Profile: Doug Coomler 22

“We had a jazz band in high school that was very good and fun to play in,” Coomler recalled. “I began playing many solos and loved it. I also started listening to John Coltrane as well as many other jazz greats at an early age.”

Regarding how Coomler wound up in Reno, his senior year in high school, Coomler won an award for outstanding saxophone at the University of Nevada’s jazz fest. The award included a full-ride scholarship to the university, which led to a local career in music and music education.

“Reno is wonderful because there are so many outstanding musicians,” Coomler said.

Over the years Coomler has played with and for numerous acts that have performed at clubs, concert halls and casinos in the Biggest Little City in the World. Those artists include The Temptations, Four Tops, Supremes and Frank Sinatra Jr. as well as productions of Smokey Joe’s Café, Grease, Shake Rattle and Roll, The Rat Pack and Simply the Best (Tina Turner Review).

Coomler also had been teaching at UNR, but left that post to teach in the Washoe County School District.

“I needed to simplify things a bit. Teaching 15 private lesson students, gigs, UNR and the Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra was an all-day job. After becoming engaged, I felt it was best to teach at a public school full time. This allows me to spend more time with my future wife,” Coomler said.

With respect to coming up the hill to Incline Village, Coomler noted he grew up in a small town where he attended a high school that had just 400 students.

“Still, we were able to have one of the strongest music programs in the Pacific Northwest,” Coomler said.

Coomler said the biggest thing he would like to impart on students would be developing their love of music.

“Right now, we are in a bit of basics mode as the Covid time has taken a lot of playing time from many of the students here. Getting back to fundamentally sound playing is of utmost importance,” Coomler said.

Coomler said the plan for this school year is to prepare the budding musicians for putting on some concerts. As the program strengthens, he hopes to take students to festivals and competitions.

“Those are usually extremely fun and inspiring to young students. Music really is about performance and I look forward to seeing these young students enjoy that most important aspect of music,” Coomler said.

THE PREGER PRIZE

CREATIVE IDEA CHALLENGE November 20 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

The Preger Prize Creative Idea Challenge seeks original ideas to stimulate and reward individual creativity among undergraduate students. Like its Business Plan Competition siblings, the Preger Challenge is open to all full-time students currently enrolled at the Incline Village campus of SNU, in any major.

YOUR IDEA MUST BE: Original – no one else’s • Useful to a specific group • Novel – not obviously derivative • Implementable and can deliver value • Include a plan for implementation