PASIC 2013 – Thursday Recap

My morning started off with a visit to the exhibits. I can’t imagine a PASIC without a trip to the exhibits and the Steve Weiss booth. After a quick visit to the booths, I went to see the Michigan State Percussion Ensemble. They preformed the entire program from memory including Rain Tree and Xenakis’ Peaux. (For a complete listing of all of the College Percussion Concerts, check out the post I wrote on DrumChattr.com). After this performance I attended a Brazilian clinic by Marcos Santos and Grooversity. He introduced Brazilian rhythms to the audience in a...

PASIC 2013 – Wednesday Recap

It is Wednesday night and PASIC is in full swing. Today was a travel day and I arrived in Indy around 6pm. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the Technology Focus Day hosted by Blair Helsing. The evening concert featured performances by “Emerging Artists.” Some of the highlights included: Stop Speaking by Andy Akiho Performed by Gordon Hicken fzzi by Dan van Hassel Performed by Joseph van Hassel Songs I-IX by Stuart Saunders Smith Performed by Gene Koshinski Rogosanti by James Wood Performed by Garrett Mendelow The weather is extremely cold (as you...

Snare Drum Warm Ups

As an educator and professional performer, I have noticed that over the years, my practice time has decreased for one reason or another. I have also noticed that the older I get, the harder it is for me start playing without first warming up. This summer, I decided to sit down and write out a snare drum warm ups/routine that I could do every day that would take 10-15 minutes. Today, I want to present my warm-up and talk about each exercise that comprises the warm-up. I know there are a ton of other warm-ups that have been posted and written down (see below for a brief...

2013 Mira Costa HS Spring Percussion Fes...

I will be presenting a percussion masterclass on Saturday, May 17, 2013 at 4:30pm as part of the Mira Costa HS Spring Percussion Festival. The masterclass, titled “Counting, Listening, and Groove Building,” will teach the percussion students ensemble listening techniques. The masterclass is sponsored by Zildjian, Yamaha, Evans and Innovative Percussion. Check out the flyer below for more information:  

Mira Costa Percussion Festival Recap

On May 18, I had the opportunity to work with the percussion students from Mira Costa High School and Palisades Charter High School. Aaron Smith and I worked with the four percussion groups on a wide variety of percussion ensemble pieces. The students were very receptive to our suggestions and it was an honor working with them. Congrats to Jeremy Miller, percussion director and Joel Carlson, director of bands at Mira Costa HS for their commitment to music education and shaping these students into fine musicians. After Aaron and I worked with the students, I presented a...

2012 Mira Costa HS Spring Percussion Fes...

I will be presenting a percussion masterclass on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 5:30pm as part of the Mira Costa HS Spring Percussion Festival. The masterclass, titled “The 21st Century Percussionist: Today, Tomorrow and the Future,” will talk about becoming a successful freelance percussionists. The masterclass is sponsored by Zildjian, Yamaha, Evans and Innovative Percussion. Check out the flyer below for more information: