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By Hannah Jellen, Somer Pelczar, Jeremy Schmitt, and Kelli McQueen
Collection Overview
Title: Barry L. Houser Papers, 1976-2020
ID: 12/9/31
Primary Creator: Houser, Barry L. (1977)
Extent: 3.3 cubic feet
Arrangement: Content is organized in five series. Series 1: Promotional Materials, includes posters, programs, flyers, travel schedules, newspaper clippings, and promotional photographs of the University of Illinois Bands; Series 2: Memorabilia and Ephemera, includes personal photographs, conference/event passes, and souvineer badges; Series 3: Correspondence, is largely composed of greeting cards and letters from students and colleagues; Series 4: Audio-visual Materials, includes LP recordings of the University of Illinois Bands and a recording of the Sousa Band; and Series 5: Administrative and Business Records, includes born-digital files. Materials are arranged by subject type, and chronologically thereunder.
Date Acquired: 02/03/2016. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Band, Football, Band Department, Bands, Concert tours, Conducting--Instruction and Study, Conductors (Music), Faculty, Faculty Papers, Marching bands, Marching Illini, Pryor, Arthur, Sousa, John Philip
Formats/Genres: Concert Programs, Papers, Photographs, Sound Recordings
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Consists of photographs, posters, programs, promotional materials, correspondence, newspaper clippings, ephemera, and digital files documenting Barry L. Houser's time as University of Illinois Assistant Director of Bands (2011-present) and Director of the Marching Illini (2016-present). The collection also includes audio materials from the 1970s and 1980s.
Biographical Note
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 89th 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.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Accruals:
Additions acquired on May 31, 2016 and November 20, 2020 from Barry Houser.
Acquisition Source:
Barry L. Houser
Acquisition Method:
Donation
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Personal Papers and Marching Illini Records, 1977-2020],
[
Series 2: Memorabilia and Ephemera, 2011-2020],
[
Series 3: Correspondence, 2011-2020],
[
Series 4: Audiovisual Materials, 1976-1980s],
[
Series 5: Administrative and Business Records, 2011-2020],
[
Series 6: Sheet Music, undated],
[All]
- Series 1: Personal Papers and Marching Illini Records, 1977-2020
- Consists of two sub-series. Sub-series 1) Personal Papers contains personal papers collected and produced by Houser, including concert programs, guest workshops and clinic programs, professional conferences and organization records, and travel documents. Sub-Series 2) Marching Illini Records contains promotional materials and records created for the Marching Illini including photographs, journal articles, flyers, and newsletters.
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Marching Illini Band Photo Book, 2013
- Folder 2: Marching Illini Student Staff Handbooks, 2014-2015
- Folder 3: Event Programs and Flyers (non-University of Illinois), 2009-2015
- Folder 4: Event Programs and Flyers, University of Illinois, 2013-2015
- Folder 5: Illinois Bands Newsletters, 2013
- Folder 6: Additional Publications (non-University of Illinois), 2013-2015
- Folder 7: University of Illinois, Publications, 2014-2015
- Folder 8: Illini Marching Band Championships, Programs, 2011-2015
- Folder 9: Invitation/Program: Marching Illini Formal, December 8, 2013
- Folder 10: Athletics Flyers and Programs, ca. 2013
- Folder 11: Smith Walbridge Leadership Clinic Program, 2013
- Folder 12: Illinois Music Education Conference Programs, 2014-2015
- Folder 13: Travel Materials - Chicagoland Marching Band Festival, September 2013
- Folder 14: Travel Materials - University of Washington vs. University of Illinois, Soldier Field, Chicago IL, September 2013
- Folder 15: Travel Booklet - Indiana Road Trip, November 8-9, 2013
- Folder 16: Travel Materials - Macy's Day Parade, New York, NY, November 2013
- Folder 17: Travel Materials - Bright Spark Chick-Fil-A Bowl Band Festival, December 2013
- Folder 18: Travel Materials - Women's Big Ten, March 2014
- Folder 19: Travel Booklet - Marching Illini Ireland Tour, March 2014
- Folder 20: Travel Materials - Soldier Field, Chicago, IL, September 2014
- Folder 21: Travels Materials - Illinois Marching Band Championships, October 2014
- Folder 22: Pre-Game and Game Logs - Illinois vs. Missouri, Basketball, undated
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Marching Illini - Large Band Photographs, 2010-2015
- Includes photographs of full band and various parts of the band, in different poses.
- Folder 2: University of Illinois Wind Symphony and Wind Orchestra Event Posters, circa 2004-2008
Performance dates: November 7, 2004; March 7, 2008; April 29, 2008;
and 2 copies of poster for A Call to Duty, Honor, and Country event, November, 11 (no year).
- Folder 3: Marching Illini Concert posters, circa 2014
- 2 posters (2 copies of each)
- Folder 4: Event Flyers and Posters (non-University of Illinois events), 2013-2014
Barry Houser is guest conductor for all events. Events include:
Concert Band Festival, Buffalo Grove High School, Barry Houser - Guest Conductor, March 13, 2013
Under American Skies, Virginia Theatre, December 14, 2013
The Water Outside's Been Frightful, Our Music's So Delightful, Parkland College, March 2, 2014
- Folder 5: Chief Illiniwek Poster and Photograph, undated
- Folder 6: Bandworld magazine print, 1989
- Print of cover of Bandworld, The International Band Magazine, August-October 1989 Issue, Vol. 5, No. 1
- Folder 7: Newsclippings, 1977-2015
- Box 4
- Folder 1: Band festival and competition programs, 2012-2013
- Folder 2: Big 10 Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament booklets, 2016
- Folder 3: The Champaign Exchange Club Certificate of Appreciation and meeting booklet, 2013
- Folder 4: Event programs and flyers, 2013-2016
- Oversize Portfolio Box 2
- Oversize Portfolio Case 1
- Item 1: Illinettes Dance Team poster, 2012/2013
- Dance team oversize poster for 2012/2013 season.
- Item 2: The Marching Illini poster, 2014
- Oversize poster with Aug.-Dec. 2014 Marching Illini schedule.
- Item 3: Marching Illini posters, 2015/2016
- Two oversize posters with Marching Illini May 2015-Aug. 2016 schedule.
- Box 6
- Folder 4: Festivals, competition, and conference documents, 2018
- Folder 5: Concert, Festival, and Invitational Programs, 2000-2003
- Folder 6: Concert and Championship Programs, 2003-2011
- Folder 7: Concert Programs, 2011-2017
- Folder 8: Concert and Memorial Service Programs, 2017-2018
- Folder 9: Concert Programs, 2019-2020
- Folder 10: Promotional Materials, 2017-2019
- Series 2: Memorabilia and Ephemera, 2011-2020
- Consists of awards, candid photographs with band members, name badges, and visual art.
- Box 1
- Folder 23: Certificate of Appreciation, Kappa Kappa Psi, ca. 2011-2012
- Folder 24: Photographs of Marching Illini (personal/non-promotional), undated
- Folder 25: Photographs - Houser with Band Members, ca. 2013
- Folder 26: Event Access Badges, 2012-2014
Access badges for Houser/Marching Illini for the following events:
2012 Bands of America Championships
Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears, Sept. 9, 2012; Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears, Sept. 8, 2013; and Packers vs. Bears, Sept. 28, 2014
Rounds 2 and 3 badges for 2013 NCAA Basketball Championship, Mar. 22 and 24, 2013
3 badges for 2013 Indiana Football, Nov. 9, 2013.
Macy's Great AMerican Marching Band passes for 2013 and 2014.
- Folder 27: University of Illinois Athletic Event Entry Badges, 2013-2015
Access badge for Illinois vs. Washington, Illinois Football Chicago Homecoming, Soldier Field, Sept. 14, 2013.
And all Access Season passes for UIUC Football, 2014 and 2015; UIUC Men's Basketball 2012/13-2014/15; and Women's Baskentball, 2013/14-2014/15.
- Box 2
- Folder 8: Marching Illini Class of 2015 Photograph, with Signatures, 2015
- Large photograph with white matting, with signatures on matting.
- Folder 9: Cloth Badges, circa 2015
- 2 cloth badges: FMEA All State, 2015 and University of ILlinois Marching Ilini, undated.
- Box 4
- Folder 5: Conn-Selmer VIP Band Director Summit Certificate of Completion, 2013
- Folder 6: Enta-San's 100th Birthday book, 2016
- Folder 7: National Band Association Journal, vol. LIII, no. 2, 2013
- Folder 8: Photographs of the Marching Illini at the Macy's Day Parade, 2015
- Box 5
- Folder 1: New York Times, Daily Mail Macy's Day Parade clippings, and other newspapers, 2003-2019
- Folder 2: Photographs of the Marching Illini from the Macy's Day Parade, 2015
- Folder 3: Fliers, Posters, and Photograph, 2014-2018
- Box 6
- Folder 11: Name Tags, Event Badges, Tickets, Certificates, and Race Bib, 2016-2020
- Folder 12: Newspaper clippings, undated
- Folder 13: U of I Band Day commemorative plaque, September 10, 2016
- Folder 14: Photo Album: Dedication of Marching Illini Tower, undated
- Folder 15: Photographs and Posters, 2016-2019
- Series 3: Correspondence, 2011-2020
- Consists of personal correspondece, thank you cards, and christmas cards sent to Houser.
- Box 1
- Folder 28: Correspondence, 2011-2015
- Folder 29: Correspondence, undated
- Box 4
- Folder 9: Correspondence and thank-you notes, 2015-2016
- Box 6
- Folder 16: Thank you and Greeting Cards, 2012-2017
- Folder 17: Thank you and Greeting Cards, 2018-2020
- Folder 18: Thank you cards, 1 of 2, undated
- Folder 19: Thank you cards, 2 of 2, undated
- Series 4: Audiovisual Materials, 1976-1980s
- Consists of Houser's collection of sound recordings and Marching Illini season videos.
- Box 3
- Item 1: The Sousa and Pryor Bands, Original Recording (1901-1926), 1976
- 12" LP; New World Records, Recorded Anthology of American Music, Inc. Side 1, The Sousa Band: John Philip Sousa: Federal March; J. Bodewalt Lampe: Creole Belles; Frederick A. "Kerry" Mills: At A Georgia Camp Meeting; Arthur Pryor: The Patriot; Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Pasquinade; John Philip Sousa: Glory of the Yankee Navy; Arthur Pryor: Trombone Sneeze; Herman Bellstedt: A Musical Joke on "Bedelia"; Edward T Paull: The Ben-Hur Chariot Race March. Side2, The Pryor Band: Carl D. Vandersloot: General Pershing March; Anon: General Mixup, USA; Alvin Willis (arr.): March Shannon; James E. Fulton: Battleship Connecticut March; Abe Holzman: Alagazam March; Fred L. Moreland: Yankee Shuffle; John W. Bratton: The Teddy Bear's Picnic; Stanleigh P. Friedman: Down the Field March; W. Paris Chambers: Falcon March; Charles C. Sweeley: Repasz Band March.
- Item 2: In Concert With, University of Illinois Band, 1983
- 12" LP; "Curnow at Illinois - 1983". Side A: Prelude on Three Welsh Hymn Tunes (Ralph Vaughan-Wlliams/Curnow); Mutanza (James Curnow). Side B: Concertino for Tuba and Band (James Curnow; Daniel Perantoni, Soloist; James Curnow, Conducting); Slavonic Dances (Antonin Dvorak/Curnow).
- Item 3: In Concert with University of Illinois Symphonic Band, ca. 1993
- 12" LP; Record #116; James F. Keen, Conductor. Side A: The Firebird Suite (Igor Stravinsky). Side B: Sounds, Shapes, and Symbols in Four Movements (Leslie Bassett); Napoli (Herman Belstedt); The Federal March (John Philip Sousa)
- Item 4: Marching Illini, University of Illinois, 1982
- 45 RPM, 7" Disc; Harry Begian, Director of Bands; Gary Smith, Marching Illini Director; James Curnow, Assistant Director. Side 1: Revised Entrance No. 3 (James Curnow, arrangement); Three in One (Hail to the Orange) - Erb. Side 2: Cheer Illini (Hill); Oskee-wow-wow (Hill); llinois March (Goldman); Illinois Loyalty (Guild).
- Item 5: Stadium Vibrations, Marching Illini, 1980
- 12 inch LP. Side 1: Stadium Entrance, Wilbur England; Revised Entrance #3 (Illinois State Song), James Curnow; Three in One (Chief's Music), James Curnow; Oskee Wow Wow, James Curnow; Eye of the Tiger, Allan Horney; My Heart Belongs to Me, Gary Langford; Chariots of Fire, Allan Horney; All Right, O.K., You Win, Allan Horney. Side 2: Calypso, Art Travarthen; Spanish Drams, Allan Horney; Ai No Corrida, Les Taylor; Circus Medley; Allan Horney; Barnum & Bailey's Favorite, Allan Horney; Sneakin' Out of the STadium (Arr. by Folklore); Illinois Loyalty, James Curnow; Percussion Solo, (Dave Flyn and Dale Hallerberg).
- Box 4
- Item 1: MI Festival, 1996
- Mini digital video cassette.
- Item 2: MI Festival, 1998
- Tape 1 of 2. Mini digital video cassette.
- Item 3: MI Festival, 1998
- Tape 2 of 2. Mini digital video cassette.
- Series 5: Administrative and Business Records, 2011-2020
- Consists of records produced as a faculty member.
- Box 6
- Folder 20: Administrative correspondance and thank you lettters, 2011-2020
- Folder 21: Course Evaluations, Workshop and Symposium iteneraries, 2011-2018
- Series 6: Sheet Music, undated
- Box 6
- Folder 1: Marching Band sheet music books: "Alternative Rock Senior Show"-"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade", undated
- Folder 2: Marching Illini sheet music books: "Music of 1971"-"Show #3, Band Day", undated
- Folder 3: Marching Illini sheet music books: "Show #4, Disney Spectacular"-"Welcome to the Show", undated
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Personal Papers and Marching Illini Records, 1977-2020],
[
Series 2: Memorabilia and Ephemera, 2011-2020],
[
Series 3: Correspondence, 2011-2020],
[
Series 4: Audiovisual Materials, 1976-1980s],
[
Series 5: Administrative and Business Records, 2011-2020],
[
Series 6: Sheet Music, undated],
[All]
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