Date of Award

Fall 12-1-2012

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)

Department

Music

Committee Chair

Steven Moser

Committee Chair Department

Music

Committee Member 2

Thomas V. Fraschillo

Committee Member 2 Department

Music

Committee Member 3

Edward Hafer

Committee Member 3 Department

Music

Committee Member 4

Joseph Brumbeloe

Committee Member 4 Department

Music

Committee Member 5

Catherine Rand

Committee Member 5 Department

Music

Abstract

WJ Julian served with distinction as director of bands at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Tennessee Polytechnic Institute during his forty-five-year teaching career. The purpose of this study is to compile a biographical sketch of WJ Julian prior to his appointment as director of bands at the University of Tennessee in 1961, to examine his impact on the Tennessee band program, and to show how both Julian and the Tennessee band program rose to state and national acclaim in the American band movement.

The primary source of information for this study was extensive interviews with Julian himself. Secondary data was obtained from interviews with his colleagues and former students. Additional materials utilized included programs, articles, and material from the University of Tennessee band archive and university library.

As director of bands at the University of Tennessee, Julian transformed a regional Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) marching band into a comprehensive national university band program. He founded the concert band program that subsequently appeared at five national band conventions during his tenure. The “Pride of the Southland” marching band rose to national acclaim with over fifty appearances on television that included seven presidential inaugural parades. Julian served as president of the American Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, College Band Directors Association, and Tennessee Music Educators Conference; he founded the Tennessee Bandmasters Association.

Julian’s career was predicated on his commitment to a standard of excellence that influenced generations of students, music educators, peers, and colleagues. He dedicated forty-three years of his teaching career in his home state and to the advancement of music education in Tennessee. Research concludes that WJ Julian’s influence was significant in the American band movement as a leader, teacher, and prominent director of bands.

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