Musician and entrepreneur Vic Firth passes away
Vic Firth, founder of the Vic Firth Company, passed away on Sunday at the age of 85. His company has become the largest manufacturer of drum sticks and mallets.
Son of a successful trumpet player, Vic Firth 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 of 16. He played a variety of percussion instruments such as vibraphone, timpani and the drum set.
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.
"Vic was an inspiration to all of us", the Vic Firth Company states on their website. "He was a visionary, a mentor, a leader and a friend. He always said he surrounded himself with the best people, but the truth is he brought out the best in all of us. His boundless passion for music and musicians drove every decision he made."
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