Central professor and jazz drummer John Moawad dies

John Moawad taught hundreds of college kids how to play jazz during a three-decade career as a Central Washington University music professor.

Known as the Northwest's dean of jazz educators, Mr. Moawad brought jazz music to classrooms well before it was common. 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.

Mr. Moawad died Sunday in Yakima. He was 72.

"Moawad's passion for music reached beyond the students in his department," CWU jazz Director Chris Bruya said. "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."

Mr. Moawad graduated from CWU in 1959 and got his master's 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.

In a 2001 profile in the Yakima Herald-Republic, the drummer discussed his musical upbringing.

"I grew up in jazz," Mr. Moawad said. "When I was little, Mom said I would take the ashtrays and bang 'em on the table."

The profile included comments from Dave Barduhn, a former student who is now director of the music program at Mount Hood Community College.

"(Mr. Moawad) had this kind of Pied Piper thing about him," Barduhn said. "He still does. It's infectious. He's a strong presence that draws out absolutely the most a student can possible feel."

CWU plans a public cerebration of Mr. Moawad's life sometime in spring.