CHARLOTTE ROCKWELL
PHOTOGRAPHER
ANDREW SECORD
STAFF WRITER
4/13/2026
Professor David Zerbe, the Paul Cameron Russell Professor of Music, Director of Bands and Percussion Studies, as well as Chair of the Music Department, announced to his students in October 2025 that he was retiring.
Zerbe has been involved at Alma since 1988, as director of the percussion ensemble. In 1997, he took over the marching band and came to Alma full-time as Director of Bands in 2004. Before working here full-time, he worked at CMU and Alma as an Adjunct, and also had a stint as band director at Alma High School.
“It was very sad when we found out [Zerbe] was leaving, but I think the best thing about it was… he told us before he told anyone else, like he knew he had to tell us. [It] was… the perfect way to tell us,” said Lauren McCarthy (‘27).
His students have benefitted from his willingness to go beyond, academically as well as personally. Many of them agreed that knowing Zerbe was leaving influenced their practice time this year; they all wanted to make his last concerts as good as they could.
“When we were playing [To Break Your Heart Forever by Dr. Justin Rito, Assistant Professor of Music; Composition, Music Theory, and Music History]… his eyes were just glued onto the music because he could not look at us, because he would have cried,” said McCarthy.
While Zerbe is leaving at the conclusion of the academic year, students say they believe the culture he has created will live on in his students.
“The culture that [Zerbe] built has shaped the way we do music here… I don’t think that is going anywhere,” said Joseph Stankewitz (‘27).
Zerbe’s excitement is palpable on game day—he is the one encouraging the band to be rowdy and to support the team, and his excitement encourages the band in return.
“Seeing Zerbe lead the band in the stands by banging his fists on the podium and jumping from the podium straight into the bleachers was an amazing show of energy and intensity needed on game day that made me want to come to Alma College,” said Alyssa Burger (‘27), remembering a visit she made to Alma as a high school senior.
Many of his students also state that Zerbe being director here was part of the reason they ended up coming to Alma College, whether they were impacted by his excitement, his dedication, or even just because he remembered their name. He has had similar impacts on band students who have graduated from Alma in the past 30 years or more.
“There [were] multiple generations of students [at the Percussion Ensemble concert on March 29] that he’s taught, and they all came back to celebrate him and what he has done, just to play with him one more time,” said McCarthy.
Zerbe will be missed by his students, but they have hope for the new director, too. Students also mentioned that they appreciated the openness that the search team had with students during the search for candidates.
“I’ll be paying attention to what’s going on with the program, and I know that I’ll come back for performances… during marching season, [but] I want the new director to get comfortable… It’ll just be fun to see what someone else does with it because for so long it’s been me,” said Zerbe.
While Zerbe is sad to be leaving his students and colleagues, he also expressed that he is looking forward to being able to devote more time to his family and hobbies he hasn’t had time for because of the job.
“This is a special place,” Zerbe said.
The Almanian: News 
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