LVC Music Professor Receives PMEA Award

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Thomas Strohman

ANNVILLE, PA (04/14/2015)(readMedia)-- Thomas M. Strohman, Lebanon Valley College professor emeritus of music, received the 2015 PMEA District 7 Citation of Excellence in Teaching Award. Strohman's achievement was officially recognized at the Hershey Lodge & Convention Center during the PMEA Annual In-service Conference Awards Breakfast Saturday, March 28.

The PMEA grants the Citation of Excellence in Teaching Award annually to one member in each of the 12 PMEA districts to highlight curricula and excellent programs for other music teachers, to bring special recognition to these outstanding educators, and to recognize and reward excellence in music education. This year's awardees were primarily educators at the collegiate level.

Greatly honored by the award, Strohman expressed his gratitude and hopes for the future:

"To be chosen for this award by my professional music teaching colleagues is an honor I will cherish for the rest my life. My hope is to continue teaching and performing music to the best of my abilities for a long time."

Born in Lebanon, Pa., in 1952, Strohman started playing piccolo at the age of six. Under the tutelage of his father, H. Herbert Strohman '40, he studied flute, saxophone, and clarinet. Strohman continued his studies at Lebanon Valley College with Frank Stachow, eventually graduating with a B.S. in music education. In addition to earning a M.M. in jazz performance from Towson University, he has also studied with Joe Allard, Phil Woods, Walter Bishop, Jr., Adolphe Sandole, Charles DeLaney, and John Oberbrunner.

While in high school, Strohman developed an interest in jazz. As a member of the Lebanon Valley College Jazz Band, he was named Outstanding Musician at the 1974 Quinnipiac Intercollegiate Jazz Festival.

As a free-lance musician, he has performed for entertainers Patti Page, Al Martino, Sonny and Cher, Eddie Fisher, The Four Aces, Della Reese, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Vinton, Johnny Mathis, Jackie Evancho, and Clay Aiken. Strohman has also recorded for Johnny Winter and Dan Hartman.

As a jazz performer, he has had the pleasure of working with the following musicians: Bobby Rosengarten, Ira Sullivan, Buddy DeFranco, Al Grey, Steve Gilmore, Bill Goodwin, Tony Marino, Marco Marcinko, Dave Stahl, David Schnitter, John Blake, Jonny Coles, Steve Rudolph, and John Von Ohlem. Strohman was inducted into the Central PA Friends of Jazz Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Lebanon County Musicians' Hall of Fame in 2013.

Since 1974, he has been a member of Third Stream, one of Pennsylvania's finest contemporary bands. In addition to releasing six recordings, the group has also performed in concert with Herbie Hancock, Stanley Turrentine, Livingston Taylor, Jeff Beck, Deodato, Spyro Gyra, Vassar Clements, and Phil Wilson.

Though Strohman recently retired from full-time teaching at LVC, he continues as an adjunct professor, directing the Jazz Ensemble and giving private lessons in saxophone and jazz studies.

The PMEA is a statewide nonprofit organization of more than 4,500 members, dedicated to promoting the musical development of all Pennsylvanians. The present membership evolved from a small group of band directors dating from 1933. Today, the organization includes those engaged in music instruction at all levels, from preschool through college and university, as well as those in the music industry, merchandising, and publishing. The organization promotes and supports quality music education, learning, and performance as well as promoting and supporting music education in schools and communities. PMEA is affiliated with the 75,000 member National Association for Music Education, NAfME.

District 7 includes the following eight counties in south central PA: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York.