President

John W. Parks IV, Assistant Professor of Percussion at The Florida State University since Fall of 2003, earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.  He holds two Master’s degrees from Northwestern University, one each in Percussion Performance and Jazz Pedagogy, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Furman University.  John has studied with Patricia Dash of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, John Beck of the Rochester Philharmonic, Michael Burritt, Paul Wertico, formerly of the Pat Metheny Group, and John Beckford.  Parks is an artist/clinician for Pearl Corporation and Adams Musical Instruments, Avedis Zildjian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion, Grover Pro Percussion, and Remo.

Parks made his Carnegie Hall solo recital debut in Weill Recital Hall in May of 2007, and has performed with diverse performing organizations ranging from the Eastman Wind Ensemble on their 2000 tour of Japan and Taiwan and the Schlossfestspiele Orchestra of Heidelberg, Germany to the Kansas City, Alabama, Key West, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestras.  Of his recent performances of the Schwantner Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra, critic Stephen Hicken of the Tallahassee Democrat wrote: “In addition to his extraordinary playing, he has a commanding stage presence that won over the audience as well as the orchestra. He deserved the raucous and prolonged ovation he received from the large audience.”  Parks also leads the award-winning FSU Percussion Ensemble, winners of the 2007 Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competition. 

Vice-President

Clif Walker Clif Walker is the Percussion Coordinator for the University of Central Florida where he arranges and instructs the award winning Marching Knights drumline.

He holds a Masters of Music Education from the University of Central Florida where he was also adjunct faculty and instructor from

1997 to 1999, and a B.S.E. from Missouri Western State College. Clif has worked with many high schools and college programs across the US and Japan as well as the Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps (percussion caption head/arranger 1999-2002). He was the 1993 Percussive Arts Society International Tenor Drum Champion, 1996 PAS Timpani Champion, a former member and instructor of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps (1992, 1994, and 1998).

Clif was the Associate Director of Bands/Director of Percussion at Timber Creek High School for 7 years, where he started and directed the percussion program. Under his direction, the Timber Creek High School Percussion Ensemble has performed at the 2003 FMEA State Music Convention, 2004 SDMENC/FMEA Music Convention and the 2005 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) as the winners of the high school percussion ensemble "call for tapes" and participants of the Marching Percussion Festival where they were awarded - Best Frontline. In 2006 and 2007 the indoor marching percussion ensemble enjoyed two extremely successful seasons in the Scholastic Marching Division. In 2008, the concert percussion ensemble returned to FMEA for an unprecedented third time.

In 2008, Timber Creek Independent was launched with Clif as director/arranger and made WGI History with two class promotions, 1st place finishes at WGI Orlando, WGI Nashville Power Regional, FFCC State Championships and making World Championships finals in Dayton Ohio their very first year.

Secretary

Robert Petta has been the Principal Percussionist of The Orlando Philharmonic since its inception; he also performs frequently with The Florida Orchestra, The Naples Philharmonic, The Jacksonville Symphony and The Brevard Symphony. Mr. Petta was the Principal Percussionist of The Florida Symphony Orchestra for nineteen years where he performed as a soloist on two occasions. A native of Syracuse, New York, his early musical studies were with members of The Syracuse Symphony Percussion section. He earned a Bachelor of Music Degree at the Manhattan School of Music where he studied Percussion and Timpani with Morris Lang of The New York Philharmonic. While studying in New York, he was a Member of The Manhattan Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Paul Price and The Group for Contemporary Music under the direction of Charles Wuorinen and Harvey Solberger. In addition, he was a conducting student of Anton Coppola. Mr. Petta is also an avid performer of ancient fife and drum music. In addition to performing, he has published updated versions of the Timpani and Percussion parts for the operas of Puccini and several opera companies throughout the country are using them.

Treasurer

John Evans is in his 19th season with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra.  He received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Ohio State University and a Master of Music degree from Temple University, where he was a student of Alan Abel.

Evans has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Columbus Symphony, and has served as timpanist/ principal percussionist with the Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus.  He has appeared as soloist with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, the Naples Philharmonic Baroque Ensemble, the Knightwind Ensemble of Milwaukee and the Ohio State University Symphony.  In 1986, he won the Drum Corps International individual mallet competition.

Evans is currently treasurer of the Florida chapter of the Percussive Arts Society, a position he has held since 1997. He is the founding organizer of the Percussion Summit series.

Master of the Universe/Newsletter Editor

Kirk Gay is currently the Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies and an Instructor of Music at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL.  He teaches student lessons for the percussion studio, directs “Black Steel” the UCF steel drum ensemble and coordinates the Marching Knights Drumline. He is a Yamaha Performing Artist and Clinician and an endorser and clinician for Pro-Mark sticks, Sabian Cymbals, Sticktape.com and has works published by Tapspace Publications.

Mr. Gay obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Percussion Performance from Northern Illinois University.  He later went on to study with Paul Yancich and Richard Weiner at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he received his Master’s Degree in Timpani Performance.

An active clinician, Mr. Gay has presented many clinics and master classes at universities and high schools in the U.S and abroad. He has performed clinics at the Florida PAS Day of Percussion and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. Mr. Gay has also published numerous articles for Percussive Notes magazine, the Texas Bandmasters Association, School Band and Orchestra Magazine and is the editor of the Florida PAS newsletter.

In 1998 Mr. Gay toured Europe with the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.  He has performed with the Walt Disney World Orchestra, The Fort Wayne Philharmonic, The Orlando Philharmonic and currently is the Principal Percussionist with The Brevard Symphony Orchestra. 

Mr. Gay marched in Star of Indiana Drum & Bugle Corps from 1986 – 1989 where he was 1989 DCI Timpani Individuals Champion and two time DCM Timpani Individuals Champion. He has taught and written for many drum and bugle corps including The Crossmen, Phantom Regiment, Magic of Orlando and The Yokohama Inspires from Japan. Mr. Gay was head arranger and percussion coordinator with the Phantom Regiment in 1996 when they won the DCI Championship.  He has also written for many bands across the country including Cypress Creek H.S. (FL), Churchill H.S. (TX) and Northrop H.S. (IN).

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