drummergirl.com’s Jane Pirone recently caught up with the CEO of the Avedis Zildjian Company, Craigie Zildjian, to talk about being a female CEO, female drummers, and the history and future of the Zildjian Company.

The oldest and largest cymbal making company in the United States, Zildjian has been family owned and operated from the beginning – which was three hundred and eighty years ago in Turkey. Zildjian manufactures more than half a million cymbals a year and has expanded their offerings to include high-quality drumsticks and mallets. With an impressive set of credentials and background, Craigie Zildjian has been the CEO of the company since 1999, and is committed to “…continuous quality improvement and innovation, while at the same time preserving the family character and rich tradition of the business."

DG: How did you first get involved in the business of making cymbals?
Craigie: Well, it's hard to be a Zildjian family member and not be involved to some degree in our family business. My grandfather (Avedis Zildjian) and my father (Armand) used to always discuss business over Sunday dinner. But, I never thought I'd actually go to work at the Zildjian Company beyond working part-time during school vacations. My grandfather changed all that by inviting me to join the company when I was in my mid-twenties.

DG: What part of the business did you first work in?
Craigie: I started in the Personnel Department, becoming the company’s first Personnel Manager in 1976.

DG: What is your educational background?
Craigie: I have a Masters degree both in Education and in Human Resource Management, and completed the first half of my MBA program before my daughter Samantha was born. This spring, I will complete a program for CEOs at the Harvard Business School.

In addition, I serve on a number of music school boards, which include the Board of Trustees at Berklee College of Music (www.berklee.edu), the Board of Overseers at the New England Conservatory and the NAMM (International Music Products Association) Board where I endow the Terry Lynn Carrington Scholarship. Currently, only 20% of Berklee's enrollment is female, and the scholarship is one thing we're trying to do to change that. We also run Master Classes.

There’s a lot going on at Berklee right now because Lee Berk will be stepping down as president in June. The board has just appointed a really exciting new president. You may want to check that out on their website. Berklee continues to try to increase its female enrollment every year. The school has also increased the number of female professors and board members.

DG: Can you tell me a little bit more about the Master Classes that Zildjian does?
Craigie: Zildjian sponsors a number of clinics both at music schools and stores. We also have a special scholarship program, which is offered through 20 of the preeminent music schools in the US, Canada and Europe.

DG: What kinds of personal challenges have you had to face in being a female CEO?
Craigie: Being a CEO is very challenging, requiring a lot of time and travel. Therefore, I had to wait until my daughter Samantha was in junior high before I could step up to assume that position. My father had asked me to become CEO years earlier, but in hindsight I know I made the right decision.

DG: What are some of the new challenges Zildjian has faced recently?
Craigie: My father Armand died a year ago. Although we miss him, his memory continues to inspire us. (In fact, today is his birthday – 2/18/04. We are celebrating with a luncheon for all Zildjian employees.) Last year, we had a record year partly because my father planned for his succession. For example, he took particular interest in apprenticing our R & D Manager.

DG: When did you first get a sense of how important Zildjian was to the history of music?
Craigie: Seeing all the great drumming legends coming to the company gave me a real sense of pride in the company: Buddy Rich, Jo Jones, Gene Krupa, and Elvin Jones. That’s why it was important to me that we sponsor the American Drummers Achievement Awards. Fortunately, there are a lot of people (like Bill Cosby) who also believe in honoring musicians who have influenced the music we listen to today.

DG: Did you ever play the drums?
Craigie: Actually, I was discouraged from playing drum set at an early age. Ballet, piano, guitar - these were instruments that women were supposed to follow. But I'm happy to say that my daughter plays the drums - in fact, everyone expects her to know how to play.

DG: I know that the mixing process for the metals in Zildjian cymbals is a family secret-when did you learn it?
Craigie: In the early '80s. Right after my grandfather died. My father brought my sister and I into the melting room and showed us.

DG: Can you tell us a little about the history of Zildjian?
Craigie: Both my grandfather and my father actually made the cymbals. They were incredibly hands-on. My grandfather established the business here in the US in 1929 and took the business through the Depression. And it was Gene Krupa, working with my grandfather, that really brought cymbal making forward. They created lots of new and larger cymbals, and coined many of the names the industry now uses for these cymbals. My father then became the driving force behind R & D, working with the top drummers of the day to bring them the sounds they were looking for.

DG: What qualities does Zildjian look for in an endorser?
Craigie: We're mainly looking for high-profile artists, but we also look for prodigies and special players. We try to keep our ears close to the ground. Needless to say, we always get many requests from drummers who want to be endorsers.

DG: How many female drummers does Zildjian currently endorse?
Craigie: 61 in total. In addition to more female drummers, we are also seeing more female percussionists, who are playing in the most prestigious symphonies in the country, such as Patsy Dash of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Angie Zator Nelson of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

DG: Can you comment on how well you think women are integrated into the music culture?
Craigie: On one of my trips to Japan, we sponsored a Manu Katche clinic. Both Manu and I were surprised to see that over a third of the audience was female. We are seeing more and more girls/women embracing the drum set. It’s no longer considered to be a “male” instrument.

We’re happy to see Cindy Blackman at the Modern Drummers Fest and Terry Lynn Carrington at the Drum Fest in Montreal. Now little girls coming up finally have female role models.

DG: What do you see as some of the important trends or issues currently going on in the drumming industry?
Craigie: Under my grandfather, Zildjian was always known as the “high end” cymbal for professional players. Now, we make cymbals for all levels of players, even players who are just starting out with their first drum set. This is the demographic which has expanded the drum/cymbal market.

DG: Are you working on any new Zildjian product lines that will be available soon?
Craigie: We have just introduced the world’s first Titanium coated cymbal and an anti-vibe drumstick. Drummers can check these out on our website. And we’re always working on something new and exciting!

DG: What do you see for the future?
Craigie: Well, the next generation of Zildjians is female. My sister Debbie has two daughters, Cady and Emily, and I have one daughter Samantha. They’re very interested in the business, but it’s too soon to predict what their roles will be in leading the company into the future. Only one has graduated from college. So, the other two are still in school. All three have worked part-time in the company on vacations, attending important percussion events, going to concerts and even visiting drum stores.

We remain very committed to education, supporting programs, which help grow the number of music makers.

We have outgrown our current manufacturing space, so we are now looking for another building. We continue to press for new products every year, which has helped to grow the cymbal market. This year once again, we won the Modern Drummer Reader’s Poll in each category: Quality, Craftsmanship and Customer Service. We are continually motivated to be the best we can be.

There is an organization called the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE), which has an excellent program called "Sisters in Jazz." These types of programs will breed more and more confidence in women… just as your online magazine drummergirl.com will have an impact on the next generation of female drummers. So, I’d say that the future looks pretty good.

For more information about Zildjian, visit their website: www.zildjian.com.

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COMPETITION

Thanks to Zildjian, drummergirl.com has 12 pairs of Cindy Blackman Zildjian Artist Series Drumsticks to giveaway! (Competition open to US residents only) To enter, all you need to do is answer one simple question and email competition@drummergirl.com.

Name one other female artist (besides Cindy Blackman), who has their own Zildjian artist series sticks. The answer and so much more can be found at www.zildjian.com.

Competition closes April 30th. If you are one of the lucky 12 people to be selected at random, we will email you and ask for your mailing details.

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