Wednesday, April 4, 2012

SOU/Oregon PAS Day of Percussion



NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release:                For further information contact:
April 2, 2012                                  Colleen Graves
                                                     gravesc@sou.edu
  541.552.6102


Day of Percussion

(Ashland, Ore.) – Day of Percussion
        
Southern Oregon University Department of Performing Arts presents a Day of Percussion, Saturday, April 21, 9:00 AM through evening at the Music Building at SOU, hosted by Dr. Terry Longshore, Director of Percussion Studies at SOU, and Bryan Jeffs, Instructor of Percussion at SOU. The featured guest artists are legendary drummer and percussionist Alex Acuña, marimba artist Matthew Coley, taiko percussionist Kelvin Underwood, and drum circle facilitator Kerry “The Shakerman” Greene.  The event is co-sponsored by the Percussive Arts Society.

Events include a drum-set and percussion clinic with Acuña, a marimba/ percussion clinic with Coley, and a Japanese taiko drumming workshop with Underwood.  Kerry "The Shakerman" Greene will host a community drum circle.  There will be vendor displays and a raffle. Other featured performers will be the SOU Percussion Ensemble, percussion trio Compás, the Ashland High School Percussion Ensemble, and other student ensembles.  The 7:30 PM evening showcase concert will feature Alex Acuña, Matthew Coley, and Kelvin Underwood in concert along with the SOU Percusison Ensemble.

Born in Pativilca, Peru, 100 miles north of Lima, Alex Acuña was born into a musical family that inspired him and helped shape him as a musician. His father and five brothers were all musicians. Alex taught himself how to play the drums from the age of four. By the time Alex turned ten, he was already playing in local bands. As a teenager, he moved to Lima and became one of Peru's most accomplished session drummers, performing on many recording projects for artists, as well as film and television productions.

Alex is widely known as an educator, gifted teacher and clinician of drums and percussion. He has recorded four solo instructional videos and provides seminars at universities such as UC Los Angeles, Berklee School of Music in Boston and other top international schools of music. DW Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Gon Bops Percussion, Gibraltar, Vic Firth, Evans and Shure microphones all sponsor Alex. He is also credited with the design of Zildjian's "Azuka" line of cymbals, signature Vic Firth sticks and the caddy stick bag, the Alex Acuña signature line of congas, bongos, timbales, cajons, and bells from Gon Bops Percussion.

Matthew Coley performs regularly as a soloist throughout the US and Europe, and has performed with such entities as the Cedar Valley Chamber Music Festival, San Francisco Sinfonietta, Millennium Chamber Players, Moldavian Philharmonic and Tele-Radio Orchestras, and Kurpfalzisches Kammerorchester Mannheim. He has also been featured three times on Chicago’s WFMT Classical Radio Station and in a feature article in Time Out Chicago Magazine.

Matthew is currently professor of percussion at Iowa State University, and holds degrees from Northwestern University and the University of North Texas. He is endorsed by Marimba One, Innovative Percussion, and Sabian Cymbals, and published by Innovative Percussion and Edition Svitzer.;

Born in North Carolina, Kelvin Underwood’s musical journey began with a drum set and two understanding parents. At age 19, Kelvin was recruited by Tagayasu Den to join the world-famous taiko group, Ondekoza. As a member of Ondekoza he has performed in some of the worlds most prestigious stages including New York’s Carnegie Hall and Tokyo’s Suntory Hall. After touring internationally for four hears, Kelvin returned to the US to enroll at Berklee College of Music, where he graduated with a degree in Professional Music. He has collaborated with electronic-instrument-maker Sudhu Tewari to produce “Meidoko: Unearth” and has studied the Brazilian martial art Capoeira. Currently living in Ashland, Oregon, Kelvin teaches taiko and drum set and is an active solo artist.

Kerry the “Shakerman” Greene’s amazing rhythmical journey began in 1993 when inspired by the percussive mastery of percussionist George Jinda of “Special EFX”, Kerry “the Shakerman” then created Shakka Shakerz, now a popular percussion shaker. While visiting a drum shop, he witnessed a drum circle being facilitated by the amazing Arthur Hull.  Intrigued, Kerry began studying with Mr. Hull at the weeklong Drum Circle Facilitators workshop in Hawaii.  Known for his enthusiasm, patience and abilities, he leads individuals on a path of self-discovery using the drums, shakers and other percussion instruments as tools for unity and empowerment.

The Day of Percussion is also sponsored by SOU College of Arts & Sciences, SOU Division of Continuing Education, SOU Educational Activities Advisory Committee, SOU Percussion Club, The Percussive Arts Society, Gon-Bops Percussion, Drum Workshop, Evans Drumheads, Marimba One, Zildjian Cymbals, Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Drumsticks, D’Addario, Innovative Mallets, International Art & Sound, Yamaha Percussion, Remo Drumheads, and Plaza Inn & Suites at Ashland Creek.

Pre-registration cost is $25 general public, ($30 after April 16) for the full day including lunch and the evening concert; $10 for the concert only. Students receive free admission to the concert only with ID.  To register or purchase concert tickets call 541-552-6899 or look on the web: http://sou.edu/music/percussion/dayofpercussion.html

-SOU-

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