Biography

• Certificate in Leadership and Management in Higher Education, Harvard University
• PhD, music education, Michigan State University
• MM, music performance, Pennsylvania State University
• BM, music education and music performance, Michigan State University

Dr. Robert T. Stroker was appointed Dean and Professor of Music Education at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance in 2002, Vice Provost for the Arts in 2011, and in 2012 became Dean of the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts, which along with Boyer, is part of the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts. Prior to his tenure Temple, Dean Stroker was Associate Dean, Head of Music Education, Chair of the Divisions of Music and Dance, and Director of the Meadows Percussion Ensemble at the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University.

As Vice Provost for the Arts at Temple University, Dr. Stroker is committed to access, excellence and enhancing the quality of life through the arts. He has established Arts Grants for Research and Creative Achievement, a Vice Provost for the Arts Student Advisory Committee, and the Vice Provost for the Arts Lunchtime Series featuring interactive faculty presentations for members of the Temple community.

Dean Stroker provided the vision for the creation of The Arts and Quality of Life Research Center. The Center promotes research, training and innovative programs that demonstrate the unique role of the arts in improving lives. To this end, it focuses on exploring uses of creative arts to enhance human functioning developmentally, intellectually, psychologically, socially, physically, aesthetically and spiritually.

As an advocate for new music, Dean Stroker has commissioned numerous works for the Boyer College. Three of these commissions have been nominated for Grammy Awards in the “Best Instrumental Composition” category: fourth stream...La Banda and Overture, Waltz and Rondo by Grammy-winning composer Bill Cunliffe, and Music of Ansel Adams: America by legendary jazz artist Dave Brubeck and his son Chris Brubeck. Other commissions include: Constant Renaissance by six-time Grammy-winning composer/arranger, Vince Mendoza; UNITED, by Daniel Schnyder; Luck be a Lady, arranged by Michael Abene; Reflections on the Mississippi by Grammy Award winning composer Michael Daugherty; Northern Lights by Ēriks Ešenvalds; and The Heart’s Light by Bill McGlaughlin. Several of these commissions received world premieres at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York.

Dean Stoker founded Boyer’s in house recording label, BCM&D Records, for which he serves as producer. More than 30 recordings have been released on the label, including the three Grammy nominated commissions noted above. As Director of the award-winning Meadows Percussion Ensemble from 1993-2002, he released several recordings on Gasparo Records.

Dean Stroker has presented papers and lectures at numerous music and higher education conferences throughout the United States and Europe, as well as Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. He has been a guest clinician/conductor/adjudicator at the Percussive Arts Society International Conference, World Association of Symphonic Bands and College Band Directors National Association. He has published extensively on the topics of music education and pedagogy.

Dean Stroker has presented many workshops and master classes at international and national music conferences and festivals throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. He also served as guest conductor and consultant for the Conservatory Band of Sao Paolo, Brazil. Early in his career, he was principal percussionist with the Lansing Michigan Symphony Orchestra. 

As a former public school music teacher in Michigan, Dean Stroker was instrumental in developing a middle school music curriculum. He has taught music performance, music education, conducting and performance at undergraduate and graduate levels at Penn State University, University of Michigan-Flint, Michigan State University and Southern Methodist University.

Dean Stroker is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Advocacy Award from the American Music Therapy Association, Penn State University Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award, Michigan State University Distinguished Alumni Award, International Musiktage Vocklabruck Award and Singing City’s 60th Year Celebration Award.

Works and Publications 

The Professional Music Educator, (book co-author). 2010. Pearson Education.

The American Band Contest Movement: 1875-1940. Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, 3, 33-40, 1996.

Teaching Musicianship Skills in the Performance Based Class. The Universal Language Abstracts: International Society for Music Education, 1, 240-241, 1996.

Student Teaching and Teacher Thinking Styles: A Comparison Between Cooperating Music Teachers and Higher Education Music Methods Teachers. Southeastern Journal of Music Education, 6, 64-72, 1996. 

Human Relation Skills for the First-Year Music Teacher. Connections, 10, (1), 11-13, 1995. 

Assertive Evaluation. Southwestern Musician, 64, 6-7, 1994.

A Comparison of Selected Areas of Thinking Styles Between Music Cooperating Teachers and Higher Education Music Methods Teachers. Texas Music Education Research, 81-86, 1994. 

Media 

As Producer and Founder, BCM&D Records

Constant Renaissance by Vince Mendoza, featuring Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts and the Temple University Studio Orchestra (2019)

Family Feeling featuring Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts, Bruce Barth, Tim Warfield, David Wong, Byron Landham (2018)

Luck be a Lady featuring the Temple University Studio Orchestra with Terell Stafford and Dick Oatts (2017)

Wind Concerti featuring the Temple University Wind Symphony and soloists from The Philadelphia Orchestra (2016)

Strike Up the Band featuring the Temple University Jazz Band (2016) Recorded live

Dear Dizzy featuring Jimmy Heath, Jon Faddis and the Temple University Jazz Band (2015)

Northern Lights featuring the Temple University Concert Choir (2015)

Sacred and Profane featuring iPalpiti Orchestra (2015)

Souvenir with iPalpiti Orchestra (2015)

Reflections on the Mississippi for Tuba and Orchestra featuring the Temple University Symphony Orchestra and Carol Jantsch (2014)

That Music Always Round Me featuring the Temple University Concert Choir and Vocal Jazz Collective (2014)

CADENCE and MASS featuring the Temple University Percussion Ensemble (2013)

Big Swing Face featuring the Temple University Jazz Band (2013) Recorded live

Waken the Dawn featuring the Temple Univeristy Concert Choir (2013)

fourth stream...La Banda featuring the Temple University Symphony Orchestra (2010) Grammy nomination: “Best Instrumental Composition”

Music of Ansel Adams: America featuring the Temple University Symphony Orchestra (2012) Grammy nomination: “Best Instrumental Composition”

Overture, Waltz and Rondo featuring the Temple University Symphony Orchestra (2012) Grammy nomination: “Best Instrumental Composition”

Live from iPalpiti Festival 2012,  Live from iPalpiti Festival 2011, Live from iPalpiti Festival 2010, Live from iPalpiti Festival 2009 featuring iPalpiti Orchestra

To Thad, with Love featuring the Temple University Jazz Band (2011)

Temple University Symphony Orchestra Plays Mozart (2010)

Overture to Coriolanus featuring the Temple University Symphony Orchestra (2010)

Waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier featuring the Temple University Symphony Orchestra (2010)

As Director of the Meadows Percussion Ensemble

Contact, Gasparo Records (2003)

Strike, Gasparo Records (2000)

The Drums of Summer, Gasparo Records (1999)

Live at WASBE, Gasparo Records (1999)