Donald Skoog

Don Skoog is an independent musician, teacher, and writer who lives in Oak Park, Illinois. He gigs on drumset, Latin percussion, marimba, and Flamenco cajon (His hobbies are the Irish bodhran and Arabic tabl). His teachers include James Dutton, Vida Chenoweth, Gordon Stout, Karl Husa, Roberto Vizcaino, Jose Eladio, Rich Gajate Garcia, and Alajandro Carvajal. He has taught percussion at the American Conservatory of Music, Sherwood Music School, and The Contemporary Music Project, which he founded in 1982. Mr. Skoog has given demonstrations on marimba, drumset, or bata at Northwestern University, Valparaiso University, Vandercook Collee, Kansas State University, Colorado State University, The Nashville Jazz Workshop, and the PAS Illinois Day of Percussion, as well as hundreds of presentations in grade and high schools through The International Music Foundation. He was Lead Artist for the Gallery 37 Latin Big Band from 1993 to 2002, and has traveled to Cuba many times to study and conduct tours.