John P. Noonan

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'''John Patrick Noonan''' (September 28, 1904 – January 18, 1984) was an American percussionist, music educator and musical instrument retailer. He wrote for several publications including [[DownBeat]], [[Metronome (magazine)|Metronome]], [[The Instrumentalist]] The School Musician and The Ludwig Drummer. Over his career, he performed under several prominent conductors including [[John Philip Sousa]], [[Edwin Franko Goldman]], and [[William Revelli]].<ref name=":12">{{Cite news |date=1964-09-06 |title=Symphony Buffs Laud Drummer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-symphony-buffs-laud-drumm/145715814/ |access-date=2024-04-20 |work=The Pantagraph |pages=12}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==

Noonan was born on September 28, 1904, in Lincoln, Illinois, a son of Thomas E. and Birdie Murray Noonan. In 1922 he graduated from Holy Trinity High School in [[Bloomington, Illinois|Bloomington]] and [[Illinois Wesleyan University]] College of Law in 1927 with a Bachelor of Laws degree.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=1984-01-20 |title=John P. Noonan |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-john-p-noonan/145548084/ |access-date=2024-04-17 |work=The Pantagraph |pages=37}}</ref>

Noonan began playing the drums at age 14. His father, a trumpet player, led the family's mini-orchestra. "One sister played the fiddle, another the piano. We didn't have a drummer, so I became the drummer...I hit the thing once and I was hooked.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Pickering |first=Mark |date=1983-06-13 |title=He's drummed up a reputation in music |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-hes-drummed-up-a-reputat/145548245/ |access-date=2024-04-17 |work=The Pantagraph |pages=1}}</ref> At first he taught himself to play the drums but later found a teacher, [[Edward B. Straight]]. He studied snare drum with Max Nickell of the [[San Francisco Symphony]], [[Timpani|tympani]] with Edward M. Metzinger of the [[Chicago Symphony Orchestra]] and all percussion instruments with Roy C. Knapp.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/catalogueof195115195illi/page/18/mode/2up?q=%22John+P.+Noonan%22 |title=Catalogue of 1951-1952 |date=May 5, 1952 |publisher=Illinois Wesleyan University |pages=19}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Barnhart |first=Stephen L. |url=https://archive.org/details/percussionistsbi0000barn/page/270/mode/2up?q=%22Noonan%2C+John+P.%22 |title=Percussionists: A Biographical Dictionary |date=2000-03-30 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-0-313-29627-7 |pages=271 |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==

Noonan moved to California early in his career where he said performed everywhere, "from saloons to symphony halls",<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=1964-09-06 |title=Symphony Buffs Laud Drummer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-symphony-buffs-laud-drumm/145715814/ |access-date=2024-04-20 |work=The Pantagraph |pages=12}}</ref> playing drums for silent movies in theaters, burlesque and vaudeville houses. In the mid-1920's, he toured the United States with a dance band.<ref name=":5" /> Due to health issues he was unable to take positions with large symphonies.<ref name=":1" /> He returned to Illinois and in 1935 was an assistant supervisor of the [[Works Progress Administration]] (WPA) musical projects in the 4th district interviewing amateur and professional musicians who wished to participate in their Jobs and Income for the Unemployed Program during the Great Depression.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1935-12-17 |title=WPA Music Project Candidates May Interview Officer Tonight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-wpa-music-project-candida/145719596/ |access-date=2024-04-20 |work=The Pantagraph |pages=13}}</ref>

Noonan taught percussion at [[Illinois Wesleyan University]] (IWU) from 1940 until 1954.

In 1943 Noonan opened the Noonan Music Company retail store in downtown [[Bloomington, Illinois|Bloomington]].

After [[World War II|World War II,]] Noonan became a technical advisor and educational director for [[Ludwig Drums|Ludwig & Ludwig Drum Company]] in Chicago. He travelled throughout the United States giving clinics at high schools, universities and music schools to demonstrate the latest in percussion instruments and their performance techniques.<ref name=":2" /> Noonan joined Roy C. Knapp's School of Percussion in 1946 as a teacher and Vice President/Associate Director<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/knapp-school-catalog-1948-1949/page/4/mode/2up?q=%22John+P.+Noonan%22 |title=Knapp School Catalog 1948 1949 |publisher=Roy C. Knapp School of Percussion |year=1948 |pages=4}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> and became the first editor of the ''Percussion Clinic'' column for [[The Instrumentalist]] where he wrote percussion articles intermittently until 1960.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/bwb_P8-AYE-448/page/n5/mode/2up?q=%22John+P.+Noonan%22 |title=Percussion Anthology: A Compendium of Percussion Articles from the Instrumentalist, 1946-1995 |date=January 1988 |publisher=[[The Instrumentalist]] |edition=4th |publication-date=January 1988}}</ref> In 1945 he joined the [[Illinois Wesleyan University]] music faculty where he taught percussion until 1954.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" />

As a recognized timpani expert, [[Leopold Stokowski]] called on Noonan for advice and the creation of two special "outsized suspended tympani" sets by Ludwig, which Noonan delivered.<ref name=":5">{{cite news |last1=Sohl |first1=Jerry |date=1947-11-30 |title=Mr. Noonan 'Drums Up' A First Class 'Kettle' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-mr-noonan-drums-up-a-f/145715281/ |work=The Pantagraph |pages=2}}</ref> In 1949 Noonan opened a full-line band instrument store called The Noonan Music Company; he also taught drums privately, coached local school percussion sections, and performed with the Bloomington-Normal Symphony Orchestra, the Bloomington Municipal Band and area dance bands.

In 1961, Noonan sold The Noonan Music Company<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.themusicshoppe.com/topic/about|title=About Us|website=www.themusicshoppe.com}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> while continuing to teach and sell drums and percussion instruments from his home studio and drum shop until he retired in 1973.<ref name=":4" />

In October, 1978, Noonan received two celebrated visitors to his home in Normal, Illinois, Roy C. Knapp and William F. Ludwig, Jr.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Conroy |first1=Greg |title=Giants of drum world visit in Normal |publisher=The Pantagraph |date=1978-10-23 |page=2}}</ref>

==Awards, memberships and honors==

Noonan was a charter member of of the [[Percussive Arts Society]] (PAS) and inducted into their inaugural class Hall of Fame in 1972.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pas.org/about/hall-of-fame/john-noonan|title=John Noonan|website=www.pas.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Beck |first=John H. |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofpe0000unse_o0k0/mode/2up?q=%22Knapp%22 |title=Encyclopedia of Percussion |date=2013-11-26 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-74768-0 |pages=316 |language=en}}</ref>

Noonan was a member of [[Phi Alpha Delta]] Legal Fraternity, the [[American Federation of Musicians]] Local 102, an honorary member of [[Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia]] Professional Music Fraternity, and a long-standing member of the [[National Association of Rudimental Drummers]] (NARD).

Seven months before his death, on June 12, 1983, Noonan was the honored guest at a testimonial dinner held at IWU to acknowledge his contributions to percussion and percussionists.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Noonan Honored |journal=PAS Illinois Chapter Newsletter |date=Fall 1983 |page=2}}</ref>

== Publications and writings ==

*[[DownBeat]]
** "The Secrets of [[Chick Webb]]'s Drumming Technique" (September 1938). Vol 5 No. 9, p.23
** "[[Lionel Hampton]] Tinkered With Xylophone - And a Vibe Artist Was Born" (November 1938). Vol. 5, No. 11, p. 25
** "The School Drummers' Manual" (1941) with Jow Berryman and Clark Hammitt, Ludwig & Ludwig
*Percussive Notes (Bimonthly academic journal published by the [[Percussive Arts Society]])
** "The Perfect Concert Snare Drum" (Fall, 1975). Vol. 14., No. 1, p. 40
** "Once Upon A Time" (Spring/Summer 1976). Vol. 14, No. 3, p. 43

==Personal life and death==

Noonan married Ethel "Pi" Little of Oakland, California, in May, 1945. She preceded him in death on May 27, 1973. He died on January 18, 1984 at age 79, and was buried at Park Hill Cemetery in Bloomington, Illinois.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=1984-01-20 |title=John P. Noonan |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-john-p-noonan/145548084/ |access-date=2024-04-17 |work=The Pantagraph |pages=37}}</ref>

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John P. Noonan