Music for All is one of the most influential national education organizations in support of active music-making; it combines programming at a national level with arts education advocacy. Bands of America and Orchestra America are among its many programs. Pileri also serves as Chairman of the Music for All Foundation, an organization that supports MFA and its mission.
“Doug had been a member of our Board for the past ten years,” Doster said of the newly elected chairman, “and in that time, he’s brought strong business experience along with a passion for inspiring and energizing people. When COVID hit, he took the initiative to encourage our staff to ‘reinvent your world, don’t sit back waiting,’ and Music for All is much stronger today as a result. The staff did the heavy lifting, but Doug helped provide a sense of direction and encouragement.”
“I’m moving into a position that has, for so many years, benefited from Gayl’s legacy knowledge and steady guidance,” Pileri said. “He’s helped Music for All become highly respected for its heritage of providing solid educational experiences, spectacular performance events, and instrumental music programs for students. In his new role as immediate past chairman, we’ll all benefit from his continuing presence and involvement in everything we do.”
Pileri brings a reputation for applying visionary leadership, business discipline, and the creative application of technology to achieve extraordinary results to his new role. In a thirty-year career in multiple international senior-level assignments, he built an enduring record of success in some of the world’s great companies––IBM, Thomson, and Kodak––and in Freedom Partners, one of the country’s most successful policy-influencing organizations.
During his career, Pileri has been a keynote speaker at industry conventions, has been featured in a cover story of CIO Magazine, and delivered a speech on National Public Radio. He believes there are two universal languages––music and photography––that bring us together and make a great difference in our world. He credits his experience playing the clarinet at a young age with helping him develop the confidence he’d need along the way. His wife and their three daughters all play musical instruments. He remains an active photographer.
“Under the direction of CEO Jeremy Earnhart, his staff and volunteers, Music for All is healthier than it’s ever been,” Pileri said. “They’re well-positioned to reach out to other organizations and take on new roles and responsibilities that extend their mission and influence. What should we be doing to broaden and deepen our ability to bring music––in all its forms––to communities that are underserved? What will music education look like in the future––and what should our role in that be? This is an exciting time to be working with this vibrant organization.”
Music for All is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization. Each year, more than 600,000 people attend their events––including the Grand National Championships in November, more than 85,000 high school and middle school students participate in instrumental music programs nationwide, and more than 300,000 people subscribe to MFA online services. To continue its success, the organization is committed to expanding the role of music and the arts in education, heightening the public’s appreciation of the value of music and arts education, and creating a positive environment for the arts through societal change.
“Music gave every member of my family a head start on building their confidence and inspiring their dreams,” Pileri said. “In my time as chairman, I’m hoping that Music for All can find new and innovative ways to bring those same benefits––through the joy of music––to more children and their families everywhere. What could be more fun––and more satisfying––than being involved in something like that?”
Personnel background:
Gayl W. Doster is the retired President and Chief Operating Officer of Brooks Drug, inc. Mr. Doster is a graduate of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and has been inducted into the school’s Academy of Alumni Fellows. He also has been presented with the Distinguished Alumni Service Award by Indiana University which is the highest award granted to an Indiana University alumnus. While attending Indiana University he was a four-year member of the Marching Hundred and numerous music ensembles. He has been inducted into the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Business and Industry Hall of Fame, is the 2009 recipient of the International Festival & Events Association Zambelli Internationale Volunteer of the Year Award and is a member of the Music for all Hall of Fame. Mr. Doster has served on the board of the Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University and has been President of the Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. He also served as an adjutant professor at the Rhode Island School of Pharmacy. He and his wife Beverly have two children and five grandchildren.
Douglas C. Pileri. In addition to serving as Chairman of the Board of Music for All and Chairman of the Music for All Foundation, Pileri also serves as the founding board president of OrphanWise and is a Fellow of the Simon Graduate School of Business, University of Rochester, from which he holds an MBA. He has been awarded two patents: one for technology, the other for business innovation. He received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Pileri and his wife live in Carmel, Indiana. Their three daughters––and first grandson, Brooks––are scattered across the country.
About Music for All
Music for All’s mission is to create, provide, and expand positively life-changing experiences through music for all. Our vision is to be a catalyst to ensure that every child in America has access and opportunity for active music-making in their scholastic environment. Founded in 1975, Music for All is a destination – and sets the standard – for school music ensemble performance and music education advocacy. Music for All provides ensemble experiences, hands-on opportunities for individual student performance training and growth, and teacher professional development. Music for All is also committed to informing and empowering students, parents, and teachers to be engaged advocates for the arts and music education in their communities and across the nation. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, Music for All’s programs include 30+ annual events, serving more than 600,000 attendees each year – more than 1.3 million in our 46-year history. Our programs include the Bands of America Grand National Championships and Regional Championships for marching bands, the Music for All Summer Symposium, the Music for All National Festival and Affiliate Regional Music Festivals for concert ensembles, and national honor ensembles for students, including the Bands of America Honor Band that marched for the fifth time in the Rose Parade® on New Year’s Day 2022.
