Dr. Gaylord Yost (28 January 1888 – 10 October 1958) was a violinist, composer, and teacher. He is best known today for his collections of method books for the violin.Gaylord Purcell Yost was born on January 28, 1888, in Fayette, Ohio. He was the only child of Charles E. Yost, the proprietor and a journalist of The Fayette Review (the only newspaper in the village at the time) and Ada Purcell, daughter of Lott. A Purcell, a well-known figure in Fayette. He started playing violin in elementary school, and by age 12, he began composing violin and piano duets. By age 15, he was the leading violin teacher in the area. In 1903, he went to further his studies at the Toledo Conservatory. He remained there through 1904, then in 1905 went to the Detroit Conservatory, where he remained until 1906. After leaving Detroit, he went to Berlin to study with renowned Russian virtuoso Issay Barmas. He moved to Indianapolis around 1907 and between 1907 and 1911 he toured as a concert artist across the United States, Europe, and South America.