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Remembering Henry Adler 1915-2008
Drumming pioneer, music retailer, author and teacher Henry Adler passed away on September 30, 2008 (View his Oral History video). He was 93 years old and had been living with his daughter in Dunedin, Fla.
Henry Adler was born in New York on June 28, 1915. Just before the great stock market crash of 1928, Henry had purchased a snare drum and sticks from money he earned doing odd jobs around his neighborhood. During his NAMM Oral History interview, which took place on October 19, 2007, he recalled never having formal music lessons and wondering what he had missed out on as a result. The concept never left him and he developed the dream of operating his own drum studio to teach others. That dream was realized years later and resulted in one of the most influential percussive teaching methods in modern history.
Henry's first professional playing job took place when he was 15 years old at the Belmar Hotel in New Jersey. His reputation as a solid and reliable orchestra drummer soon spread. He worked in several pit orchestras in theaters as well as for traveling big bands. In fact he can be heard on recordings with the Larry Clinton Orchestra, one such CD is available on the Hindsight label entitled "Larry Clinton & His Orchestra 1937-38." To perfect his craft he was constantly arranging sessions with other drummers and teachers to improve his own skills. What developed, in addition to his techniques as a drummer was his techniques as a teacher.
Among the drummers Henry taught over the years were Dave Tough, Roy Burns, Alvin Stoller, Louie Bellson, Sandy Feldstein and a guy named Buddy Rich. Buddy Rich and Henry co-wrote the instructional book Buddy Rich's Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments. The book was first published in 1942 having been introduced by Buddy's boss at the time, famed bandleader Tommy Dorsey. Today the book is regarded as one of the most important snare-drum rudimental books written. "It changed the way people thought about playing," Henry recalled. The book also started the rumor that Buddy learned the drums from Henry, which "could not have been further from the truth. Buddy had been playing since he was a kid. All I did was help him read a little better and together we outlined the book. We were both very pleased with the results."
The success of the book led to an expansion of his teaching studios and the opening of Henry Adler's Drum Shop, in the heart of Times Square in New York City. The store became a hub for percussionists and a candy store for starry-eyed students such as future composer and educator Sandy Feldstein (1940-2007). In his own NAMM Oral History interview in 2003, Sandy recalled, "Henry Adler's was the place to be. I got such a kick out of just being in there. The drum sets were all so new and innovative to me and often I would rub shoulders with the great drummers. I got to shake hands with Gene Krupa in Adler's once. I wont forget that."