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Fall 2001 Newsletter

Jerome Foundation Emerging Composer Commissioning Fund for Ethos Percussion Group Enters Fourth Year

Over the past four years the Ethos Percussion Group has been awarded over $100,000 in funds to commission new works for percussion and present these works on the group's home series in New York City. The goal of this project was to establish a chamber music series dedicated to percussion music. A major component of the series was the commissioning of three new works each season. Ethos felt that an entire chamber music series in New York City dedicated to contemporary and traditional percussion music, including works exclusively for percussion as well as chamber pieces which feature percussion within mixed ensembles, would provide composers and performers in this medium with a supportive and prestigious environment that would both encourage and facilitate artistic growth.

Since the first year of the commissioning program, nine new works for percussion have been created and three more will be commissioned this season. Glen Velez, Charles Griffin and Jee Young Kim were commissioned in the inaugural year of the fund. The work by Glen Velez , titled Sol Tunnels, features marimba, tabla and a wide variety of hands drums. This work marks the first composition from Mr. Velez intended for performance outside of his own ensemble. Ethos will record the work this fall. The Persistence of Past Chemistries, by Charles Griffin, was recorded by Ethos on the group's most recent CD. This work features percussion instruments exclusively made of wood. Ms. Kim's Man Follows The Earth combines a large variety of Asian and tradition concert percussion instruments for a work in two movements.

The second year of the project included commissions by Samir Chatterjee, Tamar Muskal, and Wang Gowei. Mr. Chatterjee is a tabla master, yet none of his compositions have ever been notated since Indian music is an oral tradition. Rite Rhythm, composed by Mr. Chatterjee for Ethos, was passed to each player orally and then the music was notated by the members of Ethos. This work will be recorded by the ensemble this fall as well as Kong, by Mr. Wang, which features meditative chinese percussion sounds. Ms. Muskal's In Pairs for vibes, marimba, roto-toms and cymbal explores a very creative technique of pitch bending and bowed notes on the vibes. An additional work by Michael Daugherty, titled Used Car Salesman, was commissioned by Hancher Auditorium for Ethos and presented on the May 2000 series concert. This work includes dialogue shouted from the stage by the performers.

Last season's commissions included works by Robert Levin, Simon Shaheen, and John LaBarbera. Mr. Levin's composition, Break it Down, is based on West African drumming traditions and only uses parts of a drum set. Mr. Shaheen's work, Zaffe, utilizes middle eastern modes which require a microtonal marimba with the addition of B half-flat and E half-flat. John LaBarbera's MarimBaBa Suite calls for two players on marimba and two on hand drums with the use of traditional folk melodiesand rhythms.

This season will feature a new work by Gene Pristker for percussion and chorus which will be premiered at Merkin Concert Hall on Sunday, September 23rd and a new work for percussion quartet by Stephan Harris which will be premiered at Merkin in June 2002. For more information on these works and the Ethos series contact Ethos at 718-661-3334 or at www.ethospercussion.com

Jerome Foundation Emerging Composer Commissioning Funds for the Ethos Percussion Group

1999
Sol Tunnels (Glen Velez)
Persistence of Past Chemistries (Charles Griffin)
Man Follows the Earth (Jee Young Kim)

2000
Rite Rhythm (Samir Chatterjee)
In Pairs (Tamar Muskal)
Two Movements for Percussion (Wang Gowei)
Used Car Saleman (Michael Daugherty)
Commissioned by Hancher Auditorium for Ethos

2001
Break It Down (Robert Levin)
Ma Rim Ba Ba Suite (John LaBarbera)
Zaffe (Simon Shaheen)

2001-02
Pascal's Contradiction (Gene Pritsker)
for percussion and chorus
TBA (Stefan Harris)
TBA

NYS-PAS Board Election

The NYS-PAS will hold election this fall for all board positions. Positions include President, Vice -President, Treasurer, Secretary,
Membership Director, Editor, and Web Master. If you are interested in having you name on the ballot for any of these positions please submit your name by March 1st 2002 via e-mail ethos@earthlink.net or by mail NYS-PAS, P.O. Box 162 Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 11509

Jazz Great Ed Thigpen To Present Clinics at Winter NYSSMA Conference

The NYS Chapter of PAS is pleased to announce the world famous jazz drummer, Ed Thigpen, as its 2001 clinician for the Winter NYSSMA Conference. Ed will presenting two clinics on Tuesday November 27th, at 1pm and 2:30 pm, in the Corinthian Room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rochester, NY. The sessions will be "Rhythm Brought To Life, Part I and II". " Rhythm Brought to Life" offers an in-depth study of the rhythmic aspect in music. It is a method of rhythm analysis and basic coordination for all instrumentalists, vocalists, and music educators.

For more information, contact Kristen Shiner McGuire at shinermcguire@prodigy.net.

2002 Suffolk County Music Educators Assiciation/ Percussive Arts Society Day of Percussion

February, 2, 2002 at Lindenhurst High School

Pete DeSalvo
Anthony M. Romeo II
Chairmen, Day of Percussion

"Day of Percussion 2001" was a huge success! This year's 2001 SCMEA/PAS Day of Percussion was held on Sat. February 10, 2001 at The Sayville High School, Suffolk County, Long Island. There were over 210 registered participants from over 25 districts. Seminars for the day included: Drum Set Master Class by Tommy Igoe, Mallet Clinic by She-E Wu, Symphonic Percussion Clinic by Kristen Shiner-McGuire and Snare Drum Clinic by Dennis Delucia. The culminating event for the day was the concert presented by the Junior, Senior and Mallet All-County Percussion Ensembles under the skillful hand of Kristen Shiner-McGuire. The ensembles performed a varied and challenging program which was well received by the audience. This year's ensembles were made up of sixteen of the finest percussionists in the county. The senior members were; Cesare Papetti (Middle Country), Paul Robertson (Sachem), Jon Hall (Northport), Vincent Malafronte (Connetquot), Matthew Gonser (Amityville), Joseph Truglio (Connetquot), Dan Savage (Rocky Point), Jonathan Masserwick (Elwood) and Michael LaVolpe (Sayville). The junior members were ; Kerry Lanigan (Kings Park), Marc Ratner (Eastport), Machael Bouschor (Northport), Christopher Aiola (Commack), Kat Stock (Northport), JR Rothmeier (Connetquot), Randy Cohen (Commack). Congratulations!!!!!!

The Concert ended with a grand finale of massed percussion comprised of over 150 students and teachers. They were conducted by Chairmen Pete DeSalvo and Anthony M. Romeo II as they performed the Downfall of Paris adapted by Pete DeSalvo.