MARLEE DIPPOLITO
Staff Writer
Most kids whine and complain when mom sternly says: “no playing – practice your piano.”
Then there is Professor Gary Cobb, who begged his parents to let him play the piano after he heard his first concert at the age of 6.
Most kids change their minds about what they want to be when they grow up almost daily, from a doctor, to a baseball player to an astronaut.
Then there is Professor Gary Cobb, who says his decision to pursue music wasn’t something he had to think about. “It was just a part of me from day one, a part of my being.”
His passion for music led him to Texas Tech University, where he completed an undergraduate degree in piano in 1974. Cobb then went on to earn a master’s and a doctorate from the university in music theory and the fine arts, respectively.
Although he earned his three degrees from Texas Tech, as well as a Certificate in Leadership from Claremont Graduate University, Cobb says Pepperdine has been on his mind for over 50 years. He first heard of the school from family members and ministers in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, when he was only 5 years old.
When Cobb began teaching in 1982, the opportunity to combine his passion for music and his interest in Pepperdine University made it the perfect home.
Pepperdine has remained the perfect home for Professor Gary Cobb for 26 years.
“I don’t think anyone expects to last that long,” he says. But, he has always taken it year by year. “You look back and suddenly you’ve been here 26 years.”
He sees that as a good sign.
Cobb describes Pepperdine as an extraordinary place, offering unique advantages for involvement and “a small environment with a lot of room for an active intellectual life.”
Gesturing toward the hall just outside his office where sounds of opera singing, piano playing and the hustle and bustle of any Pepperdine hallway combine, he adds that “close encounters” make the University’s Fine Arts Division unique.
His students agree. Bonnie Hancock, a freshman music major and student in Cobb’s music theory course, says she feels comfortable with everyone in her class. “It makes the class more interesting when you know everyone and you are able to talk freely amongst each other and the teacher.”
And students say there’s something else that makes Professor Cobb’s classes stand out. “The class is original simply because it’s Dr. Cobb,” says Tony Audin, a freshman hoping to pursue a career in music. “He’s a character, a classic.”
Sophomore Tara De Haan describes Cobb as a professor with a “quirky sense of humor and a Texas accent.” She adds: “He’s extremely skilled at the piano.”
When asked about his sense of humor, Cobb responds with a smile, “I didn’t know I had one.” But, he says, it’s important to balance laughs with learning in the classroom.
His students agree, saying that his music theory class, which involves the study of harmony, melody and rhythm, is complicated and almost mathematical in nature, but that Cobb’s witty jokes help keep them interested and engaged.
Cobb also teaches courses in classical piano, music fundamentals and music history.
Outside of the classroom, Cobb keeps music a part of his life by practicing the piano daily. But, he says, he also enjoys doing yard work and spending time with his wife Margaret at home in Newbury Park.
After 26 years, it’s clear that Cobb’s passion for music and love for Pepperdine has yet to dwindle. Students who appreciate the professor’s enthusiasm and engaging sense of humor hope it stays that way.
04-17-2008