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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 at 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.
Gookin served as president of the Northwestern Division of the CBDNA, 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 received the University of Oregon’s School of Music Distinguished Alumnus Award. 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 Master Educator and remains active as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. Gookin resides in Ellensburg, Washington with his wife Karen, Emeritus Professor of English at CWU and former piccolo/flutist with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra.