David Salisbury started playing percussion in elementary school and participated in school band and orchestra programs throughout Jr. and Sr. high school.  He made regional and all state honor bands every year, including the All State California High School Honor Band in his Jr. year where he played snare, tympani and mallet instruments.  He won a scholarship to the Arrowbear Music Camp in 1968 where he played in concert band and jazz ensemble.  In 1969 David made the national competitive tour with The California Kingsmen, a Division I national championship drum and bugle corps playing tenor, tympani, and mallet instruments. 

In college, David majored in music at Fullerton College and Cypress College playing snare, tympani, mallet instruments and drumset in symphonic orchestras, marching bands, and jazz ensembles.  He also played in several professional jazz combo and rock groups including the Dave Diggs Trio which had a regular gig at the Santa Ana Elks Club.  He played percussion for several musicals including The Music Man, HMS Pinafore, The Boy Friend, The Fantastics, and Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.  For many years, David studied jazz drumming privately with Bob Wrate and Gary Howland in southern California.  He also studied rudimental snare drumming, mallet technique, and jazz piano privately.  

 

David took a break from musical pursuits for a number of years to teach educational psychology at Florida State University and to raise his family.  In 2002, after moving to Northern Virginia, David returned to music.  He is a vibraphone and marimba soloist and has also performed with various groups ranging including the Prince William County Community Band, The HOTS Jazz Ensemble, the NOVA Manassas Symphony and the George Mason University 2007 Jazz Connection.  He also directs the Youth Orchestras of Prince William Percussion Ensemble and is the percussion coach for the YOPW wind symphony, concert orchestra, and youth symphony. He has also been the summer drumline instructor for Hylton High School, Stonewall Jackson High School and Gar-Field High School marching bands. He is qualified to teach concert and marching percussion including rudimental snare drumming, drumline, drumset, tympani, and mallet instrument playing.  David is a member of the VA/DC chapter of the Percussive Arts Society and organizer of Drumfest!, a Northern Virginia annual student drumset competition sponsored by VA/DC PAS, Regal Tip, Vic Firth, Pearl, Pro-Mark, Music and Arts Centers and Percussionworld.

 

Contact information:

13408 Carrageen Dr.

Manassas, VA

703-772-3015