Here are some choice quotes from my old percussion professor at the University of Oregon, Charles Dowd, who died last year. He was a star pupil of Saul Goodman and Tony Cirone back in the day, has written several classic drum and
percussion method books, and has taught many, many outstanding percussionists and drummers since the mid-1970's- you can't swing a cat in the pacific northwest without hitting an accomplished musician who came out of his program.
I had a contentious relationship with him, but he was a tremendous influence even so, shaping my concept of musicianship and professionalism before I even knew I wanted to be one- his students, including my older brother, were around me all the time from an early age.
These are as his students remembered him saying them, pulled from his
memorial Facebook page:
PLAYING THE INSTRUMENT:
Take the stick. Hit the marimba.
I'm from the Hit the Drum School.
Take your stick in your hand... and hit the drum.
Play Loud!
Don't BANG, unless the composer writes in your part, right above the note, BANG!
Every note is a little pearl.
NO! VOICE your bass drum. Who's gonna hear THAT?
