Ph.D.
University of Minnesota
M.M.
Valparaiso University
B.A.
Luther College
About
VUCA 2517
Biography
Jeffrey Scott Doebler serves as professor of music and director of music education and bands at Valparaiso University, where he also conducts the Handbell Choir. He has been the recipient of the Valparaiso University Excellence in Teaching Award, as well as the Valparaiso University Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award. In 2018, he was named a Distinguished Hoosier by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. Dr. Doebler has served as director of music education and bands at Valparaiso University since 1992, following ten years of teaching in the public schools of Emmetsburg, Iowa, and Shakopee, Minnesota. He earned degrees in music education from Luther College (B.A.), Valparaiso University (M.M.), and the University of Minnesota (Ph.D.). His career of more than 40 years in music education has achieved a unique balance of conducting, teacher preparation, leadership, and working with musicians from the beginning through professional levels, but all aspects of his vocation have had an ultimate focus on teaching. He has been recognized for teaching excellence by peers, colleagues, and students, including awards from the Indiana Music Education Association (IMEA), Valparaiso University, Luther College, Sigma Alpha Iota, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and the Confucius Institute. Dr. Doebler was a quarter-finalist for the Grammy Music Educator Award in 2014. In a typical year, Dr. Doebler works with over 3000 students. He has appeared professionally in 30 states, Canada, Malta, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, and China. Professor Doebler is a former president and state editor of the IMEA. He designed the IMEA All-State Future Music Educators Colloquium, a program that has been replicated in many other states. Dr. Doebler is a former president of the Indiana Bandmasters Association (IBA). For the IBA, he regularly conducts the All-Region and All-District Honor Bands, he conducted the All-State Band in 2011, and the Junior All-State Band in 2014. He is the first person to conduct at all four levels of IBA honor bands. Dr. Doebler is founder of a professional-level concert band, Windiana, which has toured China ten times, and has also toured Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Hawaii, and New York. Windiana performed for the national convention of the Association of Concert Bands in 2011, the National Chinese Language Conference in 2009, and a headline concert at Carnegie Hall on December 29, 2022. Dr. Doebler serves as concert band conductor for Lutheran Summer Music, the national high school music camp. He is conductor of the nearly 160-year-old Michigan City Municipal Band. Professor Doebler conducts the handbell choirs at Valparaiso University and Trinity Lutheran Church. He is a former Indiana Chair for the Handbell Musicians of America. In 2018, Dr. Doebler conducted the Indiana All-State Handbell Choir. It is believed that this was the first all-state handbell choir in the nation.
