Barry Larkin

Associate Professor of Music, Director of Percussion Activities

Dr. Larkin’s education includes a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from Arizona State University, where he studied with Mervin Britton and Mark Sunkett; a Master of Arts in Theory and Composition from Stephen F. Austin, with Dan Beaty, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from Southern California University, where he studied under Ken Watson. In addition, Dr. Larkin has studied with Charles Owen and Barry Jekowsky at the Aspen Music Festival (summers 1979, 1980), the Leigh Howard Stevens Seminar (1991), the Cloyd Duff Timpani Seminar (summer 1993), Northwestern University Marimba Seminar with Michael Burritt (summer 2004). Teaching experience includes positions at Stephen F. Austin (1984-1986), East Tennessee State University (1990-1991) and Iowa State University (1991 to present). Dr. Larkin is currently studying private marimba literature and performance with Michael Burritt at Northwestern University (summer 2005).

Professional performing experiences include as an extra percussionist with the Phoenix Symphony (1977 - 1984), the San Antonio Symphony (1985-1986), and the Pasadena Symphony, CA, (1989). Dr. Larkin has served as timpanist for the East Texas Regional Orchestra, the Kingsport and Johnson City Symphonies (1990). In 1993, Dr. Larkin joined the Des Moines Symphony as a section player, becoming the principal percussionist in 2000. In addition to orchestral activities, Dr. Larkin has performed percussion for the following Broadway shows “Grease”, “Hello Dolly”, “Ragtime”, “42nd Street”, Titanic”, “The Full Monty”, “Annie”, “Joesph’s Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, “Little Shop of Horrors”, “Hairspray”and “The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber.”

Dr. Larkin’s professional experiences include performing as a percussionist for variety of shows including Liberace, Barbara Eden, Robert Goulet, Fred Travelena, Jim Nabors, Rita Moreno, The Lennon Sisters, Ray Charles, Donny and Marie Osmond, Ronnie Milsap, Sadler and Young, Mitzi Gaynor, The Moody Blues, Milton Berle, Roger Williams, Red Skelton, Michael McDonald, Sheena Easton, Oleta Adams, Peabo Bryson and Christiane Noll. Dr. Larkin is also an active drum set performer and a founding member of the Ames Jazz Quartet.

He is a member of the Acoustical Society of America, The International Symposium on Musical Acoustics, The American Institute of Physicists and has presented papers on several aspects of percussion instrument acoustics at conferences in China, Germany, Austria, Scotland and Sweden. In the spring of 2001, Dr. Larkin was in residence at Northern Illinois University for a research sabbatical with renowned acoustician Dr. Tom Rossing, studying resonator, marimba bar and snare drum head acoustics.

Dr. Larkin maintains an active and large private studio. Since 1997, his students have thrice won the top honors in the National Association of Music Teachers competitions for high and junior high school students (Jake Thieben [1997], Kristen Clark [1998], Jonathan Park [2004]). Since 1996, Dr. Larkin has had no less than three students in the Iowa All-State Music Festival. “Nothing gives me more pleasure than to provide opportunities for my students to perform and grow…just as my teachers did.”

Dr. Larkin is a Yamaha performing artist, a Sabian performing artist, professional endorser for Mike Balter mallets, and uses Pro-Mark drum sticks.