Music Biography
David C. Lauder (37), is recognized as one of the foremost percussion afficionados in the Northwest. A native of Burlingame, Ca, he began banging on pots and pans in the kitchen at the age of 2. Greatly encouraged by arts-conscious parents, David's earliest musical influences were scuplted by exposure to his father's vast classical music collection, including and appreciation for more contemporary film soundtracks by John Williams, James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith and the like. He began studies in drumset technique with Bob Firpo through the late 70's, later attending Burlingame HS (Burlingame, Ca.), where he was highly active in the award winning marching, concert and jazz programs under David Kimura. David was a student of Jim Munzenrider, the gifted Bay Area multi-percussionist/composer, founder of the phenomenal Different Drums and Pan Ramajay. He studied advanced rudimental techniques under the legendary Curt Moore of Santa Clara Vanguard fame and timpani with Richard T. Peterson of SJSU. David was active in numerous jazz and rock bands, pit orchestras, wind ensembles and other groups throughout the Bay Area during the 80's and 90's, including the Chabot Panhandlers guided by Munzenrider and the acclaimed Foothill Symphonic Winds under Terry Summa. Dave Weckl and Steve Smith were major drumming Influences at this time, along with a growing and long standing appreciation for the drum and bugle corps genre. A highlight of his career came during membership within the world renowned Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps (Concord, Ca.) during the 1991 DCI tour. He was also a performer during the corp's premier European Tour (France/Holland) in 1992. These experiences and others exposed him to several noted specialists in the field such as Paul Rennick, Scott Johnson, Lee Rudnicki, Jim Casella, Kent Cater, Robert Chavira, Murray Gusseck and the late DCI hall of famer Fred Sanford among others. In 1993, the beginning of several formative years, David joined the percussion department at the University of Oregon School of Music. There, under the tuition of the eminent Prof. Charles Dowd, he was further tutored by northwest composer and timpanist Jeffrey Peyton. He was a member of the University Percussion Ensemble and the renown Oregon Percussion Ensemble. The OPE, long regarded for their exploration of more cutting edge material under the direction of Dowd, became one of the first ensembles of it's kind to showcase both versions of Frank Zappa's infamous "The Black Page" along with several of Dowd's premier compositions, many taking top honors during performance at percussion festivals and clinics throughout the northwest. He was active in several important areas of the UO music arena including the Jazz Studies program, the Oregon Symphonic Band under the direction of composer Dr. Roderick Harkins and had the privilege of performing under the baton of the great Robert Ponto. David is proud alumni of the Oregon Basketball Band and the Oregon Marching Band (OMB), performing 6 consecutive years within the Oregon Drumline, '93-'98. These ensembles, while under the command of the great northwest marching percussion guru Alan Keown, and later Dr. W. Sean Wagoner and his colleague Micah Brusse, were consistently regarded the elite drumline on the west coast, showcased at numerous festivals and bowl games including the prestigious Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl at Pasadena Ca. in 1994. During this period David founded an on-site recording company, Mad Dog Digital Audio (later to become Shockwave Media), which specialized for several years in the prouction of "on the field" live audio recordings of the OMB among other musical performances at Autzen Stadium in Eugene Or. MDDA also assisted the UO school of Music, capturing UO student recitals and professional artists and ensembles, many of which featured on the local Classical station, KWAX 91.1, including the Oregon Mozart Players and select Hult Center classical performances. His extensive recordings of corps drumlines were yet another specialty of this company, contributing to some of the first ever digital-quality "parking lot" audio and video footage in the early 90's. These were featured on several percussive audiophile websites including Ronnie LaGrone's then infamous Cool Drummings among others. During this time, David instructed several HS percussion programs in the area along with the Oregon State University Drumline under Keown. After relocating to Portland Or. his expertise was substantial while reorganizing the venerable Oregon Crusaders drum & bugle corps throughout 2001. He went on to serve as the corp's percussion cap/arr. during the corps '02 and '03 seasons, collaborating with the famed composer/producer and origional founder/dir. Ron Jones ("Star Trek-TNG") during production of the Crusader's 2003 program "Mysterious Mountain - a tribute to the music of Alan Hovhaness". Although the primary focus of his career has been performance within the marching and classical percussion idioms, David instructs drum set and advanced rudimental techniques privately. His extensive background has provided the opportunity to clinic, adjudicate, arrange for and instruct within a variety of programs throughout the Northwest and beyond. He frequently serves as a percussion adjudicator for both northwest regional music solo/ensemble festivals and the WGI circuit. David is founder and director of Willamette Falls Percussion Ensemble, which performs seasonally at numerous venues throughout the Northwest. As a percussionist/timpanist, he currently appears with the Willamette Falls Symphony, the acclaimed Pacific Crest Wind Symphony. He can also be seen performing in Portland's newly formed rudimental powerhouse The Trailblazer Groove Machine. He is owner of Dave's Professional Drums & Percussion in Oregon City (formerally Wally's Drums), which provides a myriad of high quality instruments, repairs and service to regional music education programs. David is also owner and operator of GaragePRO Records, a private digital audio/MIDI recording studio continuing a specialization in origional composition and on-site musical event coverage. Along with producing his own works, his active schedule includes performing with and/or producing albums for various local artists, including the gifted and versatile Leila Cheiko, the eclectic Vancouver band Saratoga Park, and Great Northern Planes among others. David is an avid Volkswagon enthusiast, amature astronomer and bigfoot researcher in his limited spare time. He lives in Oregon City with his fiance Kelsey and their cats Cindy and Kesia. He is also the proud owner of a classic 1969 VW Karmann Ghia cabriolet.
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