Presented to UWAA members and volunteers who have had a significant impact on the UWAA, the Distinguished Service Award (DSA) recognizes outstanding service or devotion to the Alumni Association, the University of Washington and the alumni community.
The fourth band director in the 96-year history of the University of Washington Marching Band, Dr. Brad McDavid was also the longest-tenured director in band history. He is credited with taking the band to new heights and far-away places on performance tours of Australia, China, Scandinavia, Japan, France, Ireland and Italy. If that weren’t enough, he was selected to serve as the Head Artistic Director and Head Director of the 1,800-member international Beijing Olympic Band in 2008.
Yes, wow. He was also one of the best and most dedicated friends the UW Alumni Association has ever had. Inducted into the 2016 Washington Music Educators National Conference Hall of Fame, he has served on several selection committees for national awards, and he is the co-author of the two-volume instructional series, “The Marching Band Director’s Video Toolbox,” published in 2013.
The Ohio native previously taught at the elementary, middle-school and high-school levels while working in the public schools of central Ohio and Tempe, Arizona. Here at Washington, he weathered the pandemic, during which many band members lost motivation and the band shrunk in size. Fortunately, the band since recovered and returned to full strength. During his 30 years here, there were almost too many memories to recall but one stood out: the band’s first football halftime performance after Sept. 11, 2001, as a tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack.
McDavid retired in 2024 and the purple sport coat, purple-and-gold tie and white gloves can take a break and relax in a closet. “We just felt like the time was right to step aside,” he says. Now, he is enjoying traveling and getting the opportunity to watch while his son is going to become a band director. Talk about full circle.