Norbert Schmid

I am born in April 1955.

My two sons are my family. One of them, Manuel Schmid, found his professional way in working as a carpenter. My other son, Simon Schmid, is sucessfully studying neurobiology at the University Vienna. He is percussionist and jogleur with fire.
Since 2000 I bring them up by myself. Often people call me an allrounder. My professional career started with the studies in Chemistry at the HTL Rosensteingasse and led to the science of virus and medical technology to the product management for heart pacemakers (Medtronic).

1986 I completed my studies in advertising and marketing at the University WU in Vienna as a certified academic advertising specialist. Beside this top-heavy work I always loved making handicrafts such as working with wood and metal or building sculptures and pottery. Furthermore I accomplished ceramic workshops for children and made music with drums, flute, clarinet and saxophone.

1989 was a key turning point in my life: during a festival I played my first self-made Djembe. Without knowledge of these kind of drums I developed it according to my own ideas and a new type of heart pacemaker was born.
Additionally I took lessons in druming with qualified Djembe teachers from Europe and Africa (Gerhard Kero, Ulli Sanou, Drissa Kone).
In 1992 I gave up my prevailing business life and moved to a drum friendly place. At this individual property called KleinmŸhl I carved and shaped drums from hobby. In the ÒParent's Initiative WaldviertelÓ I taught my son Manual with 11 other children in mathematics, physics and handicrafts. The so-called Òperegrine schoolÓ was managed by the parents of these children. Out of this educational work the learning play ÒMathematrixÓ was invented.
My carving art sculptures ÒSchwartenbildhauereiÓ made out of saw-mill shreds were exhibited together with paintings of some other artists (Mag. Maja Pogacnik, Erika Rihs-Nesweda) in St. Pšlten, LiebnitzmŸhle, Rapottenstein, Waidhofen/Thaya and other places.

1995/1996 KleinmŸhl turned into Òlittle AfricaÓ of the Waldviertel: Mablo Camara, a drumer from Guinea/Westafrica, spent two summers here and 1996 the dancer Mahawa Doumbouya joint as well. Seminaries and workshops were organized in the course of the association ÒKubileÓ and I had the possibility to get an intensive lesson in rhythms of the national group of Mandinka and Susu. My own knowledge in theory and practise of the african rhythms and instruments improved very much, also through my different trips to Senegal, Gambia and Guinea.

Out of my trips to Gambia I developed 1998 a business relationship based on fair trade. Drum*Param was founded as a small business company. The business world had me back with importing drums directly from Gambia, running a workshop and offering a comprehensive service for all kind of drums. This enterprise grows continuously since 1998.

Our latest project starting 2006 is the structure of a music instrument production out of the revolutionary NAWARO-material called -Hempstone or Zelfo.

 

Traders and partners DrumParam is authorised trader of Schlagwerk-Percussion.
Read about Shea butter as a care product.

Read about Miscanthus x giganteus as a natural resource.