INDIANAPOLIS, IN – June 10, 2022 – Douglas Pileri, chairman of the Board of Directors of Music for All, today announced that Richard C. Crain has been elected to the organization’s Board of Directors.
“Richard is widely respected for what he’s accomplished in music education. If Music for All had a wish list of talent we’d hope to attract on our Board,” said Pileri, “Richard would be at the top of that list. His beliefs––in the importance of music education for students––and in the role successful teachers and directors should play as mentors to help others––align exactly with our goals. He’s a giant in the industry and when he agreed to join our Board, my only question was: How can we be so lucky?”
“With the many challenges that face music education today, it’s great to have an organization like this for sharing ideas on how we can do things better and more efficiently,” Crain says. “The kids will always be our prime responsibility––teaching them to be good musicians and good citizens––but doing that can sometimes be an isolating profession. We need to keep mentoring each other, learning from each other. As a Board member my goal will be to help Music for All extend its influence by sharing my experiences in this world of music where I’ve spent my life.”
Crain started his music career playing trombone as a high school sophomore in Texas. “I fell in love with it,” he remembers. “It touched my heart and I discovered I wanted to teach.” He went on to become an icon in music education. Through the years, his bands won honors in concert and marching contests in throughout the United States––and he’s served as president or chairman of several prestigious music associations. Crain retired in 2000 from public school music education after 44 years of service. He recently completed a tenure as President of the Board of Directors of The Midwest Clinic.
“Richard’s energy and experience will add credibility to our Board,” says Pileri, “because he’s an acknowledged thought leader in music education. But equally important is his enthusiasm for helping others to reach their potential––and his passion for doing that is contagious. Like so many bands and orchestras he’s conducted, we’ll be able to tackle new musical challenges because of his leadership.”
The 23-member Board of Music for All sets policy, provides oversight, and helps guide the growth of one of the most influential national education organizations in support of active music-making. Music for All combines programming at a national level with arts education advocacy. Bands of America and Orchestra America are among its many programs.
Crain and his late wife Gayle were instrumental in the creation of Music for All’s National Concert Band Festival, serving as the Festival Coordinators from 1992 through 2008. They were inducted into the Bands of America Hall of Fame in 2005. Richard lives in The Woodlands, TX.
“What we’re doing here is so important,” Crain adds, “because music is a skill that can make a difference in a student’s life that lasts forever. If I can help Music for All improve the quality of that experience––and extend its reach––our influence can be priceless.”
Crain’s appointment to the Board of Directors for Music for All is effective immediately.
