Garwood Whaley

Garwood Whaley, born in 1942, received degrees from the Juilliard School-where he studied with Morris Goldenberg and Saul Goodman-and The Catholic University of America where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree (DMA) while performing with the United States Army Band, "Pershing's Own." He is conductor emeritus of the Bishop Ireton Symphonic Wind Ensemble in Alexandria, Virginia, former adjunct professor of music at The Catholic University of America, past two-term president of the Percussive Arts Society, former curriculum coordinator of instrumental music for the Diocese of Arlington (Virginia) Schools and president and founder of Meredith Music Publications that he founded in 1979. As director of Meredith Music, he has been responsible for the publication of some of the most exceptional performance and educational materials available today. More than 400 composers and authors are included in the Meredith catalog. Gar wrote his first book in 1965 and since then has become one of the best known and best selling writers of percussion method books of all time with more than 400,000 copies of his books sold worldwide. He is the author of two of the most popular music method books of the past two decades, "Basics in Rhythm" and "Primary Handbook for Snare Drum" and has written many other best sellers. He is the recipient of numerous awards in the field of music and music education including: - Percussive Arts Society Lifetime Achievement in Education Award (2015) - Midwest Clinic’s Music Industry Award (2011) - Grant in the Arts from the Washington Post Newspaper’s Educational Foundation for his "Commissioned Work and Composer-In-The School Project" (5 years) - Alumni Achievement Award in the field of Education from The Catholic University of America (1994). In 1998, Bishop Ireton High School named its new performance hall the "Garwood Whaley Auditorium" in recognition of his long-term contributions to the fine arts. Whaley continues to present clinic/workshops throughout the United States and Canada. He lives with his wife Adele in Delray Beach, Florida. Visit his web site at: www.garwoodwhaley.com