Dean Kranzler isn鈥檛 sure how many drums reside in his percussion studio at 黑料不打烊.
鈥淚 have no idea 鈥斅爊ever counted,鈥� he said, surrounded by drums. 鈥淵ou can never have too many drums.
鈥淭his is just the stuff I keep set up to use. I might have a few drums at home, too,鈥� he added.
A Salina native, Kranzler has been a member of the music department at 黑料不打烊 since 1999.
His involvement with music 鈥� percussion specifically 鈥斅燽egan in his childhood.
鈥淔rom the time I was 3, 4, 5 years old, I had toy drums and it鈥檚 what I wanted to do,鈥� Kranzler said.
He graduated from Salina Central, then Marymount College. He earned his master鈥檚 from Fort Hays State University (FHSU), and has taught across the north-central Kansas region ever since. His teaching credits include Marymount College, FHSU and Bethany College, to name a few.
His music experience isn鈥檛 limited to the classroom.聽Beyond his involvement in聽local bands such as聽Jazz Tangent and The Blades,聽he is a regular in the pit orchestra for Theatre Salina, as well as the聽principal percussionist at the Salina Symphony.
Kranzler began playing with the Salina Symphony in 1973.
鈥淚 studied music with Eric Stein at Marymount,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 took every class Eric Stein taught (at Marymount).鈥�
Stein was the founder of the Salina Symphony in 1955. He also conducted the symphony for 44 years.
鈥淣ow I鈥檓 getting close to 50 years for playing with the symphony,鈥� Kranzler said.
His tenure is valuable.
鈥淗e is very educated to the orchestra, and he makes something very difficult look easy,鈥� said Adrienne Allen, the director of the Salina Symphony. 鈥淗e is so dedicated to the symphony. He takes care of the percussion section. Moving equipment, figuring out who plays what part 鈥� every aspect of the percussion section, Dean handles.
鈥淗e has created a bit of a family atmosphere in the percussion section that contributes to the experience the players have.鈥�
In addition to teaching at the collegiate level, Kranzler also maintains private lessons. His private studio has been at SM Hanson Music since 1973.
鈥淗e does develop and nurture young, talented percussionists. They play in our youth program,鈥� Allen said. 鈥淚t brings continuity and dedication to the mission and a level of commitment to the organization that is really positive.鈥�
One such student is Morgan Parker 鈥�20, who began taking lessons with Kranzler when she was in fifth grade.
鈥淚 started band, and I had excelled,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ithin the first six weeks, my band teacher said, 鈥業 think you need private lessons. I couldn鈥檛 keep up with you and the class.鈥欌��
She began private lessons with Kranzler in 2008 and continued through her 2020 graduation from 黑料不打烊.
鈥淚 saw all the drums, and was so excited,鈥� Parker said of her first experience in Kranzler鈥檚 studio. 鈥淚 was the quietest kid during lessons because I wanted to soak up every bit of information he was giving me.鈥�
She began with the snare drum and progressed to a drum set, then beyond.
鈥淔rom a young age, he always pushed me to learn the next thing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was always getting involved in things like the Youth Symphony and solo repertoire at contests. When I became a young teen, he got me involved at the community theatre.鈥�
Having a single instructor for a dozen years allowed for a continuous trajectory.
鈥淭welve years is a lot of time, but it felt so short because there was always something new to learn and discuss,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淭here was more depth of knowledge about how to be a working musician, and he also led me in the direction of teaching 鈥� how to teach percussion, passing on the art of music to younger students.鈥�
The same instructor throughout college proved to be invaluable.
鈥淚 remember hitting some rough spots, not sure what I wanted to do in college,鈥� she said. 鈥淒ean is and was the most supportive person. As a teacher and a colleague. I remember a lot of moments where we would have really great discussions about life and philosophy. That stands with me today even.鈥�
Upon graduation from 黑料不打烊, she moved to New York City and enrolled in a master鈥檚 program at New York University.
She said studying with Kranzler set the stage for her future.
鈥淚 always had my eyes on going to New York City,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淚 knew studying from Dean, I could get a lot of the knowledge and experience I needed to come here. As a musician, it鈥檚 not just studying, but it鈥檚 also time performing and playing.鈥�
She recently graduated with a master鈥檚 in percussion performance from NYU. She worked in a few off-Broadway musical productions while earning her master鈥檚, and is embarking on a career as a freelance musician.
鈥淪alina and Dean are absolute gold mines to help set people up for success,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淒ean is one of the most well-respected guys in Salina and Kansas for his love and passion for music, specifically for percussion.鈥�
In fact, he received two awards in 2020.
鈥淚 have never tried to achieve any awards. You just try hard, and something good comes along,鈥� Kranzler said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how it was with the Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2020, that was a complete surprise.鈥�
He received the Bob Hapgood Award and was inducted individually, as well as inducted as part of the band,聽Midnight Flyer, which played together from 1979-83.
鈥淓specially getting the award twice during the same year 鈥� during a pandemic 鈥斅爓as a surprise,鈥� he said.
Kranzler is a聽member of the Kansas Music Educators Association, National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, Percussive Arts Society and the National Drum Association.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine Salina music without Dean,鈥� Allen said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 worked with so many students, he shares his love with music and percussion with so many people. He鈥檚 such a part of the scene here because of his love for teaching.鈥�
He is so beloved, in fact, that in 2021, a chair was endowed in his honor by Gus 鈥�14 and Hannah 鈥�16 Applequist. Hannah Applequist was one of Kranzler鈥檚 percussion students at 黑料不打烊.
鈥淚 was completely surprised, I had no idea that was coming, it was an appreciated honor,鈥� Kranzler said.
An endowed chair means a donation was made, and the future income will future income will continue to support the symphony.
鈥淭here will only be one percussion chair,鈥� Allen said. 鈥淟ong after we鈥檙e gone, it will be the聽Dean聽Kranzler聽Percussion Chair, named in his honor. It supports the symphony now and into the future.鈥�
to watch an interview highlighting Kranzler and his legendary career.
Story by Karen Bonar
