Biography
Eric M. Smedley serves as assistant professor of bands and associate director of bands at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he directs the Symphonic Band, teaches undergraduate and graduate instrumental conducting, serves as associate director of the Marching Hundred, directs the IU Summer Music Clinic, and sponsors the Rho chapter of Tau Beta Sigma and the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi.
Smedley earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington and Master of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees from the Jacobs School of Music. He previously served on the music faculties of Boise State University and Western Kentucky University, and as a public school music educator in Cocoa Beach, Fla., Santa Monica, Calif., and Kenosha, Wis.
He has conducted throughout North America, Russia, and Japan. He maintains an active schedule as a clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator. He also has an active schedule as a trumpet recitalist and ensemble musician, performing a wide variety of musical styles.
Smedley's research interests are varied and include projects in the areas of contemporary wind band literature, wind band orchestration, and conducting pedagogy. His book chapters on composer Joseph Turrin, John Mackey, and David Dzubay are published in A Composer's Insight: Thoughts, Analysis, and Commentary on Contemporary Masterpieces for Wind Band, and he has additional research published in the Teaching Music through Performance in Band series. He is also an empirical researcher, most recently publishing Conductor Gestures Influence Evaluations of Ensemble Performance in the refereed journal Frontiers in Psychology.
Smedley is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He is a member of the College Band Directors National Association and the National Association for Music Education.
He lives in Bloomington, Ind., with his wife, Jessica; daughter, Ella; and Bedlington Terrier, Ainsley.