KU grieving School of Music professor’s death


Thu, 06/04/2015

author

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas is saddened by the death of Deron McGee, associate professor of music theory in the School of Music. McGee died of brain cancer May 28 at his home in Lawrence.

“On behalf of the entire KU community, I offer my sympathy to the family, friends, colleagues and former students whose lives were touched by Deron McGee,” said Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little. “We are deeply saddened to lose such a respected member of our university community, and our thoughts are with his loved ones.”

Since 1994 McGee had been with the School of Music, where he established the Kansas Center for Music Technology, directed the Music Theory and Composition Division for several years, and he received the 1998-1999 Gretchen VanBloom Budig Professorship. He stopped teaching in spring 2012.

McGee was a reviewer for Oxford University Press and J.J. Wiley and Sons, served on the editorial review board of the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, and was the co-editor of Computers in Music Research.

In 1997, he co-authored the book “Knowledge-Based Programming for Music Research,” and he also worked on a book about teaching music theory based on research into the structure and functions of the brain. He also was a founding member of Music Theory Midwest.

Scott Murphy, professor of music theory, met McGee in 1994. Murphy had just completed bachelor’s degrees in music composition and music theory from KU and had begun his master’s degree in music composition that fall. McGee had been hired to join KU’s faculty and was Murphy’s primary teacher and mentor.

Murphy intended to become a professional film-music composer, but McGee encouraged him to pursue advanced degrees in music theory.

Murphy was accepted into the doctoral program in music theory at the Eastman School of Music in 1997 and returned to KU in 2001, when he was hired as a music theorist. McGee became his faculty mentor and a dear friend, Murphy said.

“Although Deron battled brain cancer for over a decade, those of us close to him could see that, in the early months of 2015, his decline was accelerating,” Murphy said. “It is customary to eulogize great men and women when they die; in the musical world, we compose music for our fallen heroes. And, indeed, Deron was a hero not only to me, but also to many of his students and colleagues.”

In February, Murphy and Steve Leisring, associate professor of trumpet, began plans to perform a composition for McGee’s funeral when the time came. Instead, they performed Murphy’s four-minute piece — which included subtle references to McGee’s life and work — for his 50th birthday on April 18.

“His family arranged for Steve and I to present this music to him on his birthday, which we did with many of his family members, friends, former students and former colleagues in attendance,” Murphy said. “It was a joyous occasion.”

A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Sunday, June 7, at Plymouth Congregational Church.

Thu, 06/04/2015

author

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson

Media Contacts

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson

KU News Service

785-864-8858