Percussionist biography
20 Iconic Percussionists Who Shaped Music History!
John H. Beck
American percussionist and professor
John H. Beck (born February 16, 1933) is professor emeritus of percussion at the Eastman School of Music and was principal timpanist for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra from 1962 to 2002.[1]
Career
Beck was born on February 16, 1933, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
Beck found a passion for music playing drum set in the local bars around town.[2] Aiming to be a jazz drummer in the footstep of artists like Gene Krupa, Beck began studying at Eastman under William Street in 1951.
Percussionist biography
After earning his bachelor's degree in 1955, Beck served in the United States Marines as a timpanist for The President's Own. After his discharge in 1959, he taught for Eastman's preparatory program and later became the full professor of percussion in 1967, after Street's retirement.
Notable students of Beck include drummer Steve Gadd, vibraphonist Joe Locke, and marimbist Leigh Howard Stevens.
Beck served as the president for th