Lloyd R. Rodgers, professor emeritus of music, died on Dec. 27 at the age of 74.
Rodgers served the campus community for 41 years, teaching music composition and theory. Through his classes and leadership in various ensembles, including the CSUF New Music Ensemble, the Cartesian Reunion Memorial Orchestra and a campus-based Diverse Instruments Ensemble, he inspired and influenced hundreds of music students. Rodgers was well known outside of campus as a composer and as founder of The Lloyd Rodgers Group.
Marc Dickey, director of the School of Music, described Rodgers as a “brilliant musician and teacher with an amazing musical and intellectual mind.”
“When I first came to CSUF in 1988, before the internet was available to us, if there was something about music that I couldn’t figure out, I’d simply ask him,” says Dickey. “Lloyd always had a concise answer, and then he’d continue to talk around the topic in an extremely knowledgeable, creative and — yes — highly opinionated way, for as much time as we both had.”
Dickey adds: “I recently heard from one of Lloyd Rodgers’ former students, Seth Patula, who shared that ‘he showed me how to see the world through the eyes of an artist. He made me realize that bringing joy and light to the world is one of the most rebellious things you can do.’”
Rodgers is survived by his wife Melissa, a son, daughter and two granddaughters.