Houser, Barry L. (1977) | University of Illinois Archives

Barry L. Houser  (1977- )  is Associate Director of Bands, Director of the Marching Illini, and Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois. Houser was born in Indiana in 1977. He attended John Glenn High School in Walkerton, IN, where he served his high school band as drum major from 1992-1994. After graduating in 1995, he enrolled at Florida Southern College, where he became a member of the Theta Sigma Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. After transferring in 1997, he earned his bachelors of music education from the University of Florida in 1999.

Houser earned his first teaching position as the assistant director of bands at Buchholz High School in Gainesville, Florida. After moving back to Indiana in, he served as the Director of Bands and Performing Arts at Northwood High School, in Napanee, Indiana. In 2007, Houser began his master's in wind band conducting at the University of Illinois. While pursuing his Master's degree, Houser studied with University of Illinois Bands Director James F. Keene. As a Graduate Assistant, he was frequently involved in conducting various segments of the UIUC bands. He would earn his masters in 2009. From 2008 to 2011, Houser served as the Associate Director of Bands at Eastern Illinois University.

In 2011, Houser joined earned a position as director of the Marching Illini and clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois. In 2015, he led the Marching Illini in the 89^th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. He was promoted to Clinical Proessor in 2025. Houser's bands have performed for the ISSMA (Indiana State School Music Association) State Marching Finals, as well as the IMEA (Illinois Music Educators Association) State Convention. Nationally, Houser has served on the board of directors of the National Band Association and the College Band Directors National Association Athletic Band, and acted as President and Director of the Smith Walbridge Clinics, the largest marching band leadership band in the United States. He has been a guest conductor and clinician for a variety of marching and concert bands, and has contributed to a number of music textbooks, including "The System" and multiple editions of the "Teaching Music through Performance in Band" series. In addition to his pedagogical pursuits, Houser has conducted ensembles at the NBC Today Show, Indianapolis 500 Parade, Hollywood Christmas Parade, the Washington DC National Memorial Parade, and a Chicago Bears game.