Paul V. Yoder

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007)

Dr. Paul Van Buskirk Yoder (b. October 8, 1908 in Tacoma, Washington - d. April 4, 1990 in Hendersonville, North Carolina) is an American musician, composer, arranger, and band director and composed over 1,500 original compositions and arrangements during the course of his career. This gained him the nickname of "The Dean of American Composers," as well as "Father of Bands" in Japan, and also "America's Musical Ambassador." [1] That latter stemmed from his work overseas in adjucating, composing, participation in clinics, and directing. Dr. Yoder is an honorary life member and past national president of the National Band Association and has been awarded, amongst other awards, the Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts, the Distinguished Service to Music Medal, and has been inducted into the prestigous National Band Association Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors.^[1]

He and Charles S. Peters created a six book lesson series for individual, group, and professional studies of music. These contain books on theory, arranging, writing. The books, named Master Theory are considered great teaching tools. They were published by Neil A. Kjos Music Company in San Diego.^{[citation needed]}