Born on January 15, 1934, in Springfield, Illinois, Al began tap dancing at age three, playing snare drum at five, marimba at twelve, and timpani at fourteen. At the age of sixteen, he joined the 44th Infantry Division of the Illinois National Guard, where he performed in their band. After graduating high school later that same year, he began classes at Southern Illinois University, where he remained for one year before transferring to the University of Illinois to pursue percussion studies under the guidance of Paul Price.
After one semester, at the outset of the Korean War, his division was activated and he relocated to Camp Cooke in Santa Barbara County, California (now Vandenburg Air Force Base), and he was later stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington state (now a part of Joint Base Lewis–McChord), where he earned the rank of sergeant. Luckily, he was never sent to Korea. Following war’s end in 1953, nineteen-year-old Al was able to return to the University of Illinois. This is when he met the love of his life, Geraldine (Gerry). They were married April 12, 1955.
After graduating in 1956, Al briefly was a member of the Louisville Orchestra and the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra and toured with the Royal Ballet of England. In 1958, he was appointed to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by sixth music director Fritz Reiner. Al served as a member—under subsequent music directors Jean Martinon, Sir Georg Solti, and Daniel Barenboim—for forty years, receiving the Theodore Thomas Medallion for Distinguished Service upon his retirement in 1997. With the CSO, Al traveled to Europe, Japan, Australia, and Russia. Al played the snare drum part on the CSO’s recording of “Bolero” in 1977. It won a Grammy Award that year.
After retiring from the CSO, Al played timpani with the Park Ridge Civic Orchestra for 20 years under the direction of Edgar Muenzer, then his son Victor Muenzer.
A dedicated educator, Al served on the faculties of DePaul and Northwestern universities as well as teaching hundreds of students privately. He authored numerous books on music education along with pedagogy methods for snare drum, marimba, and timpani, among others. Al also designed percussion instruments and accessories, including timpani mallets, bass drum beaters, tunable drums (called Rototoms), and an electronic induction pickup for drums, among other inventions. He was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2001, and he and his wife Geraldine were longtime members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Alumni Association.
Besides all of his professional accomplishments, Al was a wonderful human being. He was humble, kind, patient, unassuming, generous, honest, patient, empathetic…he made the world a better place.
Al’s beloved wife Geraldine preceded him in death in 2018. He is survived by his son Gene (Brandy Geeding), daughter Patti Duwel (Peter), and two grandchildren, Audrey Rose and James Peter.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.11.1