maslanka

Dr. Michael Dodds and Professor Carol were formerly colleagues at Southern Methodist University. Dr. Dodds is now professor of music history at University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a frequent contributor to Professor Carol's courses.

In Part Two of this interview we have a wide-ranging discussion of Michael's work as a composer and conductor, the history of maps, composer David Maslanka, and more on C.S. Lewis.

The band director at Central Washington University for 34 years, Larry Gookin joins the show to talk about his career and what he thinks are some of the key traits and practices that have made him a successful music educator.

Topics:

• Larry's background, his early career, and the path to becoming the band director at Central Washington University.
• Literature selection, a guest appearance by Larry's dog, a polemic from me, and an anecdote about Václav Nelhýbel.
• The importance of having a mentor and why asking for help is the most important thing you can do as a band director.
• A brief primer on score study and preparing to teach a new piece of music.

Links:

• Larry Gookin
• Bennett Reimer: "Why Do Humans Value Music?"
• David Elliot: "Music Matters: A Philosophy of Music Education"
• David Maslanka: Symphony No. 4
• Johannes Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem

Biography:

Larry Gookin is Distinguished Professor and Emeritus Professor of Music at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA.  He served for 34 years as Director of Bands before retiring from CWU in 2015. Prior to teaching at Central, Professor Gookin taught band for ten years in Montana and Oregon public schools.

During his tenure at Central, the CWU Wind Ensemble performed by invitation at major conferences and conventions, including the College Band Directors National Association Conferences in Boulder and Seattle, the Music Educators National Conference in Minneapolis, the Western International Band Clinics in Seattle, the Western/Northwestern CBDNA Division Conferences in Reno, the Northwest Division NAFME conferences, and numerous WMEA State Conferences.

Larry Gookin has received numerous honors and awards. He has served as president of the Northwestern Division of the CBDNA, as well as Divisional Chairman for the National Band Association, and Vice President of the Washington Music Educators Association. He is a member of the American Bandmasters Association and the WMEA Hall of Fame, and he is a past recipient of the NBA “Citation of Excellent Award,” the First Chair of America “Mac” Award, the ASBDA “Standbury Award,” the WIAA/WMEA teacher of the year award, and the University of Oregon’s School of Music Distinguished Alumnus Award. Gookin was also named CWU Distinguished Professor of Teaching, and while at Central, he served as Associate Chair and Coordinator of Graduate Studies. He is former principal trombone of the Eugene and Yakima Symphony Orchestras, and is Emeritus Artistic Director and Conductor of the Seattle Wind Symphony.   

Professor Gookin received the M.M. in Music Education from the University of Oregon School of Music in 1977 and the B.M in Music Education and Trombone Performance from the University of Montana in 1971.

Professor Gookin has appeared as clinician, adjudicator, and conductor in the United States, Canada, Japan, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. He is a Yamaha Performing Artist and remains active as a conductor and music educator. Gookin resides in Ellensburg, Washington with his wife Karen, who is Emeritus Professor of English at CWU and recently retired on piccolo and flute from the Yakima Symphony Orchestra.

Composer Chris Stark joins me to reflect upon the legacy of David Maslanka. Chris studied with David for a year and shares some of his memories before discussing his own exciting career.

Topics:

• David Maslanka as a teacher, composer, and man and the lessons that Chris learned while his student
• Chris' background in Montana and his thoughts about writing for wind ensemble
• Writing the music for the upcoming movie Novitiate and advice for young composers

Links:

• Christopher Stark
• Washington University
• Novitiate
• Chris Stark: Velocity Meadows
• David Gillingham: Waking Angels
• Joseph Schwantner: ...and the mountains rising nowhere
• David Maslanka: Symphony no. 4
• World Chess Hall of Fame

Biography:

A 2017 Guggenheim Fellow, Christopher Stark (b. 1980, St. Ignatius, MT) is a fast-rising and dynamic young composer equally at ease in the diverse mediums of contemporary classical, electronic, and film. The New York Times has called his music, "fetching and colorful," and he has received prestigious awards from the Fromm Foundation at Harvard University, Chamber Music America, and ASCAP. In 2012, he was a resident composer at Civitella Ranieri, a fifteenth-century castle in Umbria, Italy, and in June of 2016 he was in-residence at Aaron Copland's former home in the Hudson Valley. Recent highlights have included performances at the 2016 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and at the Whitney Museum of American Art as part of the 2016 NY Philharmonic Biennial. Stark currently resides in St. Louis where he is Assistant Professor of Music Composition at Washington University in St. Louis.

Closing music: "Augenblick" by Christopher Stark. Recording by Jerry Junkin and the University of Texas Wind Ensemble.