Updated 3/19 /12
• Youngstown Percussion Collective CD Release Party Forms Of Things Unknown
Thursday, May 10, 2012 Lemon Grove Cafe, West Federal Plaza, Youngstown, 4-7pm,
Forms Of Things Unknown is our recent commission project, a collaboration with composer Dave Morgan - YSU jazz faculty member. Dr. Morgan composed a one-hour tour de force piece that we premiered in November 2011.
YPC recently recorded the work at the Dana School of Music recording studio and the music will be available on I-Tunes and other internet music sources after May 10.
YPC presented the world premiere on campus in November 2011, performed it at the Ohio Music Education Association Professional Conference in Columbus and the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown this past February.
Dave Morgan's previous percussion compositions include a drumset and wind band concerto commission written for Dr. Schaft entitled "Reactions" and a beautiful marimba quartet "Dark Wood", featured on the YPC disc by the same name.
•The first annual, YSU Marching Pride "Drumline Workshop" will be held on Saturday, May 5, 2012 on the campus of Youngstown State University. Featured clinicians will be Percussion Coordinator for the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps and director of Matrix Percussion, Rob Ferguson, and YSU Drumline instructor, Kevin Kifer! We are fortunate to have these two terrific musicians and instructors. This workshop is open to all junior and senior high school students and all YSU drumline members. This event is a terrific opportunity for local high school students, and current YSU drumline members to work with and learn from two talented percussionists/instructors in the area! Students can register at: http://ysubands.org Sponsors thus far include, Motter's Music. Sponsors of the YSU Drumline are, Remo drum heads and Pro Mark percussion sticks.
SCHEDULE - Saturday, May 5:
9 -11:30 AM - Instruction/Mastercalss (WATTS Center)
11:30 - 12:30 - Lunch (Sponsored by Motter's Music)
12:30 - 3 PM - Instruction/Masterclass (Beede Field at Stambaugh Stadium)
[In case of inclement weather, Band Room/2326, Bliss Hall]
**Students should bring their own drum. (We will have a handful of spare drums for students to play if necessary.)**
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YSU Jambar newspaper article‘Unknown’ music will engage audiences’ senses
Published: Monday, October 31, 2011
Updated: Monday, October 31, 2011 22:10
The Youngstown Percussion Collective. Top row (left to right): Sarah Sexton-Belz, Roger Lewis, Matt Hayes, Bob Young, Jeff Farber, Dustin May, Dylan Kollat, Moriah Placer. Front row (left to right): Dave Morgan, Eric Zalenski, Evan Gottschalk, Nick Sainato, Megan Seivert, Keith Born, Ed Davis, Troy Schaltenbrand, Glenn Schaft. Photo courtesy of Ron Cole.
Members of the Youngstown Percussion Collective will premiere Dave Morgan's "Forms of Things Unknown" on Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Butler North Annex.
Morgan is an associate professor in the Dana School of Music.
The composition is a concert-length piece for 15 percussionists, reflecting a wide variety of music and artists.
World music from global percussionists and works from many western composers are represented in Morgan's piece.
"I was approached by YPC in September of 2010 and commissioned to write a piece that they could perform and record," Morgan said. "We're really trying to break down the barriers between departments and people. The ideal situation, in my mind, would be to have the art department paint sets and the theater department design costumes and the engineering students build stage designs and so forth. We'd like to move beyond simply performing a piece on stage to a collaborative effort that involves everyone."
Glenn Schaft, associate professor of percussion in the Dana School of Music, said the piece presents opportunities that students do not usually get in an academic atmosphere.
"Usually in a school setting, you get a piece of music and you play it over and over again or study it in a classroom, and they yell at you until you get it right," Schaft said. "We're working closely with David and constantly making changes. We're going to record the piece in January and hopefully take it on the road to get it out of the classroom and into the real world."
Donations will be accepted at the Wednesday performance to help cover the costs of recording and producing the music.
"Forms of Things Unknown" is designed to engage all of the senses, so in addition to the sounds of the percussionists, fragrant incense will be burned, snacks will be served and textured objects will be circulated among audience members.
The venue will be decorated, and performers will appear in a variety of costumes that will enhance the visual experience.
Morgan said his piece "reflects his contemplation of dichotomies: pitched and non-pitched percussion, strict form and improvisation, metal and wood, sticks and hands, loud and soft, melody and rhythm."
"My goal was to compose an evening of music for percussion that would never become boring for the audience or the performers," Morgan said. "So much music is designed to be listened to quietly with your hands folded. I wanted this piece to be more of a multi-faceted experience."
Morgan wanted to explore the cycles and rhythms that govern life and tap into the deep traditions in percussive music.
"The cycle of the tides, the sun and moon, the 28-day lunar cycle. … There are rhythmic cycles underlying everything," Morgan said.
The title of the work is taken from William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
"[A]s imagination bodies forth the forms of things unknown, the poet's pen turns them to shape, and gives to airy nothing a local habitation and a name," Shakespeare wrote.
"I was looking for an extra-musical theme for the title," Morgan said. "Shakespeare seemed appropriate, but I also used part of a ‘soliloquy' from Donald Rumsfeld as the title of one of the chapters, ‘Unknown unknowns.'"
Ed Davis, a graduate student and teaching assistant in the Dana School of Music, said the experience has been challenging but rewarding.
"We've put in a lot of extra effort on this," Davis said. "We don't usually have the opportunity to work this closely with a composer, so it's great to have the composer right upstairs so you can just go and ask for clarification on an issue or suggest a change."
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Musique de Table-Thierry de May
•Glenn Schaft has been performing for six years with Akron-based blues guitarist Steve Cipriano. http://www.stevecipriano.com/about-us.php
•On 5/2/11 Doug Smith opened the "Drum Smith" in Struthers, OH. Formerly the Drum Shop, it was previously owned by Craig Allen who ran a successful business there for over twenty years. Best of luck to Doug on his new business venture and thanks to Craig Allen for many years of great service to our regional percussion community. Dr. Glenn Schaft has been working with Doug to coordinate an educational program at the Drum Smith. In the near future we will begin offering comprehensive percussion instruction on snare drum, marching percussion, rhythm, xylophone and bells, drumset, timpani, and hand drums. Dr. Schaft will serve as the Drum Smith education program advisor and will assist Doug in formulating the teaching faculty. Stay tuned!
•Nathan Douds (BM 2004) released his latest CD "Nathan Douds Ensemble" in May 2011, featuring all original compositions and a great band. Nathan's group premiered this music at YSU on 10/4/10 to rave reviews. They also presented a week-long tour including performances and clinics in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. Nathan has taught applied percussion and jazz studies at YSU from 2009-2011 after earning his Master of Music in Jazz Piano from Bowling Green State University in 2008. Nathan moved to Red Wing Minnesota this summer, one hour south of the twin cities, on the Mississippi River. Thanks for all your great work Nathan!
•Shedrick Hobbs was featured as this years YSU Jazz Studies Tony Leonardi Legacy Artist on 4/20/11 at the Kilcawley Center. Shedrick was honored, a lifetime achievement award, for his outstanding drumming in the area jazz and r&b scene. Shedrick also performed with four YSU jazz combos on this program under the direction of Nathan Douds, Kent Engelhardt, and Dave Morgan. Shedrick also served as artist in-residence and coached our drumset students in the two weeks preceding the concert.
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Percussion Week 2011:
•Glenn Schaft & Friends presented a faculty recital on 3/23/11 in Bliss Hall. The concert featured Dan Wilson-guitar, Theron Brown-piano, Ed Davis-percussion, Dave Morgan-bass, and Tim Harker-saxophone. The original music, much of it inspired by African and Brazilian music as well as jazz and fusion, was written by Glenn Schaft, Dan Wilson, Dave Morgan, and Tim Harker. The concert was recorded and Dr. Schaft plans to have CD's available summer 2011. For more info visit http://valley24.com/news/2011/apr/21/local-drummer-honored-during-concert/
•Brian Fullen - drumset recording artist from Nashville, TN presented an excellent two-hour clinic and two group lessons for our students on 3/25/11. This event was sponsored by Yamaha, Remo, ProMark, and Zildjian.
•Italian guest artists Fillipo Latanzi and Marco Pacassoni presented an outstanding duo marimba and vibraphone recital and masterclass on 3/27/11 in the Bliss Recital Hall. This event was sponsored by the Dana School of Music. The masterclass featured our students Bob Young, Matt Hayes, Ed Davis, Dustin May, Sarah Sexton-Belz, and Nick Sainato.
•The YSU Percussion Ensemble concluded the Percussion Week festivities with our spring semester concert on 3/30/11 at Butler North.
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•The YSU Marching Pride Drumline is pleased to announce that our 2011 percussion staff will include Kevin Kiefer and Bob Young. We are proud sponsored by Dynasty Inc., ProMark Co., and Remo Inc.
•Guest artist Ron Coulter (Dana Percussion Alum, BM '04 & MM '06) was on campus November 2010 to present a masterclass on three of his percussion compositions - a marimba trio, a vibe duet, and a cajon trio. The Youngstown Percussion Collective recorded and mixed the Cajon Trio by Coulter at Take Note Productions in Austintown and this project was produced by Glenn Schaft. The music will be published by HoneyRock and the track will be released on an upcoming Coulter composition compilation disc. Ron is the Director of Percussion Studies at Southern Illinois University.
•The Youngstown Percussion Collective Touring Ensemble and Glenn Schaft presented a day of clinics, rehearsals, and a concert on 4/30/10 when they served as guest artists for the Groveport-Madison High School Percussion Festival. Groveport is southeast suburb of Columbus and has an enrollment of 2100 students. This event was sponsored by Groveport-Madison Music Boosters, Remo, Zildjian, and ProMark. YPC coached the students, teaching them an Afro-Cuban bembe and a Brazilian samba batucada which they co-performed on the concert. YPC also performed five of their own repertoire selections on the concert attended by nearly 500 people.
•The YPC K-12 World Percussion Group performed at Jackson-Milton Elementary School on 3/26/10 for 300 students. We were hosted by 2008 YSU percussion alumnus, Tyler Husosky who is the elementary music teacher in their district.
•Glenn Schaft and Friends (Nathan Douds-piano, Dave Kana-saxophone, and Dave Morgan-bass) presented a recital featuring the acoustic music of Chick Corea on 3/17/10 at YSU. The full-house audience was a welcome sight in the YSU recording studio.
•Tom Freer, Assistant Principal Timpani and Percussion of the Cleveland Orchestra presented a masterclass that featured five of our students on 3/4/10 at Bliss Hall. This event was sponsored by Pearl/Adams, Evans, ProMark, and Zildjian.
•Dr. Glenn Schaft and the Youngstown State University Percussion Ensemble presented a 2010 Winter Tour to Centerville and Cincinnati, Ohio that was sponsored by the Dana School of Music and Youngstown State University. Thanks also to Remo Inc., Avedis Zildjian Co., and ProMark Inc., for theirsupport of Glenn and the YSU Percussion Studies Program. The Percussion Ensemble performed at the Ohio Music Education Association Professional Development Conference in Cincinnati January 28-30. This is the most prestigious music education event in Ohio and the YSU Percussion Ensemble has performed at previous OMEA conferences in Columbus and Cleveland. Dr. Glenn Schaft presented a clinic entitled "Rhythmic Mastery For All Music Educators" at the 2010 OMEA Conference. The YSU PE also performed at Centerville High School, near Dayton, where they shared the stage with the Centerville Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble who previewed their upcoming Ohio Music Education Association Conference performances.
•We are proud to announce the release of the compact disc Dark Wood which features percussion chamber music recorded by the Youngstown Percussion Collective and the YSU Percussion Ensemble produced by Dr. Glenn Schaft, featuring six premiere recordings & four commissioned works, including Glenn Schaft performing Dave Morgan's drumset concerto entitled Reactions. This disc was recently reviewed in the May 2010 edition of Percussive Notes magazine.
•The YSU Percussion Studio and the Youngstown Percussion Collective are proud to announce the world premiere recording of Ziggurat on the 2008 release Rainbow Jimmies by percussionist/composer John Hollenbeck. Ziggurat features saxophone and percussion students from the Dana School of Music. Available on GPE Records. The work was commissioned by the Youngstown Percussion Collective and was premiered in New York City at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
•The Youngstown Percussion Collective (YPC) has begun a multi-cultural educational outreach initiative entitled "The World of Percussion." featuring five upperclassmen who perform multi-cultural programs in area K-12 schools. Proceeds serve as fundraising for YSU PE and YPC recording projects. We performed for nearly 2000 children in spring 2009.
•Glenn Schaft is writing an advanced level drumset book that explores improvisational techniques and concepts, musical interpretation, practice techniques and concepts, coordination and ambidexterity exercises, timekeeping, soloing, and pedagogical suggestions.
•As part of our endorsement deal with Dynasty USA, the YSU Marching Pride Drumline Dynasty percussion instruments are presently available for sale to an interested high school or college program. The instruments were manufactured in 2008 and are in excellent condition. Includes seven snares, three tenors sets, five bass drums, Dynasty stands, and all harnesses. Please contact Glenn Schaft for further info.
•Ed Davis is serving as the 2010-12 graduate teaching assistant in percussion. He is the assistant director of the YSU Percussion Ensemble, teaches the Percussion Methods courses, and teaches a weekly group lesson to percussion majors. Ed is a performance major graduate of Capital University and subsequently freeelanced out of the Columbus area and toured for three years with the rock band Red Wanting Blue. He also worked and taught at Columbus Percussion.
•Bob Young (BME candidate, junior) Was a co-winner of the 2010 Youngstown Music Teachers Association Scholarship Audition.