Officers

(President) holds a MM from Arizona State and a BM and BME from the University of Minnesota.  He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Percussion at ASU, as a student of Dr. JB Smith. As a soloist, Matthew competed in the 2007 Belgium International Marimba Competition in St. Truiden, Belgium. Matthew was the winner of the 2005 ASU concerto competition, the 2002 University of Minnesota concerto competition, a 2003 MTNA state winner and regional honorable mention, and a semi-finalist in the prestigious 2004 WAMSO young artist competition hosted by the Minnesota Orchestra. Holm toured Mexico with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas in the Summer of 2004, and has also performed with the Phoenix Symphony and the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestras. As a member of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, Matthew contributed to three DCI World Championships from 2000-2002. Holm is the current and founding front ensemble director/arranger for the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band, and a performance analysis judge for WGAZ (Winter Guard Arizona). Matthew Holm endorses Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets and is an Innovative Percussion artist.

(Vice President), president of Emusicinstruction, is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance at Arizona State University where he is also a teaching assistant for two courses in the ethnomusicology department: “African Music” and “Jazz in America”. McGraw has consistently excelled as both a percussionist and educator in both the Indianapolis and Phoenix metro areas.  While in Indianapolis he was a member of the adjunct faculty in percussion and musicology at both Marian College and Butler University.  As a performer, McGraw has had the privilege of playing in many different types of music ensembles including: symphony orchestras, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian ensembles, contemporary rock bands, funk, and jazz groups.  Playing in these many different bands has provided him the honor to open for such greats as Tony Bennett, Manhattan Transfer, and Eddie Palmieri. In addition to ensemble success, McGraw has accompanied performances by Grammy award winning Bobby McFerrin and Marimba artist and Latin percussionist Orlando Cotto.  

Matthew received both a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Music Performance from prestigious Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. During his undergraduate years, McGraw had the opportunity to study music in Australia, which in turn helped spark his curiosity for indigenous music.  He has since performed, studied and taught many different types of music ranging from: West African Drumming, Afro Cuban drumming, Salsa, Mambo, Samba Batucada, Samba Reggae, Bossa Nova, and Caribbean Steel Pans. McGraw continues to draw on his collegiate research and diverse background as the creative basis of his unique sound and teaching style. Matt McGraw is endorsed by Vic Firth drumsticks.

(Secretary/Treasurer) is a Percussionist and Educator in the Phoenix area.  He received Bachelor's Degrees in Music Education and Percussion Performance from the University of Arizona in 1997, and a Master's Degree in Music Education (Jazz Studies emphasis) at Arizona State University in December 2003.   Currently, Wes teaches music at the Tesseract School, Phoenix College, and Music Together in Phoenix, and is the owner of the Rhythm Is Life Percussion Studio.  He remains active as a performer, and is well versed in many styles of music, from Symphonic to Jazz to World Music.  Additionally, Wes has been on the percussion faculty at NAU Summer Music Camp since 2000.  In his spare time, Wes maintains the Arizona Percussion Instructor Database website and runs a steel pan band (www.rhythmislife.com).  He is in his third year as the Secretary/Treasurer in the Arizona Chapter of PAS (Percussive Arts Society) and is active as an adjudicator for ABODA and WGAZ.