr. Vince Polce for all they did during their lives to strengthen the music programs at DC. Our new marching band is a fitting tribute to their memory as well."

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.