William Moersch is a recipient of the prestigious Percussive Arts Society’s Lifetime Achievement in Education Award, and is a Professor of Percussion at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to his appointment at the University of Illinois, he created the graduate degree programs in marimba performance at the Peabody Conservatory, and Rutgers University. He is also the Artistic Director of New Music Marimba, a member of the Percussive Arts Society’s Board of Advisors, an Artist Endorser for Pearl Drums/Adams Percussion, SABIAN cymbals, Grover Pro Percussion, Innovative Percussion mallets, a regularly featured artist at international percussion festivals, and has presented master classes throughout the world.
The first marimbist ever to receive a National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalist Fellowship, and be honored by N.E.A. Recording and Consortium Commissioning Grants, Mr. Moersch is also an international marimba virtuoso who has performed on more than seventy-five recordings. He is perhaps best known for commissioning much of the prominent modern repertoire for marimba from composers such as: Irwin Bazelon, Richard Rodney Bennett, Martin Bresnick, Jacob Druckman, Eric Ewazen, David Lang, Paul Lansky, Libby Larsen, Steven Mackey, Akemi Naito, Roger Reynolds, Gunther Schuller, Joseph Schwantner, John Serry, Andrew Thomas, Alejandro Viñao, James Wood, and Charles Wuorinen.
Currently, Mr. Moersch is Principal Timpanist of Sinfonia da Camera and the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared as a soloist with symphonic orchestras and recitals throughout the world. He has also performed with the American Symphony, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, the New York Chamber Symphony, the New York City Opera Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, on numerous motion picture soundtracks, and as a featured soloist in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Broadway production of The Pirates of Penzance.
When did you begin studying music?
In fifth grade I watched my two best friends get to leave class each week to take drum lessons and thought, “That looks like a good idea!” So I started in 6th grade where I worked in a group of four on basic snare drum technique using a rubber practice pad. However, after that first drum class, I began regular private lessons and kept at it. By high school, I was very good at snare drum, and then added vibraphone and marimba.
Did you always study percussion?
Yes, although in college I took a year of class piano, a year of class jazz piano, and one semester of flute.
Who were your primary teachers?
Jerry Hartweg (before high school), Edward J. Downing & Gary Cook (high school), and Charles Owen & Barry Jekowski (college and briefly after).
When did you decide to pursue a career in music?
In high school I was a shy only child, and music gave me a way to express myself and have other people notice me. I thought I would give music a try in college for a year and then transfer to an East Coast Conservatory. However, as it turned out, Charles Owen retired from the Philadelphia Orchestra and started teaching at Michigan my freshman year, so I stayed there.
Did you have a specific goal: teach, compose, etc.?
I knew that I wanted to perform and had no interest in teaching. At the end of my senior year in high school, I won two concerto competitions as a marimba soloist and decided, “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, be a marimba soloist with orchestras!” Shortly thereafter, I learned that the entire marimba repertoire consisted of three concerti, a few etudes, and some transcriptions. I made a trial detour into jazz vibes, but then returned to solo marimba, percussion in chamber music, and orchestral percussion. I enjoyed playing in orchestras, but I didn’t want to audition for an orchestra; my primary interests were in solo marimba and contemporary music (now known as “new music”). In one lesson, Charles Owen said to me, “If you want to make a living in contemporary music, you’ll have to move to New York City.” After initially thinking, “I’ll never move to New York,” a year or two later, I did.
Who impacted your musical growth the most?
A very tough call! If I reword the question to, “Who or what impacted your musical growth the most?” I would say that Charles Owen was the individual that had the greatest impact. Charlie gave me the Philadelphia Orchestra focus on sound, on rich, dark tone quality and impeccable phrasing in every kind of music. At first, I went over the marimba concerti of Creston, Milhaud, and Kurka with him, but then became aware of Keiko Abe and started bringing the new Japanese literature to my lessons. Although Charlie had never played or heard those pieces, he always had helpful comments on the sound or on the phrasing.
“What” impacted my musical growth the most was forming the New York Quintet in my early New York years – easing my way back to solo marimba via a mixed chamber group of marimba, flute, clarinet, double bass, and percussion (modeled after Keiko Abe’s The Tokyo Quintet). The experience of regularly rehearsing and performing chamber music with wind and string instruments provided the greatest musical growth period of my life post-college. Realizing the many different qualities of attack and of rhythm (that you could have rhythm without being metronomic) was a profound experience.
What teaching positions have you held?
My first was for Arnie Lang at Brooklyn College where I came in to teach a semester of weekly marimba master classes. Next was a part-time position at Rutgers, as a consequence of the excellent reviews I received for my New York Debut Recital. I taught one day each week at Rutgers for fourteen years. For the last five of those years, I also taught one day each week at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, primarily on marimba, as a colleague of Jonathan Haas. Then, I accepted my position at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – my first full-time job! This is my 24th year at Illinois.
What percussionists have inspired you the most and why?
So many! Gary Burton, David Samuels, and David Friedman for my interest in jazz vibraphone. Yoichi Hiraoka, whose recording of the Hovhaness: Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints I modeled for those early concerto competitions. Charles Owen, as mentioned previously. Keiko Abe, for both a new way to approach the marimba and for the idea of commissioning new marimba repertoire. Cloyd Duff, for leading me to discover both a love and an aptitude for orchestral timpani. George Gaber, first, for encouraging my solo marimba career, and then, for encouraging me to leave New York for Illinois.
Is there a specific genre you enjoy performing the most?
Primarily classical music, both old and new – solo, chamber music, orchestral music – but I’ve also enjoyed my opportunities with Broadway, film scores, jingles, improvised music, world music, and gamelan.
What composers do you identify with and why?
Most strongly with many of the composers that I’ve commissioned: Irwin “Buddy” Bazelon, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Andrew Thomas, Jacob Druckman, and Akemi Naito – all of whom wrote wonderful music for me.
Do you get nervous before you play – if so, how do you deal with it?
The aim is to be excited, not nervous before you play. If you are nervous, determine the cause of those nerves. Are you sufficiently prepared? If not, it’s no wonder that you are nervous. Improve your preparation in the future. Most audiences want you to succeed (except perhaps at PASIC). They have paid for parking, tickets, baby sitters, dinner, etc. and they want to have an enjoyable time; they want you to be great, so have no fear of the audience.
Before my New York Debut Recital, I participated in several of Michael Colgrass’ Performance Workshops and I recommend his book, My Lessons with Kumi. I also observed that I had become TOO comfortable on stage, that the stage was just another room of my house. I had to recreate a sense of needing to be in a performance state of mind before I could enter the stage, so I developed a dressing room routine to prepare myself mentally and physically for a performance state. Although this developed primarily for my solo performances, it applies to ensemble situations, as well.
Mock run-throughs of your material can also be extremely useful, whether for an audition or a performance. Draft as many different people as mock audience members as you can and create the complete environment and sense of an actual performance.
As a solo recitalist, I discovered that playing a recital was itself a practice situation – that I could learn as much in front of an audience as I did in the practice room. Hence, performing became a wonderful adventure, and not just a struggle to recreate something as I had practiced.
Do you ever make a mistake while performing? If so, how do you go about resolving it?
Everyone makes mistakes at some point. The professionals make fewer and are better at making them less noticeable. Something unexpected can always happen; the challenge is not whether it will happen, but how will you respond when it does. A performer must never dwell on the past, but only exist in the moment, with an awareness of the future. Think about what comes next, not about what just happened.
Has your practice regimen changed from when you were a student? And how do you keep your technique fresh on all primary percussion instruments?
Life intrudes. The most time you will ever have to practice is during your student years, plus free instruments and facilities, so take full advantage. Spend the most time on your weaknesses, not your strengths. Build a solid technical foundation and a familiarity with as many instruments and styles of music as you possibly can. Develop a universal approach to technique that will crossover to all instruments. With time and experience, you will (ideally) become smarter and more efficient with your practice time. Also, learn to practice AWAY from the instrument – develop mental practice skills, rather than sheer physical repetition.
How do you define a good musician and a good teacher? And has your definition of both changed from when you were a student to the present?
A good musician listens and responds to the other musicians playing, leading when necessary, supporting when necessary. A good teacher does the same thing with each student. My life experience has changed the focus from the individual to the collective – it’s not so much what you alone are capable of, but how you can interact cooperatively with others.
Do you think that performing and teaching are intrinsically intertwined? If so, how and why?
Not necessarily, although I do think that the best performers also teach and the best teachers also perform. Personal experience with the challenges, obstacles, and delights of performance enable one to both understand and hopefully convey that knowledge, process, and problem solving to a student.
Has teaching made you a better musician, if so how and why?
Definitely. Thinking about how you do something and then communicating that to others clarifies, refines, and reinforces the original skill.
Knowing what you know today, would you change anything about how you prepared for your career? If so, what and why?
Early study of piano as a child would have been a tremendous help! Beyond that, at times I contemplate paths not taken. In an alternate reality, I might have gone full-tilt into an orchestral timpani position. However, marimba repertoire is in a far different place today because of the commissioning that I have done. I am also a far better timpanist today because of the growth as a musician that my marimba experience provided.
What words of wisdom would you share with a student who aspires to make a career as a performer and as an educator?
Believe it or not, you have the most opportunity to practice while you are in school, plus you have instruments, facilities, and no neighbors complaining. Take full advantage of it! Spend the majority of your time focusing on your weaknesses, not your strengths. Listen to as many live performances as you can, of all instruments (not just percussion), and all types of music. Play as much chamber music with non-percussionists as you can. Sight-read every day that you eat. Be prepared to say, “Yes” to any opportunities that come your way, and be prepared to create your own opportunities. Lastly, always protect your hearing by getting some high-quality custom-molded ear plugs, and use them!
