John Frederick Moawad - Professor Emeritus

JOHN FREDERICK MOAWAD
Professor Emeritus

Jazz Education Pioneer

Sad news from Central Washington University; longtime music professor and pillar of Ellensburg's jazz scene

John Moawad died Sunday in Yakima, He was 72 The university announced his death ... a public ceremony of his life will be held in the spring-- enthusiastic about music... All certainly knew his reputation. He was considered the Dean of Jazz Educators in the Northwest for bringing jazz to high school music programs long before that was common. And he helped launch Ellensburg's annual Jazz in the Valley festival, not just as an organizer but as a drummer for the festival-closing All-Star Big Band. John Moawad taught hundreds of college kids how to play jazz during a three-decade career s a Central Washington University music professor. He also helped develop Ellensburg's annual Jazz in the Valley festival and played drums each year in its festival-closing All-Star Big Band.

"Moawad's passion for music reached beyond the students in his department," CWU jazz director Chris Bruya said in a news release. "I've actually heard stories of students from different majors taking John's history of jazz class to meet their basic breadth requirements. That one class changed their lives forever."

John Moawad graduated from CWU in 1959 and got his master of education degree there four years later. He taught high school, introducing a jazz curriculum at Stevenson High School and at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, before returning to CWU as an instructor in 1970.

He received the CWU Distinguished Professor Award in 1984 and was inducted into the Washington Music Educators Association Hall of Fame in 1998.




Arrangements under the direction of Greenwood Funeral Home, Renton, WA.