UNT Percussion Home Page

UNT Percussion Area - Fall 2009

Congratulations to the UNT Gamelan - Bwana Kumala, directed by Edward Smith for winning the PAS World Percussion Competition and the UNT Percussion Ensemble, directed by Mark Ford for winning the PAS International Percussion Ensemble Competition.

Both ensembles will perform showcase concerts at the 2009 PASIC in Indianapolis, IN. The UNT Gamelan will perform at 9 AM on Thursday, November 12, 2009 in the Wabash Ballroom and the Percussion Ensemble at 10 AM on Friday, November 13, 2009 in the Sagamore Ballroom.

Incoming Student Information

Wind Studies Audition Etude - Orchestra Repertoire (Percussion) - Orchestra Repertoire (Timpani)

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Percussion Club Clinicians for Fall 2009.

This is a partial listing for fall. The final clinician roster has not been completed. Check back for additions/changes to our clinicians list.

All events listed below take place in the College of Music Recital Hall room 301. The College of Music is located at 415 Avenue C in Denton, Texas 76201.

Joe McCarthy - Drumset Clinic
Friday, September 25, 2009 - 1 PM - Recital Hall (Music Building, Room 301)

Admission $5 for non-percussion club members.
Tickets are sold at the door for this event.

In demand as both performer and educator, Joe McCarthy's versatility has taken him from Symphony Orchestra and Big Band, to Afro Cuban, Bebop, and beyond. Joe is the leader/founder of the Grammy Award winning Afro Bop Alliance, an Afro Cuban Jazz Septet based in the Washington DC area. Afro Bop is featured on the new Caribbean Jazz Project CD released on Heads-Up International, winner of the 2008 Grammy for Latin Jazz Album of the year, as well as being nominated for the 51st Grammy Awards in the same category. Active in recording, Joe has been featured on numerous projects, as well as producing all of the Afro Bop recordings and co-producing the Caribbean Jazz Project cd. The band's 2 previous releases, Encarnacion and Camino Nuevo have received critical acclaim, worldwide, including Camino Nuevo winning the 2006 Wammie for Latin Album of the Year. Joe has performed and or recorded with: The Caribbean Jazz Project, Slide Hampton, Antonio Hart, Poncho Sanchez, Dave Samuels, Arturo O'Farrill, Michael Mossman, Ray Vega, Jimmy Bruno, Michael Formanek, Mitch Seidman, Bill Warfield, Mundell Lowe, Alain Mallet, Christian Howes, Roberto Quintero and Boris Kozlov.

Joe is the Drummer for the United States Naval Academy Band's Jazz Ensemble, The Next Wave, and Principal Percussionist of the USNA Band's Wind Ensemble.

Joe is also a member of The Global Percussion Trio, a dynamic group featured at the 2006 PASIC Convention, and co-leader of the Norman/McCarthy Big Band with their 2007 release of "Words Cannot Express," on OA2 Records. Active in education, Joe is an Adjunct Professor of Drumset and Afro-Cuban Percussion Studies at Georgetown University in Washington DC, and in demand as a clinician throughout the US and abroad. Joe has written for Jazz Improv Magazine, Latin Percussion's "All About Rhythm" and has contributed to the educational websites of Zildjian and Innovative Percussion, as well as many others. Joe's Afro-Cuban Big Band Play-Along Book/CD is published by Alfred Music . Joe proudly endorses Zildjian Cymbals, Yamaha Drums, Innovative Percussion, Lp Percussion and Remo Drumheads.

Maraca2 - Tim Palmer and Jason Huxtable - Percussion Duo Concert/Clinic
Friday, October 9, 2009 - 1 PM - Recital Hall (Music Building, Room 301)

Admission $5 for non-percussion club members.
Tickets are sold at the door for this event.

Maraca2 is a young percussion duo who have been making waves in the music scene. Tim Palmer and Jason Huxtable met while both were studying at the Birmingham Conservatoire. They both achieved 1st class honours degrees and won many of the college prizes, both individually and as a duo.

Maraca2 has performed at the many of the country's finest concert halls and recital venues including Symphony Hall, National Indoor Arena, Fairfield hall, Warwick Arts Centre, the Barber Institute, Artsfest, the International Convention Centre, Leeds University and the Birmingham Conservatoire at the Annual Convention of European Conservatoires. They are also winners of the 2005 Birmingham Music Classical Awards for contribution to music in the region.

Maraca2 is committed to performing new works. Last February they performed the English premier of the Goldrush' double percussion concerto with the Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lionel Friend. Jacob ter Veldhuis, the composer, attended the performance which was described it as "one of the best ever!".

The duo is heavily involved in music education and frequently performs in schools, colleges and other institutes of learning in addition to working regularly with the Southern Sinfonia Orchestra as part of their excellent education projects. They recently visited the Royal Northern College of Music to perform and work with composer Stephen Whibley's on his new piece "Blue Motion".

Maraca2 endorses Innovative Percussion, Sabian Cymbals and Marimba One.

Alumni & Student News

Alumni:

Ben Jackson (BM '05) is currently on tour drumming for country artist Aaron Tippin. When in Nashville Ben also plays with Riddle Publishing Songwriter Angela Engelman and fusion group The Newcastle Allstars, among others.

Brian Nozny (MM '06) will be joining the faculty at Dickinson State University in Dickinson, North Dakota this fall.

Tim Mabrey (BM '08) is performing in the Aspen Music Festival this summer.

Robert Houpe (BM '07) will be percussion director with Midway ISD in Waco, TX starting this fall. Robert recently finished his Masters studies at Northern Illinois University.

Kelly Strait (BM '07) has been working for Pro-Mark in Houston since March, 2008. Kelly also teaches privately in the Houston area.

Student's Graduating in Spring/Summer '09:

Jason Nicholson (DMA Aug. '09) will join the faculty of Utah State University this fall.

Brian Mueller (MM Aug. '09) will begin his DMA studies at Indiana State University as a teaching fellow.

Brittany Hoffman (MM Aug. '09) will be studying with Tom Freer at Cleveland State University.

Matt Filosa (MM Aug. '09) will be teaching for the Wichita Falls ISD as a percussion specialist.

Ben Charles (BM '09) will begin graduate studies at the University of Illinois.

Sarah Santa Cruz (BM '09) will be an assistant band director, percussion specialist for Cypress Ridge High School in Houston.

Current Students:

Ellis Hampton (DMA Candidate) will be an assistant band director, percussion specialist for Guyer High School in Denton, TX starting this fall.

Dustin Doelling (Senior) participated in the 2nd Annual Concert Snare Drum Competition in Atlanta, GA in June and was a third round finalist.

Hiromi Kamiya (Graduate Artist Certificate Candidate) - won the Southern California Marimba Competition in May and was second prize winner of the Classical Marimba League Competition in February.

Rod Kosterman (Senior) won the UNT Concerto Competition this spring playing the Sarmientos Concerto.

Michael D'Angelo (Senior) will be touring as drummer with the UNT One O'Clock Jazz Band in Thailand this July.

Noriko Tsukagoshi and Hiromi Kamiya (Graduate Artist Candidate's) both participated in the Japanese National Music Competition in November and placed in the top five out of 168 participants. Noriko placed second and Hiromi placed fifth.

Use our Alumni Update link at the top of this page to send us information about what you've been doing. Updated information (if you want to share it!) will be appear regularly at bottom of this home page. If you don't want to share, we can at least put you on our email list to hear about what's going on at UNTpercussion!