Doug Diamond was my teacher. But not in the way we generally perceive of the profession.
In my high school years, I used to attend the Dorian Summer Music Camps at Luther College. During those camps/concerts, I was always bemused by the behavior of the orchestra director. He would awkwardly, yet confidently, deliver the strangest banter from the stage. Sometimes, if the microphone was too low, he'd hunch over in an unbelievably clumsy way rather than simply raise the mike (and you wonder where my stage presence comes from?). The students would howl with laughter as he deadpanned, and they obviously adored him, as the hung on his every word. When I arrived at Luther as a freshman, I was assigned to his 8am music theory class. He used to come in every day with a beer mug full of pale tea, that looked *exactly* like beer. One day, I just up and asked him, "are you drinking beer at 8am on a Monday?" which generated a donkey-style guffaw from him so jarring that it completely threw me off, then said, "Don't I wish", completely deadpan. Another time, I responded with some smart-ass reply to a question he posed, at which time he turned around, bent over, and pointed at his ass, saying, "Here it is, Eby. Kiss it!" 8am theory, indeed. Yet Doug, along with another Luther professor named James Griesheimer, made me love classical music. It's impossible to overstate what a remarkable transformation that was. I was stubborn about music (this is where you say "was?"). The only music for me was jazz. Classical music was predictable. Boring. Uptight. And the producers of the music exhibited all of those qualities, too. Doug changed that wrong-headed perception, but only a fraction of that was in the classroom. Once I had moved on from his class, I would pass him occasionally in the hall, but he would always be walking somewhere with his "intently walking so as to not have to take notice of you" walk. At the point where Carmen and I started dating, she had been playing principal clarinet in his orchestra for a couple of years. He was her first real champion. (Man, did he love her sound. There are tears in my eyes for her right now, because I know how much that support meant to her.) Anyway, she started bringing me to his office to hang out. In those visits, he'd talk music, and phrasing, and composing, and history, and musicians, even campy novelty music...all of it through a cigarette-smoke filled haze (I never did like that...), and frequently with that donkey-laugh I mentioned. Then, Carmen would get out her clarinet, so they could work on the phrasing of something they were doing in orchestra, Doug at the piano, sometimes leading, sometimes following Carmen. It was always so simple, yet so deeply musical. His door was always open...I learned that entirely from him. Over the years after we, and then he, left Luther, we stayed in touch, and kept up on each other's doings. We last saw him when Spenser was very small, so nearly 14 years ago. Phone and email correspondences grew more spotty as the years went by, but that was actually part of the charm. There were lots of promises of calls... Here is my last e-mail chain with him. It's not redacted in any way...this was the full content of the messages: Chad (4/26/14) - Hello Doug (4/26/14) - Hello back Doug (4/26/14) - Long time, no talkee. Are we well? Chad (4/26/14) - Call this number and find out (Carmen's #) Doug (4/26/14) - I can do that. But not tonight. When tomorrow evening works? Chad (4/26/14) - After 5. REALLY PREGNANT PAUSE...NO CALL Chad (7/24/15) - After 5...years? Doug (8/31/15) - Give or take. Who's counting? Chad (9/1/15) - We are Chad (9/1/15) - I'm not sure how many you have left. Doug (9/1/15) - And you get that from my hair or my teeth? Man, he was dry and funny. There was no call. When you begin teaching, you never know how much you can affect someone's life, or who those people might be. Or at least, I didn't. It could be anyone. Doug: Carmen and I are going to miss you, and we love you. I bet that sentiment makes you want to throw up, but it's true. Thank you for everything you gave us, out of nothing more than the goodness of your heart, and your desire to share what music meant to you with others. Farewell, Your student
18 Comments
Valarie Rankin
6/1/2016 03:57:50 am
Chad,
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Pete Spande
6/1/2016 07:47:18 am
So sad to read this and yet, so happy to be reminded of this wonderful, challenging person who impacted so many young musicians (you really nailed his nature with your description Chad.) I remember proudly bringing him my first composition for strings and having him rip it to shreds for the better part of and hour. There were severe issues - things stringed instruments can't do and other thing that were possible but horrible all he same. At the end of the impromptu composition lesson he restored my confidence with just a couple of words: The musical ideas are good you just desperately need an orchestration class or a girlfriend who plays a stringed instrument. I recommend the class, you'll have fewer issues."
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Chad
6/1/2016 09:02:12 am
"you'll have fewer issues"....literally laughing through tears.
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Louisa Parfrey Biteler
6/1/2016 10:29:58 am
Spot on Chad! Thank you for eloquently and succinctly summing up Doug. :) Tears and smiles today as I read.
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6/1/2016 11:28:24 am
Just shocked at the news in my email yesterday. Friend, mentor, and colleague. I met Doug my first year at Luther in 1988 and performed my first bass jury for him. Fast forward to 2007, Doug (along with Bob and Vlad) auditioned me for the Electric Bass instructor and small group ensemble position at Augsburg College. Occasionally we'd chat in his office me drinking my black coffee and Doug drinking his sugar and cream with coffee flavoring concoction. Our last in depth one regarding the possibility of doing a cross-departmental program on the Works of William Herschel). Also proud to have him sit in on juries for my bass students, and when my graduating senior August Bangert held his recital on April 21-- his rendition of Jaco Pastorius' Continuum, drew both first applause and that rare impressed and non-cynical look from Doug.
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Amanda Haker
6/1/2016 02:27:36 pm
I had not heard the news until I saw your post on FB and then went to your blog (I didn't know you had one). I will admit that I'm actually a little teary-eyed thinking about my first encounter with Doug.
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Julie Blomme Tankovich
6/1/2016 10:11:16 pm
This man had such an impact on my music days at Luther. He had quite a way to "communicate" or not so much....But his conducting, passion for teaching, and smell of cigars/cigarettes left a mark on many of us at Luther. I'm so sorry to hear this news.
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Ann Marie McIntire
6/5/2016 12:09:00 pm
Thanks for making me laugh. Who didn't love Doug? He was the best.
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9/1/2016 07:09:19 pm
Chad,
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10/31/2016 04:15:00 pm
Thank you for all your tributes, here is a letter to Doug's mother that I would like to share:
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Ed Bowen
11/25/2016 04:04:35 pm
I knew Doug in high school at the Horace Mann School in Riverdale, New York City. I was always very fond of him - he was funny, charming and very handsome. He was the Vice President of the Glee Club while I served as Librarian. Our teacher in those days was the now notorious Johannes Somary who molested at least 25 students, many under the age of 16. I was one of those students and often wondered if Doug was too. I reached out to ask him once and never received a reply. Know that you are missed and loved Doug.
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1/19/2021 01:29:41 pm
I can't believe Doug has been gone (only?) four years. His passing is a wound that it seems I've had for a long time.
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Chad
9/7/2022 10:47:01 am
<3
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Teresa Heiland
5/14/2023 09:45:44 pm
I worked with Doug (while I was a dance professor) on a collaborative dance and music project at Grinnell College when we staged Nijinsky’s 1912 ballet L’après midi d’un Faune set to Debussy’s Prelude of the Afternoon of a Faune. Working with Doug was a joy, an adventure, and he was willing to make this complex project work by putting a huge orchestra above the stage in the prop room!
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Chad
5/15/2023 12:48:09 pm
So sorry, Teresa, but all I ever heard (secondhand) was a heart attack. I've tried off and on over the years to get more info, final resting place, etc., and have come up empty. My condolences to you
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Lisa Garwood
5/31/2023 01:13:53 pm
Doug. Doug was my teacher as a freshman at The Mannes College of Music. He taught theory, ear training and dictation...... to a class made up of 4 (maybe 5) singers (including me) and a percussionist. The class was called "Basics of...." or something like that lol The humor of the class make up was not lost on any of us, so we called it "Music Theory.. for morons", and laughed and laughed. Doug tried to convince us that it wasn't the case, but was as amused as the rest of us. But that wasn't our first interaction.
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Denise
10/28/2023 03:38:33 am
Well I'm just heart broken. Still forever I will love you.
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john peterson
11/29/2023 12:48:22 pm
I was a student with doug 79 83 best friends two theory majors
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