Yoder, Paul

Paul Van Buskirk Yoder (1908-1990) was born in Tacoma, Washington on October 8, 1908. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Dakota in 1930 and taught music in public schools in Aurora, Illinois and Evansville, Indiana until 1936. While living in Chicago, working as a free-lance composer for several music publishing houses, Yoder completed a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University in 1941. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of North Dakota in 1958. Yoder was elected president of the American Bandmasters Association (ABA) in 1963, and served on their board of directors as well as the board for the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. He was instrumental in establishing the ABA Research Center at the University of Maryland and the Journal of Band Research, published by the ABA. He co-wrote a series of music theory and method books, as well as a six volume guide to band arranging. Dr. Yoder composed over 1,500 solo and ensemble works for young musicians and was internationally known for his work as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator.