Chase Jones Named Assistant Director of Bands

After a year in an interim position, Chase Jones has been appointed assistant director of bands for the U of A. In this role Jones will serve as assistant director of the Razorback Marching Band as well as director of the Hogwild Band. He will also teach conducting and pedagogy classes in the Department of Music. 

Originally from Ashdown, Jones earned his Bachelor of Music degree in 2012 from the U of A, serving as drum major for three years, and then worked on staff as a graduate assistant while he finished a Master of Music in conducting in 2015. Leaving the Natural State, he taught the 225-member Sebastian River High School Band in Sebastian, Florida. In his time at Sebastian River, the Wind Symphony performed at the 2016 Western International Band Clinic in Seattle, and the marching band was awarded six grand championships at various competitions in Florida and Georgia, including being named a BOA Orlando Regional Finalist in 2021. 

Jones took on the interim role with the U of A Bands last summer and jumped right into the position, helping to lead the Razorback Marching Band through a fall 2022 season that included an exhibition performance at the Region VI Marching Contest in Fort Smith and halftime performances at the Southwest Classic in Arlington, Texas, and Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. 

Last year, under Jones’ direction, the Hogwild Band played 65 games in seven different states, covering over 7,000 miles of travel in front of an estimated 450,000 fans and several national audiences, including NCAA tournament games in Des Moines, Iowa, and Las Vegas. “The month of March kept us busy.” Jones said. “But that just means we have great teams we are able to travel with to support.” 

This season, the Hogwild Band is already busy, performing at a women’s soccer match and kicking off volleyball season tonight in Barnhill Arena versus Michigan State. 

This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.