Student: Nathan Rittler

Before arriving at East Carolina University, junior Nathan Rittler had not played a snare drum and, once he started his percussion education here, wondered whether understanding the physical object would help him play it better.

A student open to all opportunities that might cross his path, he decided to make one.

Rittler, a music performance major, thought “surely” there must be a woodshop on campus, and discovered the School of Art and Design shop at Jenkins Fine Arts Center is open not only to art students. He worked with woodshop supervisor Gerald Weckesser and created the snare during the spring of his freshman year.

Nathan Rittler, third from left, explores all avenues of music. (Contributed photo).

“Then I just kept coming back,” Rittler said. “I’ve made four; right now I’m working on a full drum set for myself. I’ve sold instruments to my old high school and a couple of my friends here.”

Rittler initially planned to study aerospace engineering, with music in the wings, but switched the two while applying to colleges. Two musical experiences with high school peers led him in that direction: first, a conversation in a parking lot during a trip to Ohio with an indoor drumline during his senior year and second, a meaningful card from his fellow marching band students, after he ended up in an instructor role. After learning two of his music teachers attended ECU, he applied to the School of Music.

“This was the only school of music that I applied to,” Rittler said. “But I’m glad I did. I do like it here.”

Rittler was surrounded by handy parents and by music in his childhood, and first developed a musical interest from his uncle, who majored in it and plays the saxophone. Rittler also wanted to play in a marching band after watching one at a high school football game. After joining orchestra in fifth grade, the only music class available, he switched to band in sixth and made music his primary hobby.

He started playing saxophone like his uncle, but a water park accident that severely damaged one eardrum made it difficult to play a wind instrument. His band director at the time suggested percussion, so Rittler made the switch and never left.

Today, Rittler plays in ECU’s Wind Ensemble; Percussion Ensemble; Pirate Steel, a steel pan ensemble; and the Marching Pirates.

He plays the drum he built most recently in the wind ensemble, and even built a marching machine for the group last year at director Dr. William Staub’s request, playing it in a concert last September with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band. Rittler pulls out a notebook showing his sketched plans for the wood frame with pegs and cables.

Getting into the campus woodshop to supplement his music performance experience is one of Rittler’s most impactful activities.

“Before that, I didn’t really have an outlet for the engineering part of my brain,” he said. “Now I have notebooks, plans of stuff I want to build, just scattered throughout my room.”

Another important experience was becoming a resident advisor in Tyler Hall last fall. He chose the job over another driving for ECU Transit, which he applied for at the same time.

“I have tangibly noticed changing the way I act,” he said. “It’s a lot easier for me to socialize now; I have more friends outside of the music building, which is great. Everybody should do that.”

Rittler still wants to get a commercial driver’s license, “just for fun,” and keeps his world open to other possibilities, including teaching. He started at ECU as a music education major, but switched so he would have the flexibility to pursure other interests. In the meantime, he teaches the drumlines at both Havelock and West Craven high schools.

He even performed a sophomore percussion recital last spring; only seniors typically perform recitals. Rittler said he wanted an additional project to push his improvement as a musician, he likes performing, and he wanted to set an example of raising that standard with his musical peers.

“It’s really just leaving all of the doors open to the things I want to do,” he said. “I do want to have a woodworking business making instruments and furniture; I do want to be a professional musician; I do want to get my (doctor of musical arts degree) and go teach at a college somewhere.

“And I think all of those things are helping me set up to do that.”