Thomas Tyra

Thomas Tyra (born Thomas Norman Tyrakowski) (April 17, 1933 - July 7, 1995) was an American composer, arranger, bandmaster, and music educator.

Early life and education

Tyra was born and raised in Cicero, Illinois. The only child of a working-class immigrant family, Tyra graduated from the J. S. Morton High School in Cicero, Northwestern University, the United States Navy School of Music and the University of Michigan, where he received his Ph.D in Music Education under the auspices of long-time Director of Bands, William D. Revelli.

Bandmaster and Music Educator

After joining Louisiana State University in 1958 as an assistant to then Director of Bands L. Bruce Jones, LSU elevated Tyra in 1959 to Director of the Tiger Marching Band, making him at age 26 the nation's youngest director of a major university marching band. [cite web |url=http://www.bands.lsu.edu/band_history/index.php |title=LSU Band history |accessdate=2007-12-30 |last=Wickes |first=Frank |work=LSU Department of Bands] Tyra's 1959 introduction of the "LSU Ballet Corps" would become the "LSU Golden Girls" "Dance Squad", which would also serve as a music training ground for many, including then staff arranger Bill Conti [ [http://billconti.czechian.net/indexeng.php?text=biog The Unofficial Bill Conti Website] ] who would later gain fame by writing the theme music for the 1976 film "Rocky". In 1964, Tyra became Director of Bands at Eastern Michigan University, forging an enduring collaboration with Dr. [http://www.emich.edu/music/html/plank.html Max Plank] that would result in significant growth of the EMU Bands program. [ [http://www.emich.edu/music/html/awards.html Tyra-Plank Band Leadership Award at Eastern Michigan University] ] From 1977 to 1985, he headed the [http://music.wcu.edu Department of Music] at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, strengthening its Music Education curriculum and planting the seeds of growth for its instrumental performance programs, including marching band.

In 1985, Tyra was appointed Professor and Dean of the Crane School of Music at SUNY-Potsdam. [ [http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:QyIfdw08gp4J:www.potsdam.edu/media/6931A7377DDD146405897727262D75EECrane_Acad_Info_Supl_01-02.pdf+%22thomas+tyra%22+dean+%22crane+school+of+music%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us Crane School of Music, www.potsdam.edu] ] He retired in 1989.

Tyra was a member of ASCAP and the Kappa Kappa Psi/Tau Beta Sigma band service organization. [ [http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Den/3999 Eastern Michigan University ΚΚΨ - Delta Upsilon Chapter History] ] From 1969 to 1971, Tyra also served as National President of Kappa Kappa Psi. [ [http://www.ucband.uc.edu/kappakappapsi/bank/pop.php University of Cincinnati ΚΚΨ - Upsilon Chapter] ]

Composer, Arranger and Lyricist

Tyra wrote numerous compositions and arrangements for symphonic bands, marching bands and brass ensembles. Reflecting his talent in arranging for low brass and in writing works suitable for middle-school and high-school band ensembles, Tyra's "Two Gaelic Folk Songs" remains a standard for young bands. [ [http://music.utsa.edu/~bharris/ybrp/CDs/ybrp1.html Young Band Repertoire Project, Institute for Music Research at the University of Texas (San Antonio)] ] For more experienced ensembles, he arranged countless works for the LSU and EMU Marching Bands for half-time show performances, including those performed during half-time when the LSU football team competed post-season at the "Sugar Bowl" (1959, 1960), the "Orange Bowl" (1962), the "Cotton Bowl" (1963) and the "Bluebonnet Bowl" (1964). [ [http://tigerroar.com/football/history/bowls.php LSU Football post-season appearances] ] His original compositions include "Suite for Brass and Tympani", "Three Christmas Miniatures" and "Ceremonial Sketch". For EMU, Tyra composed "Eastern Variants", the music and lyrics for "Go Green!" and the musical break strain for the Huron (now Eagle) [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPjBQwRRihc "Fight Song."]

He is also credited with crafting the words for Northwestern University's 1958 revamp of its [http://numb.northwesternbands.org/audio "Alma Mater"] ("University Hymn") [ [http://www.northwestern.edu/features/historic_moments/02_15_01_song.html Northwestern University website: Behind the Music] ] at the request of Northwestern's then Director of Bands and early college mentor, [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E7D81539F932A25751C0A960958260 John Paynter] .

Personal life

Tyra fathered six children and had 13 grandchildren from his marriage to Suzanne Sheldon Tyra (Northwestern University '54).

References

External links

* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSsr=41&GScid=534&GRid=8799495& Additional Information]