Luke Aylsworth is currently the Director of Bands at Springs Valley Jr./Sr. High School in French Lick, IN. Luke is a third generation band director. For over seventy years, there has been an Aylsworth as the Director of Bands in French Lick, IN. Luke’s father John and grandfather Gilbert also held the same position.

 

Luke is the percussion arranger for several bands in Indiana and Kentucky including the 2010 ISSMA Class D State Champion and 2009 Bands of America Grand Nationals Semi-Finalist Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade. His bands have placed in the top five at the Indiana State Music Association State Marching Band Finals since 2006 including three State Championship Runner-Up finishes (2007, 2012, 2013). The band recently completed their third undefeated regular season and placed second at the Indiana State School Music Association Marching Band Finals in 2013. Luke was named Director of the Year in 2006 and the band was named Indiana Marching Band of the Year in 2009.

 

In winter percussion, Luke’s ensembles have been a state finalist every year they have competed in the Indiana Percussion Association and TriState circuits. The ensemble competes in the Percussion Scholastic Concert A (PSCA) class and has earned top five finishes including two Bronze Medals and two Silver Medal finishes. In 2013, the ensemble was promoted to  Percussion Scholastic Concert Open (PSCO) where they finished fifth. In 2014, the ensemble was the Indiana Percussion Association PSCA State Champion Runner-Up.

 

Luke took over the Springs Valley program in 2001 with twenty-four members. Under his guidance, the program now enjoys over two hundred and fifty members in grades 5-12. This is approximately ten percent of the population of French Lick, IN. Despite a school enrollment of approximately two-hundred and seventy, the marching band is one of the largest small school bands in the state with one hundred student participants.

 

In 2012 and 2014, the Springs Valley Band Department was designated as one of the best communities for music education in the United States by the NAMM Foundation. The ensemble also received the NAMM SupportMusic Merit Award in 2014. In addition, Springs Valley was a Grammy Foundation Signature School Semi-Finalist in 2013. The band has been recognized for artistry, hard work, and musical excellence by former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels.

 

Luke has a Master’s of Science in Music Technology and a Bachelor’s of Music Education degree from Indiana University. While at IU, Luke studied with Gerald Carlyss, Wilbur England, James Strain, and Jim Ancona.

 

Luke has arrangements and compositions published by Tapspace, Drop6 Media Inc.,

Hober Reber Productions, and CounterMotion Marching Designs.