William C. Moffit

Place: New Philadelphia

Born: 1925

Death: 2008

Biography:

William C. Moffit was an American musician, music arranger and marching band director, best known for his innovations in marching band show techniques and for hundreds of arrangements for marching bands. He was the third director of the Purdue University 'All-American' Marching Band, serving from 1981 until his retirement in 1988. He also served as director of the University of Houston Spirit of Houston marching band from 1969 to 1981. Moffit left an indelible impact at Michigan State University with his musical arrangements and Patterns in Motion. Before going to MSU, he spent 10 years in the public school systems in Ohio and Michigan as a band director. Moffit was an innovator in both marching band style and music. His 'Patterns of Motion,' based on a constant-motion system using four-player squads, revolutionized bands and their halftime shows, moving away from the military style of marching. His style dominated both college and high school marching band shows and competitions from the late 1960s to the early 1990s. A prolific arranger, Moffit arranged more than 450 popular songs for marching bands as part of his famous Soundpower Series published by Hal Leonard.