William "Scott" Deal

Scott Deal passed away peacefully on the night of January 23, 2026, at home in Indianapolis, Indiana. His calling in life was music, and he was a world-renowned percussionist, technologist, composer, and educator. His positivity and strength of character radiate throughout his performances, compositions, and many collaborations. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, Scott had a real gift for conversation and a knack for making people feel loved and appreciated.

Scott started his life on April 11, 1957, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was named after his father, William Deal, an Air Force pilot. Scott grew up living all across the continental US. He was one of four brothers, all close in age, and there was never a dull moment in the Deal household. Their mother, Eleanor Deal, loved music and nurtured her sons’ artistic sides.

In 1975, the day after Scott’s high school graduation, he “took off” for a year, gainfully employed as the drummer for the rock band Blue Dawn, playing in clubs throughout the central US. That experience eventually led him down an academic path. As an undergrad in music at Cameron University, in Lawton, Oklahoma, he won a prestigious national marimba competition held in Washington, DC. His passion for performing contemporary classical music (New Music) flourished while working towards his masters degree at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

As a young man, Scott worked as a minister for a church where he met Robyn Church. They were married in 1984 and had two remarkable children. Upon leaving the church, Scott put his musical talents to work and earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Miami in 1994 (thesis topic in Music Technology). Within months of graduation, he landed a tenure-track professorship in percussion at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). After thirteen years of marriage, Scott and Robyn divorced amicably in 1997.

In November 1998, at a dinner party one dark wintry night, Scott met Clara Jodwalis. They fell in love and wed on July 29, 2000, in Fairbanks, Alaska, where they made their home, both serving on the faculty of UAF. In 2007, they moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where Scott started a new position as Professor of Music Technology at Indiana University Indianapolis (IUI) and Director of the Donald Louis Tavel Arts and Technology Research Center at IUI. From 2006 to 2022, he also served on the faculty of the New England Conservatory Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice (SICPP), in Boston, Massachusetts.

As a percussionist, Scott had a great passion for live performance that resonated through every piece he played. Throughout his career, Scott was well-known as a dynamic interpreter of complex works by some of the world’s premiere art music composers, notably John Luther Adams and Elainie Lillios. Scott was also an accomplished composer. He created numerous compositions for solo percussion and small ensembles; two operas (the AI opera, Lexia, using AVATAR co-developed with Jason Palamara, 2025, and the telematic opera, Auksalaq, with co-creator and composer Matthew Burtner, 2010); and the annual internet Earth Day Art Model festival, a 24-hour stretch of live on-line multimedia performances by over 200 artists located around the world (launched in 2020 using the DECK 10 Intermedia system co-developed with Chuiyuan Meng). Scott was a published author, penning peer-reviewed articles on various topics in Music Technology, including many from his own perspective as a pioneer of music performed over the internet. He’s released and performed on numerous recordings (one listed in the New Yorker Magazine’s Top Ten Classical CD Picks for 2011) and held a patent for a vibraphone modulator. These are just a few of his many achievements and contributions. Scott also leaves behind a legacy of commitment to student success that consistently earned him the respect and admiration of his mentees and peers.

Scott was preceded in death by his mother, Eleanor Deal, and father, William Deal. He is survived by his wife of 25 years “awesome wifey”, Clara Deal; children, Eric Deal, and Allison (Michael) Ewacha; grandchildren, Ivan and Odesa Ewacha; siblings, Matthew (Lisa) Deal, Ty (Denise) Deal, and Bart (Tracy) Deal; and former wife and mother of his children, Ahimsa (Robyn Church).

A memorial gathering will be held at Aaron Ruben Nelson Mortuary, 11411 North Michigan Road on Thursday, April 9, 2026. Friends are welcome to gather from 12 PM until the time of the service at 2 PM.

Memorial donations will be updated at a later date.  Please check back on March 1, 2026.