Alma College | Music Department | Faculty: David Zerbe

Dave Zerbe holds BME and MM from Central Michigan University. He taught in the Percussion Studio of Robert Hohner at Central Michigan University from 1994-2000. His responsibilities included arranging and instructing the Marching Percussion Section, Percussion Techniques Class, Private Percussion Lessons, and assisting with Percussion Ensemble.

Zerbe is a founding member of the Robert Hohner Percussion Ensemble, a professional chamber music group based in Mt. Pleasant. The Ensemble has six internationally acclaimed compact discs on the DMP Label: Different Strokes, Lift-Off, The Gamut, World Music Tour, Far More Drums and Third Wind. He also performed on the Albany Label release of The Percussion Music of David Maslanka, and conducted on composer David Gillingham's compact disc entitled Stained Glass. Both compact discs were recorded, by the Central Michigan University Percussion Ensemble, in the presence of the composers. Zerbe has performed as a percussionist with the Alma Symphony Orchestra, Flint, Midland, Saginaw, West Shore, and Traverse City symphonies and a soloist with the Flint Symphony Orchestra's performance of Carman Moore's "Gospel Fuse".

He was also featured with Central Michigan University Jazz Lab 1 performing Rob McConnell's "I've Got Rhythm" at the Montreux International Jazz Festival and Buddy Rich's "Channel One Suite" arrangement at the Elmhurst and Aquinas Jazz Festivals. Performing as a freelance musician, he has appeared with Aretha Franklin, Michael Feinstein, Marie Osmond, Sharri Williams "Jive at Five" and for Rich Little.

An active arranger, he has written for many outstanding programs across the nation including the Alma College and Central Michigan University marching percussion sections, Mt. Pleasant High School, Mona Shores High School, Muskegon High School and Farmington High School, Farmington, New Mexico. Zerbe is also an active clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States and Canada.