David P. Healey ’90, Ph.D. ’16, director of the "Screaming Eagles" Marching Band since 1999, has been elected the next president of the Atlantic Coast Conference Band Directors Association.
When he formally begins his two-year term later this year, Healey will hold a high-profile leadership position in the ACC, whose 15 members—among the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities—feature more than 60 music ensembles and more than 4,000 student participants.
David P. Healey
Though he may be known for his visionary stewardship of both the University's marching and symphonic bands, Healey identifies himself first and foremost as an educator whose “primary mission is to facilitate student formation,” and considers it an honor to work alongside ACC band directors who are equally committed to this mission.
As the Band Directors Association president, Healey’s duties will include maintaining communication among directors within the association and sharing the accomplishments of the ensembles in the conference. Healey will seek to connect students from across universities through an array of digital media, a reflection of his larger vision to “harness the data potential of the conference as a resource for the identification of emerging trends within higher education.”
Healey has already made impressive strides towards this digital vision in recent years. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about what he referred to as a “creative renaissance” for the band. Deprived of their usual practices and performances in Alumni Stadium, students found creative ways to foster community and artistic commitment to one another, including a nine-episode “ShowTime!” variety program; a music video with performers from the AEROdynamiK BC student dance group at the Waterworks Museum in Chestnut Hill: a virtual album featuring sections of the band; and a “Star Trek” audio collaboration with the University of Notre Dame.
In addition, the BC band worked with a principal dancer from the Boston Ballet to create a “Phantom of the Opera” music video at the Boston Opera House and connected with BC hip-hop group, Phaymus, for a “Spider-Man” field performance and music video filmed in Boston. Most recently, the band collaborated with the BC Dynamics and BC Irish Dance to create an ABBA-themed field show and music video.
As a result of such innovative collaborations, the BC Marching Band was recognized by the Arts Council for their “innovative and prolific work through the pandemic.” Healey also received received the Boston College “Living the Mission” award last year for his work mentoring BC doctoral students.
The Marching Band has been a staple of the Boston College experience for more than a century, and has also performed in appearances related to the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, ESPN “College GameDay,” and the Heisman Trophy Dinner. In addition, the band has played on many occasions with the Dropkick Murphys and the Boston Pops Orchestra, and marched in the parade for Barack Obama’s second presidential inauguration.
Reflecting on his nearly 25-year tenure as director, Healey said, “If you’ve walked through Lower Campus on an evening in the fall, you’ve inevitably heard BC Bands students preparing their literature. It’s an awe-inspiring experience to be in the same space and feel that energy, and it is the honor of a lifetime to be able to work with such a dedicated and talented group of students.”
John Walsh | University Communications | February 2023