Danny Eye, a native of Hanley Falls, MN, has been Director of Bands at West Central in Hartford, SD, for over a decade and has been teaching for more than 20 years. His duties include directing the High School Concert Band, Marching Band, Pep Band, Jazz Band, Drumline, Percussion Ensemble, and Musical Pit; conducting three middle school bands; and teaching piano, guitar, and individual lessons. In 2017, he was named West Central Teacher of the Year. In 2018, the National Band Association awarded Mr. Eye the Citation of Excellence for outstanding contributions to bands and band music. Mr. Eye was named the 2020-2021 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Outstanding Music Educator for the state of South Dakota.
He earned his Bachelor of Music Education from South Dakota State University in Brookings, his Master of Arts in Education from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, and his Master of Music Education from Northern State University in Aberdeen.
As an active teacher, performer, adjudicator, conductor, and composer, he has performed with the SuFuDu Drumline based in Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls Stormfront Drumline for the Sioux Falls Storm, and the Dakota Wind Ensemble. He has also performed at the Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota Day of Percussion events. Mr. Eye's drumline compositions can be heard in more than 20 schools throughout South Dakota and Minnesota.
Mr. Eye has held memberships in the South Dakota Music Educators Association (currently President), South Dakota Bandmasters, Minnesota Band Directors Association, and the Percussive Arts Society. He has been a Vic Firth Educator since 2006 and has been on staff for the Yamaha Sounds of Summer clinics, working alongside Drum Corps International Hall of Fame members Dennis DeLucia, Tom Aungst, and Dave Marvin. Mr. Eye is also a Zildjian Educational Artist and a proud Yamaha Performing Artist.
