Dr. Norman Weinberg

Dr. Norman Weinberg has had an all inclusive career as a performer, composer, educator, and scholar. A Professor Emeritus of Music at the University of Arizona, he served as its Director of Percussion Studies for 20 years. During his tenure at the University of Arizona, Dr. Weinberg was the recipient of the Maestro Award from its School of Music and Dance in 2002; and in 2015 he was honored with the Charles and Irene Putnam Excellence in Teaching Award by its College of Fine Arts. Before arriving at the University of Arizona, he was a Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas; as well as an Adjunct Professor at Corpus Christi State University for 18 years.  And in 2023, he was awarded the Percussive Arts Society’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in Education.

Dr. Weinberg earned a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from the Kansas City Conservatory of Music.  He furthered his education at Indiana University, where he received the prestigious Performer’s Certificate, a Master of Music with Honors, and a Doctor of Musical Arts, all concentrating in Percussion Performance. During his studies he worked with such outstanding teachers as: George Boberg, Jerry Carlyss, George Gaber, William Roberts, Ben Udell, Gary Werdesheim, Charmaine Asher Wiley, and William Zickos.  

His scholarly pursuits have led to nearly 300 articles published in such journals as: Drum! Magazine (where he also held the position of Contributing Technology Editor), Modern Drummer, Drums and Drumming, Rhythm, Percussive Notes, Percussive Notes Research Edition, Keyboard, EQ, Music and Computers, The Instrumentalist, and Home Recording Newsletter. Furthermore, Dr. Weinberg is also the author of The Electronic Drummer, and Guide to Standardized Drumset Notation (which are both distributed by Hal Leonard Publications); and TOUCH: Developing Subtlety and Nuance for Percussionists, which is published by VAPMedia. 

Dr. Weinberg’s work with the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) is comprehensive, having served as a member of its Board of Directors from 1998 – 2004; as the founding Technology Editor for Percussive Notes (a position he held for 12 years); and as the creator of the World Percussion Network which later became pas.org.  Due to his extensive contributions to PAS, he was given the Outstanding Service Award for his work in developing its website in 1994; in 2000, Dr. Weinberg was invited to present the Keynote Address at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention’s New Music/Research Day, which was titled: Turn On, Plug In, Groove Out; and in 2003 he was honored with its Lifetime Achievement in Education Award. 

A proud artist with Yamaha, Vic Firth, Zildjian, Remo, and Black Swamp, Dr. Weinberg has performed and presented seminars at such regional, national, and international conferences as: the International Percussion Festival of Puerto Rico, the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, the Texas Association of Music Schools Convention, the Tennessee Wind Ensemble Conference, and the Ontario Celebration of the Drum. As well as at: Day of Percussion Festivals in Arizona, California, Kansas, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah; the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia National Convention, the Rhythm Sticks Festival in London, the Toronto 2000: Musical Intersections Conference, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. 

Dr. Weinberg’s extensive performing career includes serving as the Principal Timpanist and Principal Percussionist with the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra; and as Principal Timpanist with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Evansville Philharmonic, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and the Leonard Bernstein Festival Orchestra. Furthermore, he has performed with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and the Arizona Opera Orchestra. He has also performed under the batons of such notable conductors as: David Amram, Enrique Batiz, Luciano Berio, Leonard Bernstein, Gary Bertini, Ogan D’Narc, Cornelius Eberhardt, Lukas Foss, Alberto Ginastera, Christopher Keene, Cal Stewart Kellogg, Igor Markevitch, Neville Marriner, Yehudi Menuhin, John Nelson, Daniel Oren, Krzysztof Penderecki, Jose Serebrier, Robert Shaw, George Singer, Leonard Slatkin, and Walter Susskind to name but a few. 

Lastly, he is the founder of VAPMedia, LLC, which is a publishing company dedicated to making connections between percussionists and their common history. VAPMedia publishes such online courses as: Percussion History and Literature, Marimba and Xylophone History, History of the Drum set, and The Repertoire; as well as historic books, and music concerning percussion instruments and pedagogy. 

When did you begin studying music?

I first began playing the drums right around my eighth birthday. Learning to play the drums was what I wanted for my birthday and my mom took me to the Toon Shop (a local music store) to rent a drum for three months. With the rental, it included a number of free lessons. I was very fortunate that the drum teacher at that music store was wonderful, and we clicked right off the bat.

Did you always study percussion?

Yes and no. In high school, I asked my band director if I could borrow a trumpet and if he would write out the fingerings for the notes. I taught myself and practiced very little. My junior and senior year at high school, I was first chair percussion in the top band, and last chair third trumpet in the third band. Playing trumpet was just a way that I could take two hours of band classes during the school day. My senior year, the band director also offered a music theory course, so I took that as well. 

What made you choose percussion?

The typical things I guess. I was an ADD kid with too much energy (before ADD was even a thing). I was always banging on things around the house. I had a toy drum set when I was about three and played it to death. I still have a photo of me playing with that toy kit. One of my very best friends, Eric Bikales, found that exact model toy kit on a shelf in a recording studio a couple of years ago – it was sort of like a cool old display thing. He bought it from the guy and sent it to me. Now I have it. It really was the very best present ever! When I opened the box, I think that I just laughed and smiled for a couple of hours non-stop!

Who were your primary teachers?

Like I said, I was fortunate to have a great teacher from the very beginning: William Zickos. Mr. Zickos was a very forward-thinking drummer and teacher. He was a jazz drummer in the Kansas City area. I still have my very early assignment books with him. When I was learning quarter notes, he hand-wrote exercises in 2/4. 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, etc. It didn’t really matter to me – they weren’t odd time signatures. They were just how many numbers you counted up to before starting over again at the new bar line. Same thing with half notes – 1/2, 3/2 meters and so on. Even changing meters in the middle of the little exercise. He also had me learn all the triplets at the same time based on the eighth-note triplet. For example: sixteenth triplets – play two notes for each triplet count; quarter triplets – play every other eighth; whole note triplets – play every eighth triplet. I was just a kid, it didn’t seem complicated, and I studied with Bill from the age of eight until I went to college. 

My other teachers were just as wonderful. I studied for about a year with Ben Udell, the timpanist with the Kansas City Philharmonic. My teacher at Kansas University for three years was George Boberg. Mr. Boberg was a student of Paul Price, and really taught me about making music with the drums. He also taught me a great deal about many different aspects of music that I really didn’t understand until years later. In fact, I used to see him at PAS conventions and apologize to him for being such a crappy student at that time. I was very immature. Years after studying with him, I would play something and think to myself: Oh, that’s what Mr. Boberg was talking about!

After dropping out of Kansas University to go on the road with a rock band, my primary teachers were the three other wonderful musicians in that group. We lived, breathed, and performed music for nearly two years together non-stop. That was truly one of the most influential periods of my musical life. When the band folded, I returned to school at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music. I studied there with Charmaine Asher Wiley. We primarily covered snare drum, timpani, and percussion ensemble music.

After getting my BM in Percussion Performance from the Conservatory, I went to Indiana University for my Master’s degree where I studied with George Gaber. Working with Mr. Gaber came at the perfect time in my life – I was just married (in fact Nancy and I moved to Bloomington three days after our wedding!). My father had recently passed away, and due to these major life events, I finally woke up to the fact that I had to get my act together and take care of business. Mr. Gaber was extremely demanding and I decided that no matter what he asked me to do, I would do it to the very best of my ability – no excuses, no limits. I have to say that those years at IU were just amazing. There were so many wonderful players and people. I learned as much from my colleagues as I did from Mr. Gaber. I could list 20 – 30 percussionists who passed through the studio during those years that have had amazing professional careers in music: Peter Erskine, Shawn Pelton, Kenny Aronoff, William Hill, Rebecca Kite, Rick Dimond, Jose Alecia, Kay Stonefelt, Craig Hetrick, Judy Moonert, and dozens of others. Being around so many high-energy, high-talent, and dedicated students, you had to kick hard to stay alive. During my time at Indiana for both my Master’s and the DMA degrees, I also had the opportunity to study with William Roberts, Gary Werdesheim, and Gerald Carlyss. I consider every one of these faculty members, along with all of the student colleagues I encountered, as my mentors. 

In addition to my teachers and my colleagues, I had the wonderful opportunity to perform under a lot of amazing conductors. Along with my junior high and high school band directors, I played under Jack Herriman, the conductor of the Kansas City Youth Symphony for more than eight years. For six years, I attended the Kansas University Music and Art Camp and played under different conductors in its top wind band and top orchestra. Those too, were amazing experiences that had a huge influence on my musical development.  With nearly 40 years of university teaching under my belt, I can honestly say that I’ve learned a tremendous amount from my students. How they each approached music, performing, and interpretation has been immensely influential to me. 

When did you decide to pursue a career in music?

Pretty much by the time I entered high school I knew that I wanted to make music my lifetime career. I was a huge goofball at every subject except music. I would much rather play than study, do homework, or prepare for an exam. While I enjoyed science classes, I didn’t really apply myself to anything but music. 

Did you have a specific goal?

When I was in high school and college, I wanted to be a rock star. I played in rock bands from about eighth grade onward. But I always had a foot in classical music. I started playing in the Kansas City Youth Symphony (KCYS) when I was about 10 years old, and I loved that group. I played in the KCYS until I went to college, and later served as its percussion coach for a few years. I also attended the Kansas University Music and Art Camp for six years: two in the junior high camp, and four in the senior high camp. They had a series of concerts with guest conductors each week; I truly loved those experiences and performing art music, but deep down I wanted to be a rock drummer.

Do you focus on a specific area of percussion?

During my lessons with Mr. Zickos, I started on the snare drum for a full year. Then he said that I could add a bass drum. After another year, I got my first drum set. I was focused on playing drum set and playing in the concert bands in school, and the KC Youth Symphony outside of school. I took a liking to the timpani, and in addition to the drum set, I pretty much focused on timpani. I didn’t really learn to play the keyboard percussion instruments until I was a senior in high school, and I honestly didn’t apply myself too much on those instruments at that time. It wasn’t until I attended Kansas University that Mr. Boberg made sure that I was being a well-rounded percussionist.

Who impacted your musical growth the most?

That’s a difficult question. I feel that I’ve been influenced by so many people, groups, and ensembles. If I had to single out just one individual, I think it would be George Gaber. Working with him just happened to be at a turning point in my life. And his influence on my approach to music performance was significant. He demanded a lot, and I needed it at that time.

What teaching positions have you held?

I started teaching percussion when I was in high school. It began with teaching family friends’ children, but grew until I had maybe 10 or 12 weekly students by the time I graduated high school. My parents let me build a little room inside the basement – and I gave lessons in that little space. My first official position was teaching at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem. I was offered that position when I moved there to play timpani with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. When I left Israel, I won the position of Director of Percussion at Del Mar College and Corpus Christi State University. I stayed in that position for 18 years. After that, I applied and was offered the position as Director of Percussion at Arizona University. I was at UA for 20 years before I retired. 

What percussionists have inspired you the most?

Another difficult question that I can’t really answer. I’m inspired on a daily basis. Not only by percussionists, but by musicians on other instruments as well. I have two daughters: one is a dancer and one is a painter; and perhaps, I’m also inspired by dance, art, sculpture, architecture, film, and literature because of them. I just returned from three weeks in Europe. In every city I visited, I spent hours in amazing museums. These experiences were very inspiring! I honestly believe that all artistic mediums influence each other. Everything is music to me.

Is there a specific genre you enjoy performing the most?

I love chamber music! I think at least part of the reason is the fact that I don’t have to carry the load all by myself. It’s also the experience of the live and in-the-moment communication between a small group of artists on the stage. And that applies to both art music and popular music. My other main love is orchestral music. There’s no better feeling than having 70 to 100 people all working towards a common goal – again, live and in real-time. 

What composers do you identify with and why?

I don’t know that I identify with any composers. There are a number of past and present composers that I listen to on a regular basis. I’ll just list a few in no particular order: Beethoven, Bach, Stravinsky, Mahler, Berlioz, Respighi, Thom York, Jonny Greenwood, Andy Akiho, Joni Mitchell, Lyle Lovett, Pat Metheny, Steve Reich, and Michael League. I could list more, but that’s a good start for now.

Do you get nervous before you play?

Generally speaking, I don’t get nervous before orchestral or chamber music performances. I do get nervous before solo recitals. The way that I deal with it is to be absolutely certain (and I can’t really fool myself) that I’m comfortable and confident with the pieces. If I feel good about the compositions, I’m not so nervous. But, I think that it’s good to be just a little nervous. It helps make the performance fresh and focused. If it’s too much just showing up for the gig, then that’s not good.

Do you ever make a mistake while performing?  

No, I’ve never made a mistake while performing…what??? Are you kidding me?? I’ve made just about every mistake that’s possible to make, from picking up the wrong set of mallets and having to play an entire movement on marimba with hard mallets when they were supposed to be soft; to having my music out of order and having to rearrange the pages on the stand as the piece was progressing. One trick that has worked for me is to think to myself: OK, Norm, you’ve really screwed up this time… now what can you do to fix this. I’ve also tried this trick if I find my mind wandering during a performance… I’ll play something at a new dynamic or subtly change the interpretation of a passage so that I have to refocus in order to make those new changes work. 

My goal has always been that my mistakes are little mistakes: playing a note or a passage a little softer or louder than I had wanted to, or playing a little bit ahead or behind my colleagues in a section, or not doing exactly what I wanted to do in a passage. I’m not always successful in this, but if I can walk out of a performance thinking: Crap! I flamed that bass drum note after rehearsal 25 with the cymbals, then I feel pretty good about things. But generally, I’m not happy with any of my performances. There’s always something (or lots of somethings) that I feel I should have done better. 

Has your practice regimen changed from when you were a student?  

Yes. When I was a student, and when I finally got serious about being a student, I would practice 10-12 hours a day. Once I started teaching full-time, and had a family, that was no longer possible. I’d have to say that now my technique is not a problem. I spend most of my practice time working with interpretation and musical analysis. I have all the necessary technique I need. I just don’t play pieces that are way beyond my technical ability. I like to push myself, yes. But I have an honest viewpoint of what I would like to play, and what I can play. Being retired and having other large projects in the works, I no longer feel the urgency to spend the amount of time necessary to play works like XY or One Study One Summary in concert. I mention those two pieces, because I really love them, and I enjoy practicing them. But, I know that I’ll never really have the necessary technique to pull them off in a concert. 

How do you define a good musician and a good teacher?  

When I was a kid, my viewpoint was, to quote a trumpet-player friend of mine: higher, faster, louder. Now, not so much. A good musician to me is one who speaks to me through his/her instrument. I don’t want to just hear all the words pronounced correctly. Anyone with enough practice can do that. I want the words to move me, inspire me, make me think, drive me to consider truths, make me feel real emotions. If a performer or composer can connect with me on that level, I love it! That’s what music can be.

Good teachers, to make it short and simple, are those who can bring out the best in their students. They have the ability to inspire their students to be better than their students ever though they themselves could be. However this is defined as: a better musician, a better person, a better teacher, a better friend, a better parent, etc. A great teacher is one who has the ability to teach students how to be their own teacher. That means that the lessons never stop, and the student is forever the teacher.

Do you think that performing and teaching are intrinsically intertwined?  

Yes – just yes! Great performers are totally driven to share how they relate to the music. They want everyone to know just what an amazing gift music is. Great teachers are totally driven to show their students what is involved in being a great performer. They want everyone to know just what an amazing gift music is. So yes, intertwined and one-in-the-same: a great performer is a great teacher, and a great teacher is a great performer.

Has teaching made you a better musician?

Yes, of course. A responsible teacher must think about things in a number of different ways in order to best communicate his/her ideas and allow students to draw out their own musical ideas. How one approaches things, and how one considers musical aspects, can make a huge difference for both the student and the teacher. A good teacher and a good student learn from each other.

What usually motivates you to compose? 

I enjoy composing, and now that I’m retired, I can spend more time doing it. In the past, my motivation came mostly from wanting to have a new piece ready in time to rehearse and perform. Deadlines are wonderful motivators! Now, I’m getting ideas about composing pieces that will illustrate what I want to say about music, and figuring out how to compose pieces that will do that while engaging the performer(s) and audience in a meaningful way. That being said, there are so many wonderful composers writing so many great pieces for percussion. My main motivation now is to just become better at composing. Believing in, and trusting the process: Do it on a regular basis, evaluate on a regular basis, and it’s going to get better. Sort of what Mr. Gaber told me many years ago about photography: Take 100 photographs and you’re likely to get one or two that are really good. After you’ve taken 1,000 photographs, you might get 30 that are really good. Just keep moving forward from there until you take 100 photographs, and 80 are really good.

What is VAP Media, and what was the impetus behind you creating it?

VAP is an acronym for Video, Audio, Print. I created an online percussion history and literature course while at the University of Arizona. Since I was awarded a little summer grant to financially help with putting the course together, it is actually owned by the Regents of UA – I don’t own my own course. The course has been very successful with dozens of universities using it as a complete, fully-online course, or as an online textbook for Percussion History and Percussion Literature courses. When I was a professor at UA, a faculty member at another university, who wanted to use my course, would arrange for payment to be made to UA. Then UA would pay me a cut for developing the course.

When I retired, I asked the Office of Technology Transfer if we would continue the same arrangement. They told me no. What they did tell me was I had to create a company, and that company would then license the course from the university (my own course), and then this new company could pass the license fee on to the user. So, that’s how and why VAPMedia was started.

The Office of Technology Transfer was really wonderful. They helped me start the company, draw up the contract with the Board of Regents, and gave me a lot of advice. I also attended a six week course sponsored by them that was designed as a sort of sandbox or think tank about new technologies. That’s where the idea of expanding VAP came from. VAPMedia now publishes my Percussion History and Literature course; David Harvey’s Marimba and Xylophone History course; Robert Breithaupt’s History of the Drum set course; and The Repertoire by William James. It also has republished out-of-print books and music about percussion and percussion-related topics, and also republished important CD-Audio recordings that are no longer available. Important percussion information that was no longer available is now available again through VAPMedia.

Knowing what you know today, would you change anything about how you prepared for your career? 

Yes – I would have applied myself much more as a younger student. I was pretty immature and sort of a goofball in my younger years. I was playing a lot, but not so much practicing a lot. I’m sure I was ADD – but that’s who I was and that’s who I am. While I would certainly like to go back in time to change things (as well as investing in Apple and Microsoft in 1984), I’ve really had a wonderful career in music – and that’s no small thing. I’m extremely proud of my students for what they have accomplished. And I’m extremely proud to have been involved in performing with, and/or knowing so many wonderful people and musicians.

What words of wisdom would you share with a students?

Yes! I would share the words of wisdom from my wife who was a Registered Nurse: If it’s wet, and it’s not yours, don’t touch it!

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Weinberg, and/or VAPMedia, please visit: https://www.normanweinberg.com/