Keith was the most wonderful supportive musician and great friend I could have had. I remember so many times when we played - stories he told me - the time when he was staying with me at my place when 9/11 WTC happened - Keith inviting many amazing musician friends to hear our quartet - Keith coming all the way from Germany to do a concert with me in Colorado - a time when we played the Quartet music as a trio and Keith magically played things that made it sound like nothing was missing - so many memories.... I regret he never got to see the preface to the music instruction book I'm writing, in which I thanked him (attached below). Among other things, I would never have started teaching were it not for Keith. I miss you, Keith! - Rory Stuart "By the late 1980’s, I had already been in New York City for most of the decade, had played as a sideman with many amazing musicians, and had an excellent quartet I’d put together in 1982, with a couple of critically acclaimed recordings. There were many things in life about which I was uncertain but one thing that I knew for sure was that I never wanted to be a music teacher! The drummer in the Rory Stuart Quartet, Keith Copeland, was not only a terrific musician, but also an incredibly positive and supportive person - the kind of person one dreams about having in one’s group and in one’s corner. Keith was asked to do some gigs out of town and needed someone to substitute for him in teaching a class; only because the request came from him, I agreed. It turned out the class was at the New School and was about rhythm; Keith thought of me for it because of all the rhythmically unusual and challenging things we did in the Quartet. It only took one session of teaching that class to make me completely re-think everything I’d believed about teaching music. Here was a group of remarkably talented and motivated musicians from all over the world who were excited to work on everything I brought to them. Things worked out so well, and I enjoyed it so much, that, for the next few years, I became Keith’s regular substitute any time he was unable to teach the class. If it were not for Keith, I would never have started teaching this rhythm class – or had the amazing experience of playing with a master drummer in my first quartet. THANKS KEITH! "