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Keep checking this website for an updated listing of guest artists.
IU Steel Pan and Hand Drum Ensemble perform at Bloomington South High School
The IU Steel Pan Ensemble and Hand Drum Ensemble (under the direction of Jesse Willis and Derek Dreier) presented a
performance/masterclass for students in the band program at Bloomington
High School South in Bloomington, Indiana on Thursday, April 24th.
The session was intended to
give the audience a tour of several different countries,
through their various musical styles and traditions. The tour included
stops in Brazil, Cuba, Africa, and Trinidad, as well as a number of
others. The class also included a
"hands on" demonstration by the two groups, giving the students an opportunity to come on stage and participate with the ensembles.
CONGRATULATIONS to Professor Wilber England!
Retiring after his thirty-ninth year at Indiana University, Wilber T. England, associate professor of music, has been an integral part of the percussion faculty for all of those years. Wilber's vast knowledge of percussion performance and pedagogy has helped shape the careers of countless percussion students, providing them with solid insights and thoughtful guidance. At the same time, his devotion to music education and his dedication to the development of future band directors have been an inspiration to us all. There are literally thousands of percussionists and band directors who have benefited from Wilber England's superb teaching.
- Professor Steve Houghton
Click here to read Professor Houghton's entire tribute to Wilber England. The IU Percussion Ensemble also performed a special celebration concert for Professor England n April 7, 2008.
A Special Thank You to Barry Grossman, Naoko Takada, Michael Burritt, and Neil Grover!
Barry Grossman presented a masterclass in "real life" applications for playing congas and other world percussion instruments. Naoko Takada performed and presented an informative clinic on how to successfully "groove" when performing. Michael Burritt presented an incredibly informative marimba/percussion clinic and listened to several IU students performing his solo works for marimba and Neil Grover presented a fun and enlightening masterclass focussing on orchestral accessories.
 IU Steel Pan Ensemble Performs Incredible Debut Concert!
The IU Steel Pan Ensemble, under the direction of Jesse Willis, presented a remarkable debut concert on Saturday, April 5 in Sweeney Hall.
Click HERE to view a short clip [1.8 MB quicktime video] of this performance.
Congratulations to Matt Margeson on receiving an "Outstanding Soloist
Award" at the UNT (University of North Texas) Jazz Festival (April 2-4, 2008).
A Special Thank You to Paul Yancich!
Paul Yancich, Principal Timpanist with the Cleveland Orchestra presented an informative and interesting timpani masterclass on April 2nd. Mr. Yancich discussed and illustrated some basic fundamental issues and coached several of our percussion majors.
IU Percussion Ensemble performs at the Indiana Day of Percussion
The IU Percussion Ensemble performed a brief concert as a part of the Indiana Day of Percussion at Butler University in Indianapolis on March 29th. Our featured performers included Chia-hsin Dai on solo marimba for Zivkovic's Uneven Souls along with Derek Dreier, J.J. Pearse, and Andy Foerschler. B.W. Dietz's Sharpened Stick was also performed by Alex Wadner, Nick Stone, J.J. Pearse, Christopher Latournes, and Nathan Lee. Special thanks to our hosts: Cheryl Guise, Penny Dimmick, and Jon Crabiel.
 IU Percussion Majors Shine
in Recent Competitions
and Auditions!
On Saturday March 1, 2008, Mary McCauley was awarded the Mid-Missouri Percussion Arts Trophy (First Place) on marimba. Jake Harpster was awarded Second Place. Josh Frans and Ryan Knudsen also received superior ratings at this competition.Mary McCauley was also an award winner for the National Society of Arts and Letters competition and received the Jacobi Merid Award, Drewes Merit Award, and Tatlock Merit award.
Kevin Meyer was recently awarded a section percussion position with the U.S. Naval Academy Band.
Steve Such will be performing with the Disneyland All American College Band this summer.
Jay Ware has been offered positions with Princess, Celebrity, and Royal Carribean cruise lines for this summer.
Ben Fowler has been hired by Norwegian cruise lines for summer 2008.
 Special Thank You to John Parks
Dr. John Parks, professor of percussion at Florida State University presented a very informative and entertaining masterclass on Sunday, March 2 covering orchestral snare drum and tambourine. Dr. Parks will also be featured in a performance of Bob Becker's Mudra at 7 pm on March 3, 2008.
 Audition Weekends at
Indiana University
The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music offers 3 audition weekends each year. The Percussion Department offers a special Friday luncheon during these audition weekends; giving prospective students and their parents the opportunity to ask questions of the percussion faculty. A brief concert is also presented to showcase our talented IU percussion students. Click HERE to view a brief excerpt of an audition weekend performance.
 Special Guest:
Svet Stoyanov performed a brief recital for the IU percussion majors on Wednesday, February 6. He also discussed "life after graduation"; explaining various career options for young percussion soloists. Svet was the winner of the 2003 Concert Artists Guild Competition. More information on Mr. Stoyanov may be found HERE.
Percussion Mock Audition
Several IU percussion majors took part in a percussion mock audition on Wednesday, January 30th. Special thanks to Mark Latimer, timpanist and section leader with the U.S. "President's Own" Marine Band (and former IU graduate), who was our "virtual guest"; listening to orchestral excerpts via the internet. The session concluded with a discussion on how to prepare for an audition.
IU Percussionists receive Awards in International Competitions
David Constantine was awarded Second Place at
the Rendez-vous Internationaux de la Timbale (2nd International Timpani Competition) in Lyon, France. The judges for this international competition included
world-renowned conductors, composers, and performers.
David also received the "audience's choice" prize
and the prize for the best interpretation of an imposed work entitled; Gesanglos II by
Gilles Schuehmacher.
Josh Frans received 1st Place and Jake Harpster was awarded 7th Place in the PASIC 2007 College Marching Festival Individual College Keyboard Competition on November 1, 2007 in Columbus, Ohio.
 Special Thanks to Sergio Gomes!
Brazilian drummer, percussionist, and composer, Sergio Gomes presented a terrific masterclass on Wednesday, January 23 covering new Brazilian drumming techniques.
 Congratulations to the IU Percussion Ensemble!
The IU percussion ensemble received a wonderful review in the November 14 Herald Times newspaper.
The ensemble performed two concerts this semester (October 29 and November 12); featuring a wide range of repertoire.
Check out the ensemble's official website HERE.
Please make a note our spring semester concerts: March 3, 2008 and April 7, 2008.
 A Special Thank You to
Johnny Lee Lane!
Mr. Johnny Lee Lane presented an incredibly informative and practical World Percussion clinic on November 14 at IU. Virtually the entire percussion department was actively participating in this session!
Mr. Lane is currently director of education for Remo Inc.
 Kevin Bobo and Boboland ROCK at this year's PASIC!
Professor Kevin Bobo presented a terrific marimba clinic at this year's PASIC. Special thanks to IU students who performed Boboland: Derek Dreier, Kevin Meyer, Brian Blume, and Greg Mueller.
Congratulations also to IU students Josh Frans and Jake Harpster for participating in the PASIC marching festival solo marimba competition. Josh placed FIRST and Jake placed SEVENTH.
A Special Thank You to Linda Maxey!
Linda Maxey presented a terrific marimba master class on October 24 which featured several IU percussionists performing works by Gordon Stout, J.S. Bach, and Keiko Abe. Ms. Maxey will also present a solo recital on Thursday, October 25 at 7 pm in the IU School of Music's Recital Hall.
 A Special Thank You to J.C. Combs!
Dr. J.C. Combs presented a very interesting class on Wednesday, October 3 which covered a variety of marketing ideas to help in individual and group promotion.
Short excerpts of some of his unique concert programs were presented including the work he commissioned for percussion ensemble and professional wrestlers!
 NYC jazz drummer Pete Zimmer and his quartet presented a clinic/concert for the IU jazz studies students on Wednesday, September 19. This session was followed by a drumset masterclass.
This week's studio performance class (September 19) focused on the great drummer Max Roach who passed away a few weeks ago. The class viewed some video footage of Max Roach and Professor Houghton's students performed their transcriptions of Mr. Roach's solos.
 A Special Thank You to Paul Yancich!
The IU percussion majors participated in a special internet video conference on September 12 with Mr. Paul Yancich, principal timpanist with the Cleveland Orchestra.
IU students were able to ask a variety of questions ranging from practice habits, part preparation, auditions, and other orchestral timpani topics.
"Opening Night" at the IU Percussion Department!
Over 60 IU percussion majors were treated to an opening night performance on August 27 featuring members of the percussion faculty: Kevin Bobo, Steve Houghton, and John Tafoya.
<-- Click on the photo to view this performance [Quicktime/6.5 MB].
A Special Thank You to Gonzalo Grau!
Gonzalo Grau, a percussionist from Venezuela presented a masterclass/clinic for our students on Wednesday, September 5.
Gonzalo discussed various Flamenco rhythms and demonstrated some amazing technique on the Cajon.
<-- Click on the photo to view an excerpt of his masterclass [Quicktime/4.5 MB].
April 2005:
*On Thursday April 7, IU alumnus
Jeff Hamilton gave a brushes
masterclass in MA401. Jeff later
played across the street at Bear's Place
as part of the Jazz Fables Concert
Series. Below, Steve Houghton
presents Jeff with a newly modified
custom ride cymbal.
March 2005:
*Percussion Department students John
Astaire, Stacey Duggan, and Joe Galvin
performed with the Aguava New Music
Studio in Washington D.C. at the
Library of Congress' Coolidge Auditorium
on March 16. The program featured
"Old Cuba" and "New Cuba", a combination
of traditional and new music from Cuban
and other Latin American composers.
February 2005:
*On February 23, the Percussion Faculty
along with retired faculty member
George Gaber presented a masterclass
entitled "Careers in Music". The
panel drew from personal experience to
answer questions from students about
life in music after graduation.
The entire panel (pictured below)
included Dept. Chair Tony Cirone, George
Gaber, Gerald Carlyss, Steve Houghton,
and Wilber England.
*IU Percussion Department Graduate
Student Joe Galvin has been
featured on the website for a new steel
pan organization, the International
Association of Pan Enthusiasts.
Joe is the current Associate Instructor
for the IU Steel Pan Ensemble. The
article is provided below:
| News and
NewsLetters
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| Written
by Angel Bice Pannist
in the Spotlight : Joe Galvin
Pan is alive and well, and
still inspiring young
professionals with dreams to
help evolve the art form.
Meet one of these
professionals: Mr. Joe Galvin.
Joe’s endless energy and
enthusiasm for his craft was
evident throughout my
conversation with him. Although
he started his musical career as
a pianist, his first exposure to
Pan was during 2000 when he
participated in a steel band
started by his teacher Pat
Hernly. Joe’s love for music,
and trying new things
transferred instantaneously to
pan. "How can I play the
material I love, and do it on
Pan?" he asked himself. Then, he
set out to answer his own
question.
Joe attended and can still be
found at Indiana University
where he achieves great things.
He studies music of all
cultures. He started arranging
pieces for culturally diverse
instruments. He even arranged a
Spanish Guitar piece for pan!
His in depth work with all of
this music, assisted him in
creating, along with his
professors, an Ethnomusicology
Degree that other students can
now emulate - quite a feat for a
young professional in his 20’s!
He is also well on his way to
having his own publishing
company.
Joe’s arrangements have
matured with his experience, and
he now desires the rich full
harmonies that the low pans
represent. The quest to fulfill
this desire eventually led him a
tour of Panyard Inc in Akron
Ohio, where he immediately fell
in love with their Solid Hoop
Cello and Bass Pans. Perhaps an
indication of how big an
impression these pans made on
him is the fact that he
privately purchased them in
order to pursue his goals at the
University and on a community
level!
If you walked by Joe’s
classroom, you would hear sounds
emulating cultures from all over
the world. His students realize
through their experience with
him that Pan is not just about
the Banana Boat Song. Joe
encourages his students and
peers to explore all the
possibilities of Pan. "Don’t
hold back. Showcase your talent,
and push the limits to
continually evolve on pan." He
believes that experimenting with
"old and new" is the only way to
progress - a good case in point
being how pan was able to go
from Carnival Street Music to
being a very present entity in
Jazz, Rock and Pop music.
When Joe is not busy with his
arranging, teaching and
performing, he likes to study
world religion, and compare
them. He also likes to spend
time with his family who are
very supportive of his career
aspirations.
This is a panist who is going
places, and we are going to hear
more from!
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* IU Percussion Faculty member Steve
Houghton co-authored a new pedagogy
book, with Linda Peterson of the
Wisconsin School Music Association,
through GIA Publications:
January 2005:
* IU Percussion Faculty member Steve
Houghton is mentioned in a recent
volume of the New Yorker
magazine:
*IU Percussion
For complete School of Music
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