1. William D Revelli was an American music educator and conductor best known for his association with the University of Michigan, where he directed the university's bands including the Michigan Marching Band 1935 to 1971.
28 Facts About William Revelli
1. 2.
William Revelli played in various pit orchestras in Chicago before accepting a high-school conducting job at Hobart High School in Hobart, Indiana, in 1925.
3.
William Revelli transformed the Hobart High School Band into one of the best small high school bands in the country.
4.
William Revelli was music director at Hobart from 1925 to 1935, where his bands won either five or six national championships.
5.
In 1935 William Revelli was hired by the University of Michigan as director of bands.
6.
William Revelli almost decided against applying for the Michigan job because the pay was significantly lower than what he was earning in Hobart, but he did apply for and later accept the job, a position he held for 36 years.
7.
William Revelli retired in 1972 and was director emeritus until his death in 1994, Under his direction, the Michigan Marching Band was acclaimed for its musical precision, intricate formations and high-stepping style.
8.
William Revelli had a fierce dedication to excellence and drilled the desire for perfection into his band students.
9.
William Revelli viewed school bands as a bulwark against juvenile delinquency.
10.
William Revelli recruited talented musicians to Michigan like a football coach recruited top athletes.
11.
William Revelli was known for his use of new music in his performances, often commissioning new pieces.
12.
William Revelli was dedicated to furthering musical education in high schools.
13.
William Revelli regularly toured the Midwest offering band clinics in small towns and big cities.
14.
In 1949, William Revelli held the first Band Day at Michigan Stadium.
15.
William Revelli was the Chairman of the Instrumental Winds Department at the University of Michigan.
16.
William Revelli was an advocate within the School of Music for wind music.
17.
The vision of professor William Revelli helped bring in teachers for every wind instrument and paved the way for the University of Michigan to become one of the premiere music institutions in the United States.
18.
William Revelli later said the "Michigan Band sound" was in part due to the perfect acoustics of Harris Hall and Hill Auditorium.
19.
On other tours, the Symphony Band under William Revelli appeared at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Philadelphia Academy of Music, Boston Symphony Hall, and the Shrine Auditorium in Detroit.
20.
William Revelli's lips were about six months behind everyone else's.
21.
William Revelli was the founder of the College Band Directors National Association in 1941.
22.
William Revelli served as a President of the National Band Association and the American Bandmasters Association, and was named Honorary Life President of the CBDNA.
23.
William Revelli was asked to conduct and accepted with amendments to the MENC plans for choosing students, among other caveats.
24.
William Revelli agreed at Revelli's request even though Bill wasn't conducting Somewhere.
25.
William Revelli died of heart failure on July 16,1994, at St Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor at age 92.
26.
William Revelli was preceded in death by his wife, Mary, and his daughter, Rosemary Margaret Revelli Strong.
27.
William Revelli is survived by his grandson John William Revelli Strong and Kimberly Snyder, and his great grandchildren Sara and William Snyder.
28.
William Revelli is interred at Washtenaw Memorial Park in Ann Arbor.