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 masterclass called “The 21st Century Percussionist: Today, Tomorrow and the Future.” During the masterclass, I presented tips and techniques on becoming a freelance percussionist and I also talked about Effective Metronome Use. The masterclass was sponsored by Zildjian, Yamaha, Evans and Innovative Percussion. After the masterclass, the students performed a concert for 275 parents and supporters.

It was a great day of music education, camaraderie, and performances. Thanks to Joel and Jeremy for inviting me to be a part of the event! It was great to see so many students who are interested in percussion music.