Linda Moorhouse will no longer fill the Tiger Band director position she recently accepted when the fall season swings into action.


Moorhouse, who currently holds the associate director of bands position, accepted an offer for a position at the University of Illinois as a visiting associate professor of music, according to Pamela Matassa, communications director for the College of Music and Dramatic Arts.


Roy King, assistant director of bands, will likely lead Tiger Band in the fall with the help of a visiting faculty member and current faculty and students, according to Matassa.


"My personal thought is that Linda just wanted a break," she said. "A lot has been going on this past year, and she just needed a change."


Moorhouse — who is leaving after 25 years of service to the University band programs — announced Friday in an email to Tiger Band members that she was leaving, citing "an unsolicited and unexpected offer to join the UI band division two weeks ago" and "the realization of my situation here at LSU" as the reasons for her departure.


Moorhouse's announcement comes slightly more than two months after the College of Music and Dramatic Arts announced her appointment as Tiger Band director.


Matassa said Moorhouse is electing to leave the University despite the promotion and a 10-percent raise. Illinois' offer is for a one-year, non-tenured position.


"Linda was offered another job at a more stable institution," Matassa said, referring to the budget-cut crisis the University is currently dealing with. "They're not feeling the same heat. Maybe it was in her best interest."


Moorhouse's decision will also follow the official retirement of Director of Bands Frank Wickes, which takes effect this month.


Tiger Band — which has 325 members — will not face a decrease in size or funding amid budget cuts, according to Matassa.


"There will be no lack of candidates fighting to take over Tiger Band," she said. "It's the biggest, best band in the country."

Matassa said no official timeframe has been established to determine Moorhouse's replacement.

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Contact Matthew Jacobs at mjacobs@lsureveille.com