Norman Lloyd (composer) explained

Norman Lloyd (November 8, 1909 – July 31, 1980) was an American pianist, composer, educator, author and supporter of the arts who scored works for modern dance, documentary film [1] and classical chamber. Through his work as an educator, notably at Juilliard, he exerted a significant influence on the teaching of musical theory; and later as the author of books including the popular "Fundamentals of Sight Singing and Ear Training" (co-authored with Arnold Fish).[2] He continued to influence and support the arts as creator of the Rockefeller Foundation's arts program and its first director. He was the son of David Lloyd, a steel mill worker and minor league baseball player, and grandson of William Lloyd, a coal miner who immigrated to the United States from Wales in 1845.

Career

His professional career began as an 11-year-old piano accompanist for silent films in the early 1920s. He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from NYU, where he studied musical composition under Aaron Copland. It was also at NYU that Lloyd met fellow piano accompanist Ruth Dorothy Rohrbacher, whom he married in 1933 and with whom he collaborated on books and musical projects throughout his life. They had two sons, David and Alex. In the mid-1930s, Lloyd was hired to work as a pianist and composer in the newly created summer dance program at Bennington College, alongside choreographers Martha Graham, José Limón, Doris Humphrey and others. During the summers at Bennington, he scored many works for dance, including "Panorama" for Graham[3] and "Lament for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias" with Humphrey choreographing for Limón.[4] The Bennington collaboration of artists during those years is considered by many to be the foundation of modern dance as an American art form.[5]

Lloyd went on to serve as Director of Education at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City from 1946 to 1949, where he established a new dance division with Martha Hill as director, and invited Graham, Limón and other Bennington choreographers to join the faculty. During this period, he and Juilliard president William Schuman designed a new and innovative approach to the study of musical theory entitled, "The Literature and Materials of Music,"[6] which shifted the emphasis away from textbooks and rigorous ear training to discussion and direct pedagogy by composers in the classroom. He and Schuman were committed to teaching music from a more holistic approach that would "make responsible adults of musicians."[7] The new curriculum was intended to disrupt what the two men considered to be an overly insular culture and rigidly formal training regimen at Juilliard, and effectively altered the course of American musical education towards the more comprehensive and progressive path on which it remains today.[7]

Lloyd also continued to compose works for leading choreographers, including José Limón's 1947 work, "La Malinche,"[8] [9] as well as chamber works for the piano [10] [11] and violin.[12] He worked tirelessly as a teacher and educator and his influence can be felt in the works of the many students [13] who passed through Juilliard during his tenure. He eventually left Juilliard in 1963 to serve as Dean of the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music;[14] he received a Doctorate of Music from the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music the same year.[6]

In 1965, he left Oberlin to create the Rockefeller Foundation's arts program,[15] [16] serving there as Director of Arts Programming until 1972. He published a number of books during his career, including the "Golden Encyclopedia of Music," "Fireside Book of Favorite American Songs" and "Fireside Book of Folk Songs."[17] He played a pivotal role in the re-emergence and popularity of Scott Joplin's ragtime tunes some 30 years after the Depression when he persuaded Vera Brodsky Lawrence to edit, "The Collected Works of Scott Joplin."[6]

Lloyd died of leukemia at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut on July 31, 1980, at the age of 70.

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Films . International Film Foundation . June 1, 2014.
  2. Book: 088133720X . Fundamentals of Sight Singing and Ear Training: Arnold Fish, Norman Lloyd: 9780881337204: Amazon.com: Books . 1993 . Amazon.com . registration .
  3. Web site: Anna Kisselgoff . DANCE REVIEW; Protest Themes Lurk in Graham's 1935 'Panorama' - New York Times . . February 8, 1999 . June 1, 2014.
  4. Web site: Artists: G-H | Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive . Danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org . June 1, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140605051700/http://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/dance/jose-limon?ref=artist&refcar=%2Fartist%2Fg-h . June 5, 2014 .
  5. Book: Making Music For Modern Dance - Google Books . October 7, 2011. 9780199911486 . June 1, 2014. Teck . Katherine . Oxford University Press .
  6. Web site: Smolowe . Jill . NORMAN LLOYD, 70 - COMPOSER-TEACHER - Devised New Approach to Musical Theory-Also Wrote Books A Scott Joplin Fan Published Book of Songs - Article - NYTimes.com . Select.nytimes.com . August 1, 1980 . June 1, 2014.
  7. News: The New York Times. . March 31, 2010 . June 1, 2014 . Tommasini . Anthony .
  8. Web site: José Limón and La Malinche: The Dancer and the Dance, 2008 .
  9. Web site: Barnes . Clive . Dance - A Young Troupe Re-creates Old Mexico - Juilliard Group Excels in Works by Limon - Article - NYTimes.com . Select.nytimes.com . March 30, 1968 . June 1, 2014.
  10. Web site: LLOYD, N. / MENNIN, P.: Piano Music (Silberstein) - 8.559767 . Naxos.com . June 1, 2014.
  11. Web site: Norman Lloyd- Albums, Pictures – Naxos Classical Music . Naxos.com . June 25, 2011 . June 1, 2014.
  12. Web site: HOWARD TAUBMANThe New York Times . Music - Boys, 10 and 12, Steal Show at Juilliard - Pianist, Violinist Play New Work by Lloyd Other Selections Bow in Festival Program Operas for Amateurs - Article - NYTimes.com . Select.nytimes.com . February 21, 1956 . June 1, 2014.
  13. Web site: Harold C. Schonberg. . Lloyd Singers Give Debut Recital Here - Article - Nytimes.Com . Select.nytimes.com . April 25, 1958 . June 1, 2014.
  14. Web site: Old Fulton NY Post Cards. February 19, 2010. Thomas Tryniski. June 1, 2014.
  15. Web site: [Displaying Abstract ] . Foundation Names Director of Arts - Article - NYTimes.com . Select.nytimes.com . June 10, 2012 . June 1, 2014.
  16. Web site: The Morning Record - Google News Archive Search. June 1, 2014.
  17. Web site: Norman Lloyd (Author of The Golden Encyclopedia of Music) . Goodreads.com . June 1, 2014.
  18. Web site: Martin . John . Dance - Amusing Novelty - Jose Limon Troupe Gives 'Performance' at Juilliard School of Music - Article - NYTimes.com . Select.nytimes.com . April 15, 1961 . June 1, 2014.
  19. Web site: Sherman . Robert . Music - Performing Honored At Sarah Lawrence . Westchester County (Ny) . . February 8, 1981 . June 1, 2014.
  20. Web site: Calta . Louis . FOUNDATION GIVES $100,000 TO FORUM - Rockefeller Foundation Aids Lincoln Center Unit - Article - NYTimes.com . Select.nytimes.com . November 6, 1971 . June 1, 2014.
  21. Web site: Anna Kisselgoff . DANCE REVIEW; An 85th-Birthday Look At Sokolow's Influence - New York Times . . February 17, 1995 . June 1, 2014.
  22. Web site: Bova . Elyse . Martha Graham: A Brief History: Martha Graham's Bennington College Years . Mgrahamabriefhistory.blogspot.com . April 26, 2009 . June 1, 2014 . June 2, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140602201207/http://mgrahamabriefhistory.blogspot.com/2009/05/martha-grahams-bennington-college-years.html . dead .
  23. Book: Juilliard: A History - Andrea Olmstead - Google Books . 9780252071065 . June 1, 2014. Olmstead . Andrea . 2002 . University of Illinois Press .
  24. Web site: Rockefeller Archive Center . 100 Years: The Rockefeller Foundation | Music · Culture . Rockefeller100.org . June 1, 2014 . September 29, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130929091940/http://rockefeller100.org/exhibits/show/culture/music . dead .
  25. Book: Orpheus in Manhattan: William Schuman and the Shaping of America's Musical Life - Steve Swayne - Google Books . February 7, 2011. 9780199793105 . June 1, 2014. Swayne . Steve . Oxford University Press .
  26. Web site: Reviews . Alex North Music . June 1, 2014.

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