Murray Spivak - legendary drumming teacher, which most of you have never heard of. Despite the huge contribution to the development of drumming techniques and many of his stellar students, there is very little information about him.. Even in the Hall of Fame, on the official PAS website, where he was born, not specified exactly.
Research of few materials, containing reliable facts, lead to the conclusion, that Murray Spivak's method is not at all similar to today's methods of conveyor stamping of drummers, it is more fundamental.
Murray Spivak was born 6 September 1903 years in Ukraine, Kiev City. Being a child, he moved with his whole family to the United States.
Newly minted immigrants settled in New Haven, Connecticut, where Murray got interested in drumming.
His professional career began, when he was 12 years. Murray worked as a drummer at the Strand Theatre., on radio stations "WOR", and also opened his own teaching and recording studios in the Gaiety, at 46th and Broadway, in New York. Murray himself studied drums with New York Symphony orchestra timpani Carl Glassman., Capitol Theater drummer Dave Giskoff and xylophone virtuoso George Hamilton Green.
To 25 years Murray (and he was also one of the first players on the newly invented vibraphone) was a huge success and has already earned 500 dollars a week, while, how a Ford Model T cost less than 300…
AT 1928 Murray was one of the first drummers, working with conductor Josiah Zuro, who synchronized scores for silent films.
AT 1929 Murray moved to Hollywood, State of California, where at the RKO studio he was in charge of the sound effects and music department.
Spivak created a recording of animal voices and came up with the voice of King Kong for the feature film "King Kong" (1933). In the period with 1933 by 1973 year he worked on more than 25 films, including such outstanding tapes, how: "Son of the Congo" (1933), "Flight to Rio" (1933), "Lost Patrol" (1934), "Laura" (1944), "South Pacific" (1958), "Spartacus" (1960) "Fort Alamo" (1960), "Cleopatra" (1963), "My Fair Lady" (1964), "Sounds of music" (1965), "Sand Pebble" (1966), "Dr. Doolittle" (1967), "Hi, Dolly!» (1969), "Patton" (1970).
AT 1938 year while working with RKO Pictures and 20th Century Fox, Murray Spivak became known as an innovator and consummate master in his field.. His achievements have been recognized by the film industry in the form of two Oscar nominations.. He also won an Oscar for Hello, Dolly!».
As a teacher, he earned the respect of thousands of drummers. Louis Bellson is one of his students., Joe Morello, David Garibaldi, Winnie Kolyata, Chuck Silverman, Walt Goodwin, Bobby Colomby, Gordon Fry, Rick Difazio, Wally Snow, Jack Varga, Foreign Record, Mark Leon, Chuck Flores, Richard P. Wilson, Gordon Pick, Brooks Wackerman, Gary Ferguson, Christian Oyens, Carlos Vega, Joey Heredia, Bob Economy, Daniel Bejarano, John Wackerman, Walfrid de los Reyes, Alvin Stoller, William Craft, Joey Preston, Bill Carpenter, Chad Wackerman, Mark Sanders, Roger Rampton, Frank Epstein, Remo Belli, Frank Kleiman Cook and many other contemporary drum stars.
Murray was a master at getting a drummer's technical apparatus into top shape.. Some students had to wait in line for their turn. 2 of the year, before you get to his class.
No matter, How successful and how long have you been playing. If Murray took you as a student, you were imbued with his comprehensive, disciplined and individual approach. He made me re-learn the basics: how to hold sticks, impact mechanics, how to control the speed, strength and direction of the stick. It took a lot of practice with the rudiments: rolls, raffs, flams, by drags. In doing so, you improved your brain - the most important organ for playing drums..
Louis Bellson: “Murray Spivak has always strived for excellence. He was an excellent sound engineer for Hollywood studios and one of the best drumset teachers.. Thanks to him, most of my career as a drummer took place.. I, finally, we were devoted friends. I will never forget him".
Remo Belli: “Murray Spivak's contribution to the world of percussion instruments is not only teaching a huge number of people, become successful professional musicians. Invaluable and his contribution to the field of percussion recording. That, how sound is now represented in film and television, this is his great merit.. Being extremely busy with his own career, this man was able to find time for that, to give in-depth knowledge of playing technique to many drummers. Teaching those, who, in its turn, started teaching others, he set the standard, elusive for the common man".
Murray Spivak was inducted into the PAS Hall of Fame 1991 year in Anaheim at the PAS International Conference. He taught actively until his death in 1994 year
