John Gary Cook was born
May 7, 1940, in Bon Homie, near Hattiesburg,
Mississippi. He began his training in instrumental
music as a cornet student in the fifth grade at
Century Elementary School in Century, Florida. His
family moved to Sumrall, Mississippi in 1951, where
he continued his participation in the band under
band director, Reed Carter.
While a junior at
Sumrall High School, he moved from cornet to
euphonium and as a member of the 1958 Mississippi
Lion’s All-State Band he earned the first chair
position in his section.
Cook was graduated with
honors from Sumrall High School in 1958. in the fall
of the year, he enrolled at The University of
Southern Mississippi where he began his formal
education in instrumental music. As an
undergraduate, he was greatly influenced by Dr.
Raymond Mannoni, Robert Hayes, Dr. Gamer Pound. Dr.
Gilbert Satre, Raymond Young, and Dr. William Moody.
He received his bachelor’s degree in Music Education
in 1962 and began his teaching career that same year
at Carr Junior High School in Vicksburg.
In 1963, he accepted
the position of band director at Petal High School.
Enrollment in the band program doubled. During the
ten years at Petal his bands earned twenty-five
superior rating in contests.
He served in the
Hattiesburg Public Schools as Supervisor of
Instrumental Music from 1973 to 1976. his band at
Blair High School received superior ratings in every
event entered.
In the summer of 1976,
he returned to U.S.M. as a doctoral student where
his duties included Assistant Director of the
marching band and the Conductor of the Varsity
Concert Band.
In 1977, he became
Director of Bands in the Warren County School in
Vicksburg. His responsibilities included supervision
of music faculty at the elementary, junior and
senior high schools, and directorship of the Warren
Central marching, symphonic, and jazz bands. Cook’s
warren Central bands received superior ratings at
every contest entered. He remained in this position
twelve years. The Warren Central Symphonic Band
performed at the U.S.M. Instrumental Conductors
Conference,
the Southeastern United States Band Clinic in Troy,
Alabama, and was judged “Best in Class” 5A concert
band at eh Festival of Champions in Panama City,
Florida.
Cook’s honors include:
Mississippi Economic Council’s Star Teacher; Phi
Beta Mu’s “Most Outstanding Director”, in 1971,
1985; Director of Mississippi Lions All-State Band
in 1977, 1980, 1983; the “MAC” Award, a national
award recognition of outstanding directors, 1977,
1986; National Federation’s Outstanding Music
Educator in the Southeastern States, 1989; National
Band Association's Citation of Excellence, 1994; and
Phi Mu Alpha’s Orpheus Award, 1996; executive board
of the Mississippi Bandmasters Association, 1984 and
served as its president, 1987-1988; President of
Delta Chapter, Phi Beta Mu, 1995-1996.
he has served as
marching and concert adjudicator in Mississippi,
Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas, South
Carolina, and Tennessee. His professional
affiliations include: Mississippi Association of
Educators, Missisisppi Bandmasters Association,
Kappa Kappa Psi, Phis Beta Mu, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia,
Phi Kappa Phi, and Pi Kappa Lambda.
In the summer of 1989
he became Director of Bands at Delta State
University in Cleveland, MS. There his duties
included conducting the Wind ensemble, the Marching
Band, and supervision of student teaching.
He and his wife, Hanna,
have one daughter, Whitney.
