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206:. Son of a successful trumpet player, he started learning the cornet at age four, turning later to percussion, trombone, clarinet, piano, and music arrangement. When he reached high school, he was a full-time percussionist, and created an 18-piece band at age 16. He played a variety of percussion instruments such as vibraphone, timpani, and the drum set. He held a Bachelor's degree, as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Music from
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404:, Canada. The two prototypes that he sent would become the SD1 and SD2, the first two models of sticks manufactured by Vic Firth, Inc. Firth said, "It came out of necessity, not of imagination or my ability to start a company." Although the sticks were initially intended for Firth's personal use, they gained popularity among his students and were eventually carried by retailers.
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The company began when Firth, who had been performing with the Boston
Symphony Orchestra for 12 years, was asked to perform pieces which he felt required a higher-quality drumstick than those that were currently being manufactured. Firth decided to design a set of his own sticks.
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As of 2012, the company offered about 300 products, and made 12 million sticks a year. The company also produced a line of pepper mills, salt grinders, and rolling pins sold under the
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brand for many years until those interests were sold to Maine Wood
Concepts of New Vineyard, Maine in 2012 and re-branded under the name
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Firth hand-whittled the first sticks himself from bulkier sticks and sent these prototypes to a wood turner in
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174:(June 2, 1930 – July 26, 2015) was an American musician and the founder of
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from 1956 to 2002. He was the orchestra's youngest member when music director
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by parents
Everett E. and Rosemary Firth, where he graduated from
544:"Vic Firth, 85; was celebrated BSO timpanist and drumstick maker"
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724:"Vic Firth Company and Avedis Zildjian Company Announce Merger"
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633:"Vic Firth, noted BSO timpanist, drumstick maker, dies at 85"
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Firth died at the age of 85 on July 26, 2015, at his home in
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446:"Vic Firth, Who Gave Drummers Their Sticks, Dies at 85"
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in 1964. He wrote for beginning snare drum with his
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224:Firth wrote several books in his career. He wrote
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182:. He was also known for his association with the
178:(formerly Vic Firth, Inc.), a company that makes
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1616:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Massachusetts
476:"The History and Development of Vic Firth Inc"
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607:Snare Drum Method Book II - Intermediate
238:Snare Drum Method Book II - Intermediate
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1586:Manufacturing companies based in Maine
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502:"Vic Firth Company Founder: Vic Firth"
244:. He published the more advanced book
221:hired him as a percussionist in 1952.
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594:Snare Drum Method Book I - Elementary
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377:Founded in 1963 and headquartered in
234:Snare Drum Method Book I - Elementary
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194:Vic Firth was born June 2, 1930, in
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389:. In 2010, the company merged with
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444:Fox, Margalit (July 28, 2015).
1545:Drum and bugle corps (classic)
726:. VicFirth.com. Archived from
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1550:Drum and bugle corps (modern)
702:"The Vic Firth Brand Journey"
682:. Vic Firth. January 20, 2012
655:"THE VIC FIRTH BRAND JOURNEY"
635:. Boston Globe. July 28, 2015
523:"SHS Hall of Fame: Vic Firth"
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293:percussion sticks and mallets
180:percussion sticks and mallets
793:NAMM Oral History Collection
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27:American drummer (1930–2015)
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478:. Vic Firth. Archived from
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312:; 61 years ago
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1596:People from Sanford, Maine
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425:List of drum manufacturers
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704:. Vic Firth Company. 2020
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1318:Charles Stewart Ashworth
459:– via NYTimes.com.
208:New England Conservatory
1581:American percussionists
1479:Percussive Arts Society
391:Avedis Zildjian Company
620:The Solo Snare Drummer
387:Norwell, Massachusetts
346:Norwell, Massachusetts
246:The Solo Snare Drummer
121:Percussion instruments
54:Background information
1433:George Lawrence Stone
830:Percussion instrument
622:. Carl Fischer, 1968.
609:. Carl Fischer, 1968.
596:. Carl Fischer, 1967.
568:. Carl Fischer, 1963.
379:Boston, Massachusetts
334:Boston, Massachusetts
297:salt and pepper mills
253:Boston, Massachusetts
228:in 1963, followed by
99:Boston, Massachusetts
1621:Musicians from Maine
1333:George Barrett Bruce
902:John Grey & Sons
730:on December 22, 2010
482:on February 13, 2012
64:Everett Joseph Firth
1520:Fife and drum corps
1515:Marching percussion
789:Vic Firth Interview
752:. Vic Firth Gourmet
750:"Vic Firth Gourmet"
578:Firth, Vic (1964).
326:Number of locations
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204:Sanford High School
198:. He was raised in
1489:Percussion Creativ
1443:Gardiner A. Strube
1438:Edward B. Straight
1403:Sanford A. Moeller
1292:Open, closed, open
927:Noble & Cooley
566:The Solo Timpanist
450:The New York Times
361:Vic Firth, founder
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226:The Solo Timpanist
1606:American drummers
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409:Vic Firth Gourmet
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259:Vic Firth Company
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48:Vic Firth in 2006
16:(Redirected from
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1535:Fanfare band
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1328:Fritz Berger
1323:Bill Bachman
1297:Backsticking
1262:Drum cadence
1150:J. C. Deagan
754:. Retrieved
744:
734:December 21,
732:. Retrieved
728:the original
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706:. Retrieved
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301:rolling pins
278:Company type
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153:VicFirth.com
136:Years active
94:(2015-07-26)
79:June 2, 1930
29:
1576:2015 deaths
1571:1930 births
1358:Thom Hannum
1277:Drum stroke
967:Slingerland
756:October 14,
686:October 14,
680:"Vic Firth"
664:October 31,
507:January 23,
486:October 14,
210:in Boston.
1611:Timpanists
1565:Categories
1428:John Seton
1368:H. C. Hart
1243:percussion
1240:Rudimental
1155:King Conga
1124:Sennheiser
618:Firth, Vic
564:Firth, Vic
528:January 9,
431:References
357:Key people
75:1930-06-02
60:Birth name
1530:Pipe band
1343:Vic Firth
1267:Drum roll
1250:Technique
1101:Gibraltar
1078:Vic Firth
867:Craviotto
839:Drum kits
832:companies
659:Vic Firth
550:August 2,
455:April 15,
248:in 1968.
190:Biography
140:1946–2015
36:Vic Firth
1188:Category
1165:Majestic
1088:Hardware
1068:Zildjian
1063:Pro-Mark
1045:Zildjian
1035:Soultone
1010:Hammerax
1005:Crescent
947:Pork Pie
639:July 28,
419:See also
288:Industry
110:Musician
1503:General
1198:Commons
997:Cymbals
952:Premier
937:Pacific
892:Gretsch
708:May 17,
366:Website
315: (
307:Founded
282:Private
149:Website
129:timpani
1306:People
1129:Yamaha
1119:Roland
1055:Sticks
1030:Sabian
1025:Paiste
987:Yamaha
982:Trixon
962:Rogers
912:Ludwig
897:Hayman
862:Corder
847:Ayotte
795:(2003)
299:, and
101:, U.S.
84:, U.S.
1170:Natal
1145:Adams
1073:Vater
1020:Meinl
972:Sonor
942:Pearl
922:Natal
917:Mapex
907:Leedy
887:Fibes
877:Dixon
872:Ddrum
857:Camco
852:Brady
172:Firth
125:drums
1282:Grip
1096:Axis
1040:UFIP
977:Tama
957:Remo
932:OCDP
758:2012
736:2010
710:2020
688:2012
666:2023
641:2015
552:2015
530:2014
509:2012
488:2012
457:2018
385:and
317:1963
310:1963
236:and
89:Died
69:Born
791:at
168:Vic
1567::
882:DW
657:.
465:^
448:.
415:.
295:,
255:.
186:.
170:"
127:,
123:,
1232:e
1225:t
1218:v
822:e
815:t
808:v
760:.
738:.
712:.
690:.
668:.
643:.
554:.
532:.
511:.
490:.
319:)
166:"
77:)
73:(
20:)
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