Gary W. Hill is professor of music and director of bands at Arizona State University, where he conducts various ensembles and teaches graduate conducting.

Prior to Hill's appointment at Arizona State University's School of Music, he was director of bands at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, where he also served as music director for the Kansas City Youth Wind Ensemble, and conducted two professional groups: the Kansas City Symphony Brass Ensemble and newEar, a chamber ensemble devoted to contemporary music. Previously, he held a similar post at East Texas State University and was associate director of bands at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Hill began his teaching career in Michigan where he served as director of bands for the West Bloomfield and Traverse City public schools.

High school, university, and professional ensembles under Hill's direction have given performances for the National Band Association, the Music Educators National Conference (NAfME), the College Band Directors National Association, the American Bandmasters Association, the International Horn Symposium, the National Flute Association, at many state conventions, and throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.  Performances conducted by him have consistently drawn praise from composers, performing musicians, and critics alike for their insightful, inspired, and cohesive realizations, and for their imaginative programming.  

As a guest conductor and clinician, appearances in more than a dozen countries and throughout most of the United States have included performances with myriad high school honor bands, numerous college and university wind bands and orchestras, many professional ensembles, at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, and at World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles' conferences. Hill is one of the most sought after guest conductors and clinicians in the instrumental music education field; during the past four decades, he has presented more than 100 workshops on conducting and rehearsal technique for music teachers of all levels and has served as a clinician for thousands of bands and orchestras.

Hill’s current creative/research agenda includes: an exploration of biochemical reactions spawned by the musical process and work on a monograph concerning the past, present, and future of instrumental music in schools.

Hill is a member of numerous professional organizations including the National Association for Music Education, The Society for American Music, World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, The American Bandmasters Association, and the College Band Directors National Association, for which he hosted the Fiftieth Anniversary National Conference (1991) as well as the joint conferences of the North Central and Southwestern Divisions in conjunction with The Society for American Music (1998), served as president of the Southwestern Division (1989-91), and as national president (2003-05).