ION INDIE MAGAZINE August 2017, Volume 39 | Page 55

Story by Timothy Campbell
Music by Douglas J. Neel “Final Farewell” • Photo Credit: Tim Purdue
There is an idiom that gets tossed around frequently when dealing with passionate pursuits, “those who
can’t do, teach.” The implication is that someone outlasts their utility but doesn’t know when to quit. This
phrase is never used more than when talking about musicians. Not only is this statement a rude
oversimplification, it is also a notion that is blown out of the water when you hear the work of Columbus,
Ohio jazz artist DOUGLAS J. NEEL.
By day, Neel is an educator, serving as an adjunct faculty member at Capital University –- Conservatory of
Music, Mt. Vernon Nazarene University and the University of Findlay. His educational focus is jazz and rock
ensemble, where he is teaching the next wave of Ohio’s top-shelf guitar, bass, and low brass players.
However, his academic pursuits have not stopped him from being a prolific performer in the Ohio music
community, with a specialty in guitar, bass, and trombone. His resume as a performer includes work with
over a dozen of Ohio’s finest ensembles, work on Broadway touring shows, and he even leads his own trio,
4tet. For some, excelling in both of these worlds would be a tough balance to strike. For Neel, time spent on
stage has improved his approach in the classroom.
“There are DEFINITELY benefits to
being both a performer AND an
educator. First and foremost, if
you want to get really good at any
one thing, teach someone else
how to do it (seriously!). The art of
instruction forces the teacher to
look at a subject significantly
more in-depth than normal
because a sound pedagogical
strategy must be put in place. By
doing so, one digests the topic
more thoroughly than if one was
just asked to ‘do it’ or ‘play it.’
Second, on the ‘flip side’ of the
coin, some of my favorite teachers
were those who were/are masters
of the subject. It's one thing to
have an excellent lecture; it's
another to have a masterful
demonstration to go with the
excellent lecture.”