Donald Erb, 1927-2008 at John Mackey’s Blog

August 13, 2008

Donald Erb, 1927-2008

My undergraduate composition teacher, Donald Erb, passed away yesterday at the age of 81. He was a wonderful teacher, and wow — what a character. His office was decorated with Elvis memorabilia, not because he was an actual fan of Elvis, but because he thought Elvis was only popular because he epitomized mediocrity and the American love of mediocrity — and that warranted a mocking shrine in his studio.

Donald Erb wrote some of the ugliest, angriest music I’ve ever heard, but he was careful to never influence the style of his students. His music was terribly dissonant, but the music I wrote when I studied with him sounded like a Samuel Barber ripoff, and he helped me make it sound like a good ripoff. A teacher who teaches craft rather than creating clones is a rare teacher indeed, and Dr. Erb was the rarest of them all.

A few Erb stories…

In an interview many years ago, an executive from WCLV, the Cleveland classical music station, was asked why WCLV didn’t play more music by living composers. “Because composers today are speaking Swahili, and my listeners don’t understand Swahili,” was his response. Erb’s response? He had bumper stickers printed that read, “WCLV Sucks” — in Swahili.

Erb was always brutally, and occasionally painfully, honest, and he didn’t care whom he offended. He was once speaking to a colleague about a recent round of NEA grants, and the colleague told Erb that a certain famous female composer had been awarded $20,000 to compose a piece for an orchestra. “Her music is terrible,” was Erb’s response. “But the NEA just gave her $20 grand for a piece,” the colleague retorted. “Yeah, well that orchestra is going to get $20,000 worth of shit.”

For some inexplicable reason, every year while I was at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the school hosted a Darius Milhaud festival. (Milhaud was a French composer popular in the early-mid 1900’s.) I asked Dr. Erb at one lesson, “Dr. Erb, are you going to any of the Milhaud concerts?” I will never forget his response. “Of course not. John, Milhaud was a terrible, terrible composer. Even you are a better composer than Milhaud.”

We’ll miss you, Dr. Erb.


12 Comments to “Donald Erb, 1927-2008”  

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  1. At 7:51 am on August 13, 2008
    Andy Says:

    Hey John,

    Sorry to hear about Erb. I never met him, but it sounds like he was a real character. I wonder if any of those bumper stickers are around?

    -Andy

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  2. At 10:33 am on August 13, 2008
    Christopher Lee Says:

    John,

    Thank you for posting the tribute. I feel very lucky to have been one of Don’s last formal students at CIM, especially at such an impressionable stage in my development. The impressions he left with all his students are valuable ones that, at least for me, continue to resonate and gain new significance even now, all these years later. Not only did he show by word and example how to compose, but he ingrained in us the sense of responsibility that comes with calling yourself an artist. I have met far too few people like him.

    -Christopher Lee

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  3. At 12:51 pm on August 13, 2008
    Andrew Hackard Says:

    I’m sorry to hear about your friend, John. It’s very special to have someone that talented take an interest in your career, and it sounds like you both gained a lot from the relationship.

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  4. At 5:30 am on August 14, 2008
    Travis Taylor Says:

    I think in honor of Dr. Erb, we should all get bumper stickers that say “WCLV Sucks” — in Swahili.

    I never knew Dr. Erb — (you already know that), but I’m sure he’ll live on in the memory of his students and the people he touched… And berated with words.

    -Travis-

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  5. At 5:52 am on August 14, 2008
    Steve Says:

    I only met him once, when he was a guest at UNT and he did the usual guest composer seminar. This would’ve been 1995, so at the same time you were studying with him (but before we met). What stuck with me from his talk was his diatribe on “Disney-as-the-Great-Satan.” It was unexpected and awesome.

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  6. At 5:48 pm on August 14, 2008
    Colin Hoell (Grandson) Says:

    The amount of support and recognition we have received since he passed has been amazing, and on behalf of his whole family I thank you.

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  7. At 1:24 pm on August 15, 2008
    Wallace E. Bubalo Says:

    Interviewer: “So you love your students?”
    Don Erb: “You have to love your them. When you see them struggle and try to express themselves you have to love them. If you don’t, there is something wrong with your heart.”

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  8. At 1:30 pm on August 15, 2008
    Wallace E. Bubalo Says:

    Interviewer: “So you love your students?”
    Don Erb: “You have to love them. When you see them struggle and try to express themselves you have to love them. If you don’t, there is something wrong with your heart.”

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  9. At 2:29 pm on August 16, 2008
    Stephanie Erb Says:

    My father was an amazing man, and his love and dedication to his students and his ideals was uncompromising. I am so thankful for the support of his students and friends. If you had ever been to a Donald Erb concert, you would know what it is like to be completely changed by hearing a piece of music. He also made us laugh until his last days. I will miss him so. We Erbs love to hear the stories from his students and friends - so keep em coming!Oh, and by the way, it was Swahili for “WCLV IS BORING”.. but you get the idea…

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  10. At 2:35 pm on August 16, 2008
    Stephanie Erb Says:

    PS: I would also like to add, as my Mom was just letting me know, the correct Swahili is “WCLV Kinachosha” and it was researched by my Dad’s colleague and student, Gene O’Brien….

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  11. At 11:56 am on August 19, 2008
    Christopher Kaufman Says:

    Thanks for your tribute. Don wrote some of the most beautiful, passionate and colorful music I’ve ever heard. Every emotional timbre was covered in his work… from gentle glassy colors to powerful massive textures. There are very few who have been as tremendous a master of orchestration as Don Erb. And your right, he was a wonderful teacher. He had everyone pursuing their own vision of music. He made a very powerful impression on me, impossible to put in words. But to quote the man himself…”If I could put it in words, I’d be a poet… that’s why I write music.” Don Erb is one of the reasons I write music today as my full-time work. I remember when he stood up in front of seminars and said, to paraphrase…”Music should have everything… emotion, sensuality, intellect, craftsmanship, passion… and not be reduced to just one of those…” And it’s also true, he was very intolerant of mediocrity.

    Cheers.

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  12. At 7:58 am on October 15, 2008
    john pitman Says:

    I was saddened yesterday to have found out about Donald Erb`s passing. I was the victim of a house fire in Feb., 2005 and in it I lost the Donald Erb LP recordings (among a whole host of other contemporary works on LP from that era–still irks me, but oh, well). Back in March, 2008 I came across a Cleveland composers website and wrote to it asking where I might be able to find copies of those records. A month later he or his wife wrote back to me personally asking for my address to where a few copies may be sent. I did so and a short time later there arrived in my mail a box of just about every LP Donald Erb album there was. I don`t know where on earth they came from, but it took me by surprise at how kind they were to have taken time out of their days to put them together, pack them up, and ship all those LP`s to a fan. It was a very cool thing to do. I am so thankful. john

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