Dick Schory (also known as Richard Schory) was first and foremost a percussionist. He received an education geared toward the symphony. Indeed, he appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. However, he was also doing jazz, pop and experimental music.

Schory's influence on both classical and pop percussionists was enormous. As education director for Ludwig Drum Company, he had the opportunity to reach out to schools across the nation providing not only products but an attitude that influenced high school students and opened employment prospects for them. His various conglomerations of musicians allowed many potential writers and performers to get experience and simultaneously broadening the percussion literature.

Many of the people who started with Schory eventually took to the recording studios and concerts hall with their own ensembles: Bobby Christian, Russ Case, Gary Burton, Phil Kraus, Irwin Kostal and Mike Simpson among many.

His popularizing of percussion music in 1957 paved the way for an entire movement in pop music in the late 50's and early 60's that lasted through 1969.