Robert Goute (19 December 1919 – 15 December 2014) was a drum major in the Air de Paris.^[1]

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Robert Goute
Goute directing a festival circa 1960
Born	19 December 1919 Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis
Died	15 December 2014(2014-12-15) (aged 94) l’Isle-Adam
Nationality	French
Occupation	Drum major in the Air de Paris

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Goute was the head of the Music Commission of the Sports and Cultural Federation of France until 1979, a founding member of the Confédération française des batteries-fanfarez (en: French Confederation of Drum Bands), established in 1980, and president of the Fédération Internationale de l'école française du tambour (en: International Federation of the French Drum School), established in 1990.^[2] He is known as one of the leading figures in the revival of the modern drum band.^{[citation needed]}

Robert Goute was born in Saint-Denis on December 19, 1919, to a family of drummers. His father was a masonry entrepreneur, volunteer firefighter, and amateur musician. He introduced Robert to drums from the age of five in the ranks of the local music society he directed, Les Bleuets de Domont.^[3] He quickly demonstrated exceptional skills, and in 1933 he was noticed by Gabriel Defrance, who was a drum major of the music of the Republican Guard. He offered him private lessons, and by the age of 14, Goute traveled to Paris every week to attend his lessons — a round-trip journey of 50 km (31 mi).

Robert Goute married and was a father of four children (2 girls and 2 boys). He died on December 15, 2014, at the Isle-Adam Hospital (Val-d'Oise).

In 1954, Robert Goute published four volumes of a work devoted to the tambour d'ordonnance (orderly drum):

• Robert Goute (1956). Robert Martin (ed.). Le Tambour d'ordonnance. Vol. 1. Charnay-lès-Mâcon.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) ;
• Robert Goute (1970). Robert Martin (ed.). Le Tambour d'ordonnance. Vol. 2. Charnay-lès-Mâcon.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) ;
• Robert Goute (1974). Robert Martin (ed.). Le Tambour d'ordonnance. Vol. 3. Charnay-lès-Mâcon. ISMN 979-0-2310-2758-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) ;
• Robert Goute. Robert Martin (ed.). Le Tambour d'ordonnance. Vol. 4. Charnay-lès-Mâcon..

In 1962, Goute published the Manuel du tambour-major (manual of the drum major), the first educational work of its kind. It was praised by many military musicians and was reissued in 1988:

• Robert Goute (1962). Gaultier (ed.). Le Manuel du tambour-major. Chantonnay. p. 128.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) ;
• Robert Goute (1988). Robert Martin (ed.). Le manuel du tambour-major. Charnay-lès-Mâcon. p. 217.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) (réédition 1988).

This work is preceded and followed by many others including:

• Robert Goute (1960). Gaultier (ed.). Guide pratique de l'instruction. Chantonnay. p. 52.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) ;
• Robert Goute (1964). Robert Martin (ed.). Batteries de la Garde impériale. Charnay-lès-Mâcon. p. 28.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) ;
• Robert Goute (1980). Robert Martin (ed.). Initiation au solfège rythmique. Charnay-lès-Mâcon. p. 68.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link).

and brief musical notes:

• Robert Goute (1963). Philippo (ed.). Tambour battant. Paris. p. 4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) ;
• Robert Goute (1963). Philippo (ed.). Clandami. Paris. p. 3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) ;
• Robert Goute (1965). Philippo (ed.). Gai luron. Paris. p. 8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) ;
• Robert Goute (1985). Robert Martin (ed.). Pas à pas. Charnay-lès-Mâcon. p. 4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) ;
• Robert Goute (1985). Robert Martin (ed.). Gironde. Charnay-lès-Mâcon. p. 7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) ;

Its various methods and collections were later adopted in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, and many American universities.^{[lower-alpha 1]}