About Samuel Stokes

Samuel Stokes has a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Composition/Arranging, a Master of Arts in Music Composition from the University of Central Missouri, a Master of Music Theory from The Florida State University, and a PhD in Music Composition from Louisiana State University. Dr. Stokes currently teaches piano and vocal music in the talent music program for the Natchitoches Parish Schools, and he is also the music composition instructor at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

While at UCM, Stokes was involved in the Marching Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, and Winter Drumline, playing piano, percussion, and cello. Stokes composed an original work entitled "Solus," which was performed by the Marching band as part of the fall 2000 field show, and arranged most of the drumline and front ensemble parts during the 1999, 2000, and 2001 seasons. He arranged a Dracula-themed gym show for the Winter Drumline, entitled, "What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse," which was used in both performance and competition in spring 2001. Stokes also composed a multi-movement work based on the Mika Waltari novel, "The Egyptian," which was performed by the UCM percussion ensemble. He also composed two original pieces for the University Jazz Ensemble and nine arrangements, which were performed at various concerts in 2001-2003.

Stokes was very heavily involved in the UCM theatre department, serving as a musical director, composer, or arranger for approximately 20 shows. While at FSU, Stokes was the music director for Marat/Sade and Amadeus.

Stokes has composed three full-length musicals. The first entitled Bird Millman, a collaborative effort with playwright August Mergelman, was performed by the Freemont Civic Theatre in Canon City, Colorado in Spring of 2002. The second entitled Dracula, a collaboration with playwright Richard Herman, was produced by the Central Missouri Repertory Company in the Summer of 2003. The third, Robin Hood: A Troubadour's Tale, is as yet unproduced. Please contact Dr. Stokes if you are interested in performing it! Stokes has also composed the one-act musical EBENEZER, which was premiered by The Music Studio of Warrensburg on December 1, 2018.

Stokes's musical The Humpty Dumpty Mystery had its second production by the theatre department at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri in 2005. In November of 2006, A Tale of Two Heroes: The Adventures of El Matador and Flynn the Swashbuckler was presented at the University of Central Missouri as part of the 2006-2007 Performing Arts Series.

At Louisiana State University, Stokes has premiered several works, including "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls" for voice and piano, "Musings" for solo piano, "The Cliffs of Moher" for French Horn and piano, and two jazz combo pieces, "Opaque" and "Real Hot Night." Stokes has also premiered three fixed media pieces, "Bathsheba's Song," "I Have a Bad Feeling About This," and "Sigh No More Ladies," and two live electronics pieces, "Pallindrome" and "Blue Pinnacles." Stokes's Symphony No. 1, "Eustace the Monk" was performed by the Louisiana State University Symphony on March 27, 2013.

In 2015, Stokes was commissioned by the Louisiana Music Teachers Association to compose Rondeau for solo piano, which was premiered by the composer at the annual convention at the University of Louisiana Lafayette on October 2, 2015. Stokes also frequently records songs and has even had several of his humorous songs played on The Dr. Demento Show. Stokes has also recorded music that has been included in a national TV commercial for LG, several online ads, and most recently percussion and vocal parts that will be used in the upcoming Ubisoft video games Watch Dogs: Legion and Beyond Good and Evil 2.