Conductor

Dr. Eric A. Becher, Conductor

An Ann Arbor native, Eric received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Louisville, studying trumpet with Donald Grosz, Clifford Lillya, Frank Kaderabek, and Armando Ghitalla.  Eric became the the director of the Michigan University marching band in 1980, holding the position until 1989. Over the next 35 years Becher has been engaged as a music professor and in various leadership roles, serving as a senior administrator in advancement at several universities with responsibilities in marketing; alumni, community, and corporate relations; development (fundraising); and strategic planning.  He has also organized several music, theater, and visual arts series.  

Upon retirement from higher education in 2016, Eric founded Vavarde Strategic Funding to assist nonprofit organizations in the areas of the arts, education, and strategic planning. He has actively served on community boards and state organizations providing leadership, strategic planning, implementation strategies, marketing, and resource development guidance.

Serving as the Conductor for the Bold City Brass since the summer of 2019, Eric describes the two hours that he spends every Thursday with the musicians as “the best two hours of his week.”