Doug Spaniol

About Doug

Doug Spaniol teaches bassoon at Arts Camp and is Professor of Music in the Jordan College of the Arts at Butler University where he received the 2022 Distinguished Faculty Award. Hailed as a "master pedagogue" (The Double Reed), Spaniol is author/editor of many of the most important and widely-used publications for bassoon students and teachers. These include Volumes I and II of The New Weissenborn Method for Bassoon (Hal Leonard) and new editions of Weissenborn's Advanced Studies and Complete Works for Bassoon and Piano (Accolade Musikverlag). He has presented masterclasses at many of the world's leading music schools including the Royal Academy of Music (London), St. Petersburg (Russia) Conservatory, and Indiana University, and is often a presenter at national and international music and education conferences. Spaniol can be heard as soloist on two CDs: Bassoon with a View (Innova) and Frank Felice: Sidewalk Music (Capstone), and as a chamber and orchestral musician on Albany, Centaur, and Zephyr Records. He served as principal or co-principal bassoon of Sinfonia da Camera for 11 seasons and has performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and many other ensembles. Spaniol is a founding member of Rock E Bassoon—the world's most dangerous bassoon band—and has performed with popular artists like the Rolling Stones and Art Garfunkel. He studied bassoon with William Waterhouse, Christopher Weait, and E. Sanford Berry. A Yamaha Artist/Clinician, Spaniol plays a Yamaha YFG-811 bassoon.

I am a bassoon teacher. In a very narrow sense, it's my job to help students become better bassoonists by mastering specific techniques and repertoire. But my job is really much more than that. I strive to help students understand the processes of learning and practice, develop their command of music as a written and aural language, and most importantly, help them grow as individuals and artists to achieve their goals and lead a fulfilling personal and professional life.