For his dedication to KPU and its music programming, his lifelong commitment to social justice and his daily commitment to making KPU an energizing and exciting place to be, Dr. Gordon Cobb is being recognized with a Distinguished Service Award.
"The last eight years of my work at KPU have been the highlight of my career as an artist and academic,” says Dr. Cobb, chair of KPU’s music department. “I have always considered service to be a profoundly important part of my teaching practice at KPU, providing me opportunities to meet and work with staff, faculty and leadership on some incredibly important collaborations.”
Well-known for his creativity, work ethic and passion for helping students, Dr. Cobb has put into action KPU’s mission of transforming lives and empowering positive change by thinking and acting together.
“As chair, Dr. Cobb is leading his colleagues through a revisioning process that will see the future of music education connect directly with a technology-enhanced, global industry,” says Dr. Shelley Boyd, Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
Dr. Cobb has boundless energy for his home department in music, adds Dr. Boyd.
“Whether he is producing festivals, filming and editing videos, welcoming new students at events, or dropping off treats in the dean’s office as gestures of appreciation for the staff, Dr. Cobb is always thinking of others and serving KPU with immense heart and generosity,” says Dr. Boyd.
In 2021, Dr. Cobb began working on the Wake Up – Social Justice Music Festival. The idea was to create something that celebrates social justice with music artists from the local South Asian, Black, Indigenous and Queer communities. Through this festival, Dr. Cobb fosters a community of acceptance and creativity. And for his steadfast commitment to social justice, he was awarded KPU’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2022.
Now in its third year, the Wake Up – Social Justice Music Festival has transformed from a musical celebration into an interdisciplinary music course available to all KPU students to maximize participation, awareness and inclusiveness.
“I'm immensely proud of the work that we have created together and the impact it has had on the greater KPU community,” says Dr. Cobb.
Dr. Cobb has also worked as an Educational Consultant in Teaching with Technology at the KPU Teaching and Learning Commons, and worked as a digital content producer for the Office of the President.
Dr. Cobb received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School for the Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and his Master of Music in Composition for New Media from the London College of Music in the United Kingdom. He also completed a PhD in Arts Education at SFU where his research explored multimodal composing practices, new musical literacies, and transformative music engagement in music video production with urban youth.