George B. Stone & Son drum manufacturing business began to decline. The factory closed in the late 1930s and the equipment was idle until 1950 when Ralph Eames purchased it, using it to make Eames rope-tensioned parade drums. Today, some of Stone's equipment is still used by the Eames Drum Company in Saugus, MA, in the manufacture of its drum shells. Stone continued to be active as a teacher through the 1940s. One of his students during that time was Vic Firth. "Mr. Stone was a droll Yankee type," Firth recalls, "but a very sweet man. He was probably one of the first technique builders of the teachers, and he felt it was terribly important to make music. His theory was that you can be a sculptor by virtue of owning a hammer and chisel, but you don't really sculpt anything until you have the technique to do it. Likewise, before you can do anything 'shapely' in music, you've got to have the hands to do it with." George Lawrence Stone died at the age of 81 on November 19, 1967. His wife died two days later, and his son, George Lawrence Stone Jr., died thirty-two days after his father. Eulogizing his friend in The Ludwig Drummer, William F. Ludwig, Sr. said, "George was always helpful to everyone - his motto was 'Service before self.' May he rest in the satisfaction that he did his best for the percussion field for many, many years." Books Stick Control for the Snare Drummer (published 1935) Accents and Rebounds for the Snare Drummer (dedicated to his student Joe Morello) Mallet Control for the Xylophone Military Drum Beats for the School and Drum Corps (published 1931) References External links Biography from the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame American percussionists American male composers 20th-century American composers 1886 births 1967 deaths 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians