A member of the Percussive Arts Society’s Hall of Fame, Dr. Russell Hartenberger is a Professor Emeritus, and former Dean of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto. He holds a Ph.D. in World Music from Wesleyan University where he specialized in the music of West Africa, North & South India, and Indonesia. As a composer and arranger, his works include: The Invisible Proverb, Telisi Odyssey, Raghavan, Moondog Suite, Persian Songs, Requiem for Percussion and Voices, Magic Time, Red River, Black Coyote, and Kingfisher. Moreover, he is author of the book, Performance Practice in the Music of Steve Reich; editor of The Cambridge Companion to Percussion; and co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to Rhythm.
Since 1971 Dr. Hartenberger has been a member of both the percussion group Nexus, and Steve Reich & Musicians. As a
member of Nexus, he has performed with leading orchestras in North America, Europe, and has created the soundtrack for the Academy Award winning Full Length Documentary, The Man Who Skied Down Everest. Whereas with Steve Reich and Musicians, he performed on the Grammy Award winning recording of Music for 18 Musicians.
Dr. Hartenberger’s accolades include being the recipient of: the Toronto Arts Award; the Banff Centre for the Arts National Award; a Juno nomination; the Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts by the World Cultural Council; the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Toronto Musicians’ Association; and Percussive Arts Society’s Lifetime Achievement in Education Award.
When did you begin studying music?
My mother was a piano teacher, my father was a trumpet player, and my older sister was a singer, so music was always around our house. My family attended The First Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City, which had a very progressive music program led by John and Helen Kemp who were both graduates of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey; and I began singing in our church choirs at a very young age.
Did you always study percussion?
Percussion is the only instrument I have studied formally.
What made you choose percussion?
I joined the school band in grade school, and everyone had to begin on a song flute: a kind of plastic recorder. After a period of time, we were allowed to select a band instrument. My best friend, Randy Cullers, discovered the snare drum and suggested we choose it, so we both picked the snare drum. Randy eventually became the tour manager for Elvis Presley and overdubbed drum set and percussion tracks on many of Elvis’ recordings.
Who were your primary teachers?
My school band director, James D. (Doc) Walker, was an inspirational mentor. He was a trombone player and a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, and he suggested I take private lessons on snare drum. Serendipitously, Alan Abel was the Principal Percussionist in the Oklahoma City Symphony at the time, his first position after graduating from Eastman and a stint in the Air Force. Mr. Abel taught at his home studio, and I began lessons with him when I was eleven years old.
When Mr. Abel left Oklahoma City to join the Philadelphia Orchestra, he was replaced by Tom Gauger, a recent graduate of the University of Illinois where he studied with Paul Price. After a couple of years, Mr. Gauger won a percussion position with the Boston Symphony. He was replaced in the Oklahoma City Symphony by K. Dean Walker, and I studied with Mrs. Walker until I went away to music school.
When I attended the Curtis Institute of Music I studied with Fred D. Hinger. I also received unofficial lessons with Mr. Abel while I was there. After I graduated from Curtis, I joined the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. While in the Air Force, I attended Catholic University to obtain a Master of Music degree. At that time, Catholic U. allowed graduate students to choose their teachers, so I traveled to Philadelphia for lessons with Mr. Abel.
When I completed my tour of duty with the USAF Band, I decided to attend Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut to pursue a PhD in World Music. At Wesleyan, I studied West African drumming with Abraham Adzenyah, South Indian mrdangam with Ramnad V. Raghavan, North Indian tabla with Sharda Sahai, and Javanese gamelan with Prawotosaputro.
When did you decide to pursue a career in music?
Soon after I began lessons with Alan Abel in Oklahoma City, I knew I wanted to have a career in music.
Did you have a specific goal?
When I began my studies with Mr. Abel, I wanted to become an orchestral percussionist and perhaps to teach. Mr. Gauger and Mr. Hinger both encouraged me to compose.
Do you focus on a specific area of percussion?
I do not focus on a specific area of percussion now. At one point, I played more timpani than any other percussion instrument.
Who impacted your musical growth the most?
All the teachers, choir directors, non-Western musicians, and band director I mentioned earlier; each had a significant impact on my musical development.
What teaching positions have you held?
I’ve taught at the following institutions: Settlement Music School, Philadelphia, PA (instructor of percussion: Wilmington Music School, Wilmington, DE (instructor of percussion); Catholic University, Washington, DC ( instructor of percussion); Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT (instructor of percussion); Choate Prep School, Wallingford, CT (instructor of percussion); Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, ON (instructor of percussion): and the University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (as a professor).
What percussionists have inspired you the most?
My colleagues in Nexus: Bob Becker, Bill Cahn, Michael Craden, Robin Engelman, Garry Kvistad, and John Wyre. Each has inspired me with their unique approaches to music-making while maintaining their sense of sound and touch that create beauty.
The percussionists in Steve Reich and Musicians: James Preiss, Gary Schall, Glen Velez, David Van Tieghem, Thad Wheeler, Tim Ferchen, along with Bob Becker and Garry Kvistad; all perform with a sense of commitment and community that creates chamber music at its finest.
Many non-Western percussionists that I have studied or performed with have broadened my horizons on music-making. Abraham Adzenyah introduced me to the magic of West African timelines and has an impeccable sense of attack placement. Ramnad V. Raghavan provided me with an introduction to the wonderful world of South Indian drumming. Trichy Sankaran has an astounding repertoire of sound and rhythm. He is also an eloquent speaker and writer on South Indian rhythmic theory and rhythm and time in general. Sharda Sahai was my inspirational tabla teacher. Prawotosaputro taught me to honor the spirit of musical instruments.
Is there a specific genre you enjoy performing the most?
Percussion chamber music in all its forms.
What composers do you identify with?
I have a long association with Steve Reich, who is a composer that has transformed the art of percussion chamber music. Toru Takemitsu, who was a good friend of Nexus and composed the wonderful concerto for percussion and orchestra, From me flows what you call Time. Bob Becker, Bill Cahn, and John Wyre have all inspired me with their ability to compose beautiful music for percussion.
Christos Hatzis is a Canadian composer who has composed many beautiful pieces for percussion, especially for his wife, percussionist Beverley Johnston. Christos also teaches a course at the University of Toronto titled, Composing for Percussion which utilizes the TorQ percussion group as an ensemble in residence.
Do you get nervous before you play?
I don’t get nervous if I am well prepared. In the past I have practiced yoga and it has been very helpful in grounding me.
Do you ever make a mistake while performing?
I often make mistakes. Also, I am not always satisfied with the sound that I produce. To me, producing what I consider to be a good sound is as important as avoiding mistakes.
Has your practice regimen changed from when you were a student?
Now, I generally practice only the music that I am preparing for an upcoming concert. If the music requires that I play an instrument that I haven’t played for a while, I have a routine I follow to refresh my technique on that instrument.
How do you define a good musician and a good teacher?
I have had many great teachers, all of whom were helpful to me in different ways. I don’t know how to define a good musician. Perhaps the definition of a good musician is too culture specific to have a general answer.
Has teaching made you a better musician?
Teaching has made me a better person. Teaching has also helped me think about music in new ways. I might not have had these thoughts if I had not done any teaching.
Have your years in Nexus impacted the way you approach teaching and performing?
While a student at the Curtis Institute of Music, I attended Philadelphia Orchestra concerts regularly. I watched the four great percussionists, Alan Abel, Mickey Bookspan, Fred Hinger, and Charlie Owen, all of whom had very different personalities, play together with a unanimity of sound and touch that enhanced the music of their fabulous orchestra. The other members of Nexus also have connections to the Philadelphia Sound, and we all inherited this approach to playing percussion instruments. The strength of our performance is the diversity of our personalities combined with the similarity of our playing styles. Nexus began as an improvisation ensemble, and trust was built as we got to know each through our creative togetherness. When we ventured away from improvisation, we carried this sensibility to composed music and played as if we were making it up. I have tried to maintain this attitude in all my performances, and I have attempted to convey this magical sense of originality to my students.
What usually motivates you to compose?
It’s hard to know how a thought germinates an idea that sprouts a composition. For me, once the process begins, the composition unfolds from rhythm. Rhythm has always implied melody to my ears, and that is often the starting point of my composition. I write the piece with specific players in mind, and these players are usually professionals whose playing I know.
Knowing what you know today, would you change anything about how you prepared for your career?
I have been profoundly fortunate in my musical career. I have had opportunities beyond my wildest dreams, and I am deeply grateful for everything that has come my way. I have had wonderful teachers, students, and colleagues, and I am blessed with a loving family.
What words of wisdom would you share with students?
Write. Words. When I was in seventh grade, I was allowed to play with our high school band. The experience was eye-opening musically, but it also unlocked a world to me that I did not know existed. The older, more experienced musicians talked about music differently. In fact, their approach to life seemed different. I began to keep a diary to try to come to terms with all this. I wish I had maintained this diary throughout my life, but schoolwork and my increasing musical activities kept me from persevering with this documentation. However, I maintained an interest in writing. In high school I studied journalism and learned the value of succinctness and clarity. In university, I took a class in English composition, which I consider the most valuable course in the three levels of music degrees I obtained. My professor said the music students she taught often wrote the most original papers. She attributed this to the fact that musicians are accustomed to thinking outside the box.
Performers and educators need to write a lot and in various formats: job applications, program notes, grant applications, student assessments, dissertations (since a DMA or a PhD is now considered de rigueur for percussionists who aspire to a university teaching job), bios, websites, reference letters, etc. Later in life, you may feel an urge to write about your musical experiences in some way, or you may be asked to respond to questions in a written interview such as the one I am now completing. You may find that writing can be a form of therapy and a counterpoint to the stress of performing and teaching. So, my words of wisdom to share with a student who aspires to make a career as a performer and as an educator: Write. Words.
