Doane earned his teaching certificate in 1961 from the Nova Scotia Teachers College (NSTC) and then a bachelor of music education from [Boston University] in 1967 studying the trombone.
[2] This unconventional approach was quickly proven through the success of Halifax school bands and orchestras in concerts and competitions across Canada.
The British Columbia schools used Doane's system to teach music and as a result, the Langley Ukulele Ensemble came into existence.
After leaving the Halifax School Board in 1984, Doane served as a professor of music education at his alma mater, the Nova Scotia Teachers College until his retirement in 1993.
[9] His daughter Melanie Doane is a noted Canadian pop singer and songwriter, and his son Creighton Doane is a drummer and songwriter known as a collaborator with his sister and as a member of the rock band Harem Scarem.