Robert Fry, senior lecturer in music history and literature, is the recipient of the 2017 Vanderbilt Alumni Education Award.
The Vanderbilt Alumni Association Board of Directors recognized Fry as a popular speaker for the Commodore Classroom program that brings university faculty to alumni and friends in chapter cities. His energetic lectures and wide-ranging expertise make music and culture come alive for audiences across the country.
Board member Tim Warnock, BA’84, presented the award to Fry April 13 during a surprise visit to his Survey of Jazz class. Mark Wait, Martha Rivers Ingram Dean of the Blair School of Music, and members of the Blair School community were also in attendance.
“Fry is an entertaining and informative speaker,” Warnock said. “Whether he speaks about cultural migration and the global soundscape of Miami, the emergence of blues in the Carolinas, or how Chicago blues, jazz and gospel influenced global trends in music, alumni relish how he enthusiastically colors his presentations with the culture and history of their city.”
Fry began teaching at the Blair School of Music in 2007. The classes he has taught at Vanderbilt include The Blues, Global Music, Survey of Music Literature, Jazz, American Popular Music, Music and Tourism, and Music of the South.
The Vanderbilt Alumni Association Board of Directors has chosen a faculty member for the Alumni Education Award each year since 1982. The honor includes a cash prize and a silver tray.