Why You Should Attend PASIC 2016

pasic-chops-post

Guest post today from Justin Ramirez – Percussive Arts Society

Join us for #PASIC16!

The Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) will be taking place in Indianapolis, IN in only a few short weeks, November 9-12!

Reasons to Attend:

  • Be inspired by watching the best drummers and percussionists from around the world!
  • Hang with over 5,000 drummers and friends in the industry
  • See and Play the latest drum and percussion gear in the Expo Hall!
  • Meet your favorite artists and participate in hands-on workshops and masterclasses!

October 2016 News at Chops

Demo Gear/Clearance Items – September Updates


Demo Gear at Chops Percusssion

October brings a fresh update to our demo gear/clearance list. Head on over to the demo page to see what’s been added.

View the entire list.


Audition Alert! – Indiana All-State Percussion Ensemble


Audition Alert! – Indiana All-State Percussion Ensemble

 

Directors – We want to make sure you’re aware of this great opportunity for your most outstanding young percussionists. The experience of being involved in the All-State Percussion Ensemble is very rewarding in itself, but also comes with the added bonus of working with world-class performer, educator and featured guest, Casey Cangelosi.

Read more.


It’s All In The Bag


It’s All In The Bag

Today we’re going to cover the different options available for stick and mallet packs. There are great options for starting a young percussionist, as well as expanded packs for the intermediate student. These sticks and mallets should last for many years and can be used at every level (beginner, intermediate, high school and college).

Read the entire article.


Audition Alert! – Indiana All-State Percussion Ensemble

Deadline: October 15, 2016

Directors – We want to make sure you’re aware of this great opportunity for your most outstanding young percussionists. The experience of being involved in the All-State Percussion Ensemble is very rewarding in itself, but also comes with the added bonus of working with world-class performer, educator and featured guest, Casey Cangelosi.  Here are details for the audition process and performance at IMEA, along with information on Casey Cangelosi.  Please share this with any outstanding high school percussionist that may be interested in this fantastic opportunity.

 

2017 Indiana All-State Percussion Ensemble

Performance Information
Grand Wayne Convention Center, Fort Wayne
January 12-14, 2017
Featured Clinician: Casey Cangelosi
IMEA, in partnership with the Percussive Arts Society and Indiana Percussion Association is pleased to present this fantastic opportunity for your percussion students!
Participating students will have the opportunity to explore different genres of percussion ensemble music led by regional clinicians and featured guest Casey Cangelosi.
Activities will begin on Thursday, January 12 at 1:00 PM and conclude on Saturday, January 14 by 5:00 PM
Audition Information
Eligibility: Students in Grades 9-12 residing in Indiana or neighboring states are eligible to apply.
Application materials: Available at the following website
http://imeamusic.org/programs-events/all-state-honor-ensembles/all-state-percussion-ensemble/

Audition Requirements:
Applicants will make use of the online interface to submit audio or video recordings of 1-2 minute excepts from at least 2 of the following categories:

  • Snare
  • Four mallet keyboard percussion
  • Two-mallet keyboard percussion
  • Drum Set / Multiple Percussion
  • Timpani

Guidelines:
1. Submit recordings that showcase your strengths in the given category.
2. Use excerpts of pieces on the ISSMA Group I Solo list (or similar works) if possible.
3. Individual selections should NOT be edited or spliced, but rather performed continuously. Adjudicators are more interested in hearing an honest performance than a flawless one.
4. Attention should be given to the quality of the recording. Soloists should be more prominent than the accompaniment (if used), and the site of the recording should be as soundproof as possible.
5. Applicants are encourage to have their instructors and/or directors review their recordings before submission.
Additional information:
1.  Acceptd LLC will be administering the online application. The final step of the application includes a $20 application fee, paid by credit or debit card. IMEA will not receive this money.
2.  Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation e-mail and receipt.
3.  Evaluation proceedings are confidential and final.
4.  Alternates will be selected and used to fill positions as needed.
5.  Application Period: June 21, 2016 – October 15, 2016.
Questions should be directed to Dr. Marc Wooldridge / Indiana All-State Percussion Ensemble Chair / marc.wooldridge@indwes.edu / (765) 677-2038

 

More information on Casey Cangelosi:

casey cangelosiPercussionist and Composer, Casey Cangelosi is the Director of Percussion Studies at James Madison University. He is  commonly hosted world-wide by educational institutions, music festivals, and educational seminars.  Casey has been a visiting guest artist in Italy, Germany, Costa Rica, Mexico, Argentina, Croatia, Sweden, Taiwan,  and widely across the U.S. at events including the The Midwest Clinic and PASIC Showcase Concerts. Casey is a regularly commissioned composer and from the percussion community called the  “Paganini of Percussion”  and  “The voice of a new generation”.

Casey is sponsored by Majestic, Mapex, Innovative Percussion, Zildjian, Grover Pro Percussion, Remo, and Beiner Bags.

http://www.caseycangelosi.com/

It’s All In The Bag

Stick & Mallet Packs for Beginning Band and Beyond

Welcome back to the Chops blog. Today we’re going to cover the different options available for stick and mallet packs.  There are great options for starting a young percussionist, as well as expanded packs for the intermediate student.  These sticks and mallets should last for many years and can be used at every level (beginner, intermediate, high school and college).  Our recommendations include packs from Vic Firth and Innovative Percussion.  Both make great quality products you can trust.  The only difference is what’s included in the packs.  A young percussionist should start with one of these packs, then add to it as they progress through their percussion education.

I’ve broken the packs down into four categories: Basic packs, Core packs, Intermediate packs, and Expanded Core packs.

Basic Packs
Basic packs include the minimum supplies every young percussionist needs:

  • Concert Snare Drum Sticks
  • Plastic Mallets for Bells and Xylophone
  • Rubber Mallets for Bells, Xylophone, Marimba and Vibes
  • Stick Bag

RECOMMENDED BASIC PACKS:

2017 WGI Independent Percussion Auditions

Legacy Indoor - 2015

Legacy Indoor – 2015

Welcome back to the Chops blog.  Audition season for indoor percussion is upon us and many of you may be considering marching in an Independent percussion ensemble this winter.  Indoor percussion, although a relatively young activity, has become very popular, both locally and nationally, over the past 10-15 years.  Over this time, many “Independent” ensembles have been started to give percussionists the opportunity to continue performing after they graduate from high school.  It also gives those whose high schools do not have a performing ensemble, an opportunity to join and experience the thrill of performing in an indoor percussion ensemble.  For those of you not familiar with this, there are “Scholastic” and “Independent” classifications in indoor percussion.   Here is the class description from the WGI website:

Scholastic – units whose membership comes from the SAME High School or a school that feeds to that particular High School.
Independent – units whose members are not necessarily associated with a particular school.

Scholastic and Independent units are then further divided into classes:

  • A Class – Beginning programs and performers.
  • Open Class – The intermediate developmental level of performers.
  • World Class – The most advanced programs and performers.

Here also is a link to the WGI 2016 Eligibility Rules (as of this writing, WGI has not updated to 2017 rules): https://www.wgi.org/files/2016PercRules.pdf