Mark Hindsley

1984 Charter Bandmasters Hall of Fame Inductee

     A graduate of Indiana University “with high distinction” in 1925, Mark Hindsley served as band director and music instructor at Indiana until 1929. From 1929 to 1934 he was Director of Instrumental Music in the schools of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, conducting the high school bands and orchestras, with first divisions in concert and marching at national band contests. From 1934 to 1948 he was Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Illinois, director of the Marching Illini and conductor of the First Regimental Band, with wind instrument teaching in the School of Music; this period was interrupted by military service from 1942 to 1946, as staff music officer of the Army Air Forces Training Command, and for the last six months band and orchestra conductor and teacher of conducting at the Biarritz American University in France, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel and earning the Army Commendation Medal. Succeeding Albert Austin Harding as Director of Bands at Illinois in 1948, he was active in that position and as Professor of Music until his retirement in 1970.

     A past president of both the College Band Directors National Association (1947) and the American Bandmasters Association (1957-58), Dr. Mark Hindsley has appeared throughout the nation and in other countries as guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator, and on the summer staffs of many other colleges and universities. His recordings of the University of Illinois Concert Band and his transcriptions of historical masterpieces are highly acclaimed at home and abroad. He is the author of seven books and more than 40 magazine articles on instrumental music. He was awarded the honorary degree Doctor of Music by his alma mater, Indiana University. Among his many other honors are a Citation of Merit from the University of Illinois Foundation; Fellow of the International Institute of Arts and Letters; the Edwin Franko Goldman award of the American School Band Directors Association; the Outstanding Bandmaster award of Phi Beta Mu; the Distinguished Service to Music medal of Kappa Kappa Psi; election to the Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts, with the “Oscar” of the National Band Association; Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors; Meritorious Service Award of the Illinois Music Educators Association; recipient of the Sudler Medal of the Order of Merit from the John Philip Sousa Foundation; Historic Roll of Honor of High School Bands 1920-1960; profiled as one of the seven legends in Music Education in the 50th Anniversary issue of The Instrumentalist; installed in the Ohio Pioneer Band Director Hall of Fame; and named Honorary Life President of the American Bandmasters Association in 1996.

     After a forty-five year formal career and several years of “retirement”, Dr. Hindsley continued to serve as guest conductor, adjudicator, clinician, writer, and publisher of many of his manuscript transcriptions and his books, HINDSLEY ON BANDS (The Gospel According to Mark) and MY BANDS AND I (A Love Story). In 1993 he transferred the publication and distribution responsibilities of his transcriptions to his son, Robert Hindsley.      Mr. Hindsley passed away on October 1, 1999.