Larry R. Blocher

Dr. Larry Blocher is Professor Emeritus at Troy University in Troy, Alabama. He recently retired from combined appointments as Dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts, Director of the John M. Long School of Music, and Professor of Music at Troy University following 17 years of service (2005-2022). In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Dr. Blocher served as an associate conductor with the university bands and taught undergraduate and graduate music education classes. Prior to his arrival at Troy University, Dr. Blocher served as Associate Director of the School of Music, Associate Director of Bands, Director of Music Education, and Professor of Music at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas for 10 years. Additionally, he was Assistant Director of Bands, Coordinator of Music Education, and Associate Professor of Music at Morehead State University, Director of Music Education and Assistant Professor in the School of Music and College of Education at Syracuse University, and Director of Jazz Studies and Saxophone and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Dayton. He received his BME and MM (music education and performance) degrees from Morehead State University in Kentucky and his Ph.D. in Music Education from The Florida State University. Dr. Blocher is a currently a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Band Research and a Project and Committee Chair for the National Band Association. He has served on the editorial board of the Music Educators Journal and the Advisory Board to the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. Dr. Blocher has presented invited clinic sessions at the Midwest on 5 separate occasions, educational sessions at Music for All, and research sessions at the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) in Spain, Japan, and Austria. His research has been published in the Journal of Research in Music Education. His original compositions for band are published by Excelcia Music Publishing. Dr. Blocher has been a guest clinician/conductor/adjudicator in 33 states and 11 countries. He is a past president of the Kansas Bandmasters Association and received both the Outstanding Bandmaster and Outstanding Contributor to Music Awards from the Kansas Bandmasters Association. He is a past recipient of the Mortar Board Outstanding Educator Award and the University Leadership in the Advancement of Teaching Award (Wichita State). He is a recipient of the of the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Commissioning Award. Dr. Blocher was named a Lowell Mason Fellow by The National Association for Music Education (NAfME). He is a co-principal author of the Teaching Music through Performance in Band series (GIA).