James D. Ployhar (September 22, 1926 – January 2, 2007) was an American composer,

music educator Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do original ...

, and

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

. He was responsible for many pieces of music well known to American band students, including "Cool Blues for Trumpets", "March of the Irish Guard", "Crazy Clock", and "Korean Folk Song Medley".

Biography

Ployhar attended

Valley City State University Valley City State University (VCSU) is a public university in Valley City, North Dakota. It is part of the North Dakota University System. Founded in 1890 as Valley City State Normal School, a two-year teachers' college, it was authorized to confe ...

in Valley City, North Dakota, and was initiated into the Beta Rho chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity in 1952. He earned a master's degree from the University of Northern Colorado, and did doctoral study at UCLA. Ployhar was president of the VCSC Alumni Association from 1975 to 1976 and a member of the V-500 Foundation. On May 20, 1977, he was given the Distinguished Alumnus Award at Valley City State University. A public school teacher of nineteen years, Ployhar was a prolific writer in the field of music education and authored ''Contemporary Band Course''. He received the citation of excellence by the executive committee of the National Band Association. He founded the Fargo Big Band All-Stars, a musical group that frequently performed at the historic

Fargo Theatre The Fargo Theatre is an art deco movie theater in downtown Fargo, North Dakota, United States. Construction on the building began in the fall of 1925 and the theatre opened on March 15, 1926. It was restored in 1999 to its historic appearance an ...

, and he co-produced the 1994 Disney film '' Iron Will''. Ployhar died January 2, 2007, in

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo ( /ˈfɑɹɡoʊ/) is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 125,990, making it the most populous city in the state and the 219th-most populous city in ...

References

1926 births People from Fargo, North Dakota 2007 deaths Musicians from North Dakota Valley City State University alumni 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians American male composers {{US-composer-20thC-stub