Missouri State

JERRY HOOVER
Director of Bands
Professor of Music, 1985-2016
2019 DON PAYTON AWARD

Jerry Hoover’s 31-year tenure guiding a host of Missouri State band units --- topped by the 300-member Pride Marching Band --- is one of the great success stories of the past half century at MSU. After much-honored band tours in Missouri public high schools at Cabool, Lebanon and Jefferson City and then a seven-year tenure at New Mexico State University, Hoover came to MSU in 1985 and personally directed the symphonic band, the jazz band, several entertainment ensembles in addition to the Pride Marching Band, and he presided over two Bear Mania basketball bands, four additional jazz ensembles, the wind ensemble and wind symphony. Achievements of the program under Hoover’s leadership included three appearances for the Pride Marching Band in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, the Orange Bowl Parade in Miami, twice in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasedena, and twice in the London New Year’s Day Parade. In the jazz area, the Jazz Band had three appearances at the Midwest International Band Clinic in Chicago, two at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the Mexico Invitational Jazz Festival and was a finalist at the EPCOT Collegiate Jazz Festival. Both the concert and jazz ensembles enjoyed numerous yearly appearances at the College Band Directors National Conferences, the Missouri Music Educators Association and the Missouri Bandmasters Association.  The Pride Band drew accolades for its in-the-round musical performance at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London as the only American band ever allowed to play there. The recipient of a host of honors and awards on a national and international level, Hoover retired in 2016 after a 58-year career in music.