2nd finalist for marching band director drops out

Logan Hickman
Wed, 22 Apr 2015 03:00:23 +0000
Area, Campus, Local, News, Barry Houser, Corey Spurlin, director, jon waters, marching band, osu

The Ohio State University Marching Band. Credit: Lantern file photo

A second finalist for the Ohio State Marching Band director position has dropped out of the running, The Lantern has learned.

Corey Spurlin, associate director of bands, marching band director and associate professor of music at Auburn University, is no longer a candidate. An email from divisional dean of arts and humanities and search committee chair Mark Shanda to marching and athletic band students said both finalists who had visited campus decided to drop out of the running. The Lantern obtained the email Tuesday.

“While disappointing for all who are invested in this process, this is a relatively common situation in high profile searches,” the email said.

A search committee tasked with finding a new director will reconvene Wednesday morning, the email said, and as soon as more details are available, band students will be alerted electronically.

The Lantern’s requests for comment from Spurlin and an Auburn University spokesman had not been returned as of Tuesday evening.

Another finalist, Barry Houser, director of the University of Illinois Marching Illini and Athletic Bands, withdrew his name earlier this month as well.

Both Spurlin and Houser visited campus earlier this month, where they met with administration and band students.

Shanda’s email said other potential finalists might have differently structured on-campus visits, given this is the last week of classes for Spring Semester, but that student-finalist interaction will remain a priority.

“Details for such interactions will be shared via email as soon as they are finalized,” the email said.

OSU spokesman Chris Davey provided a statement from College of Arts and Sciences dean David Manderscheid in response to The Lantern’s request for comment.

“We have identified a number of highly qualified candidates who are under consideration,” the statement said. “As the search continues, the band remains under the capable direction of the interim leadership team.”

The band’s former director, Jonathan Waters, was fired last summer after an OSU investigation found the band contained a highly sexualized culture.