Brochstein played many roles in the music industry throughout his long career, recording and performing, teaching, owning a drum shop, and, in 1957, launching the Pro-Mark drumstick company.
After he bought a few pairs of drumsticks made out of Oak from a passing salesman, Mr. Brochstein’s interest in sticks took hold. Noticing their superior performance over sticks made of traditional materials, he began selling the sticks to his students as well as traveling drummers passing through Houston. The company name, Pro-Mark”, means “the mark of a professional.”
In a interview on the Pro-Mark website, “The Pro Behind Pro-Mark,” Brochstein recalled the experience that inspired him to create his own line of sticks. “I had bought six pairs of Japanese-made drumsticks from a passing salesman,” Herb said. “I didn’t remember who sold them to me, and I didn’t know what kind of wood they were made from. All I knew was that they were much better quality than domestic sticks.” Brochstein, with the help of Tat Kosaka, went on a quest to find the Japanese factory that had produced the sticks, and soon the Houston-based Pro-Mark was born.
He will be missed by many.
His legacy will live on.
No comments:
Post a Comment