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UNT Percussion Area - Spring 2009
Paul Rennick presented a clinic with the world champion Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps drum line and Mark Ford performed on a showcase concert with the Oak Ridge High School Percussion Ensemble from Conroe, Texas.
Additionally Christopher Deane serves on the PAS Board of Directors and attended several meeting planning the future of PAS. Robert Schietroma's publishing company, Drop6, was a popular booth on the exhibit floor.
The Global Rhythms Concert (November 3, 2008) and the PASIC Indoor Drumline Show (November 7, 2008) will be available on DVD soon! Check back to this website for information on how to order your copy.
2009 College of Music Audition Information
Audition Dates:
January 24, 2009
February 7, 2009
March 6, 2009 (graduate only)
March 7, 2009
Applications and information are available on the College of Music website at www.music.unt.edu.
Information about audition content is available on the percussion website at www.music.unt.edu/percussion.
Audition Facts Download
Visit UNT Percussion at myspace!
Check out UNT Percussion on youtube.
Percussion Club Clinicians for Spring 2009.
Check back for additions/changes to our clinicians list.All events listed below take place in the College of Music Recital Hall room 301. The College of Music is located at 415 Avenue C in Denton, Texas 76201.
Jeff Hamilton - Drumset Clinic
Friday, January 30, 2009 - 1 PM - Recital Hall (Music Building, Room 301)
Admission $5 for non-percussion club members.
Tickets are sold at the door for this event.
Jeff has received rave reviews for his dynamic drumming. David Badham of Jazz Journal International stated in his review of the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra's release, Heart and Soul (Capri): "This is one of the finest modern big band issues I've heard...This is undoubtedly due to Jeff Hamilton, a most driving and technically accomplished drummer."" Jeff is equally at home in smaller formats. He is an integral part of the Clayton Brothers and Herb Wong stated in his review of their release, The Music (Capri), in JazzTimes: "Always evident is...the colorful work of the rhythm section featuring...the sensitivity and sizzle of Jeff Hamilton's seasoned drums." Leonard Feather of the Los Angeles Times described Jeff and his work with Oscar Peterson as "the Los Angeles-based drummer whose intelligent backing and spirited solo work met Peterson's customarily high standards..." In his review of he Ray Brown Trio in the Denver Post, Jeff Bradley stated that Jeff "brought the crowd to its feet with his amazing hand-drumming, soft and understated yet as riveting and rewarding as any drum solo you've heard."
Born in Richmond, Indiana, Jeff grew up listening to his parent's big band records and at the age of eight began playing drums along with Oscar Peterson records. He attended Indiana University and later studied with John Avon Ohlen. Jeff was influenced by Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Mel Lewis, "Philly" Joe Jones and Shelly Manne. In 1974, he got his first big break playing with the New Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. He then joined Lionel Hampton's Band until 1975 when he, along with bassist John Clayton, became members of the Monty Alexander Trio. He attained a childhood goal in 1977 when he joined Woody Herman and the Thundering Herd, with whom he made several recordings. In 1978, he was offered the position vacated by Shelly Manne in the L.A.4 with Ray Brown, Bud Shank and Laurindo Almeida. He recorded six records with the L.A.4, some of which featured his own arrangements and compositions. From 1983 to 1987, Jeff performed with Ella Fitzgerald, the Count Basie Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney and Monty Alexander. Jeff began his association with the Ray Brown Trio in 1988 and left in March 1995 to concentrate on his own trio. From 1999-2001, the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra was named the in-residence ensemble for the Hollywood Bowl Jazz series. Jeff became part-owner of Bosphorus Cymbals in 2004. He is now one of 3 owners of Bosphorus Cymbals. Email MVos@Bosphoruscymbals.com for more information. The Los Angeles Jazz Society named Jeff and his musical partner, John Clayton, musicians of the year for 2006. A banquet in their honor was held at the Los Angeles Marriott Downtown Hotel. Click here for pictures from the event. Jeff is currently touring with his own Trio, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and Diana Krall.
In addition to his many recordings with Ray Brown, Jeff has been on nearly 200 recordings with artists such as Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Milt Jackson, Rosemary Clooney, Barbara Streisand, Mel Torme, John Pizzarelli, Benny Carter, Lalo Schifrin, George Shearing, Dr. John, Clark Terry, Gene Harris, Toshiko Akioshi, Scott Hamilton, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Keely Smith, Bill Holman, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel and Mark Murphy. Jeff is a frequent guest of the WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany. He also appeared in Natalie Cole's Great Performances PBS special, Unforgettable and an Oscar Peterson documentary, Life In The Key Of Oscar.
Third Coast Percussion Quartet - Clinic
Friday, February 27, 2009 - 1 pm - Recital Hall (Music Building, Room 301)
Admission $5 for non-percussion club members.
Tickets are sold at the door for this event.
Third Coast Percussion has established a reputation for their commitment to the highest standards in the performance of today's music. The quartet is passionately dedicated to new American music, having commissioned, premiered and performed pieces by many of today's preeminent up-and-coming composers.
Members of Third Coast Percussion, Owen Clayton Condon, Robert Dillan, Peter Martin and David Skidmore hold degrees in music performance from Northwestern University, the Yale School of Music, the New England Conservatory, and Rutgers University.
Emil Richards, Global Rhythms Concert Guest Artist & Jazz Vibraphone Clinic
Thursday, April 16th - Global Rhythms Concert - 8 PM - Concert Hall (Music Building)
Friday, April 17th - 1 pm - Recital Hall (Music Building, Room 301) - Jazz Vibrahpone Clinic
Admission is $5 for non-percussion club members for each event.
Tickets are sold at the door for these events.
In 1952 and 1953 he was stationed in Japan, while serving in the First Cavalry Army Band as assistant band leader. In 1954 Emil moved to New York where he played jazz gigs with Charlie Mingus, Ed Shaunghnessy, and Ed Thigpen while doing studio recordings for artists such as Perry Como, Ray Charles, and Mitch Aires. In 1955 Emil joined the George Shearing Quintet. He stayed with the group for over four years, playing 51 weeks a year.
In 1959 he moved to Los Angeles where he worked with the Paul Horn Quintet, Jimmy Witherspoon, the Shorty Rogers Big Band, Lennie Bruce,and Lord Buckly. He started recording for Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle, Judy Garland, Sarah Vaughan, and Doris Day. In 1962, in response to a request from President John F. Kennedy, Emil and a small jazz combo joined Frank Sinatra on a tour around the world for the benefit of under privileged children. This group helped to found the first hospital in Israel for Jewish and Arab children. This wasthe beginning of Emil's interest in, and collection of ethnic percussion instruments.
After this world tour, Emil returned to L. A. to begin recording with such artists as the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Bing Crosby, Nat Cole, and Frank Sinatra. He also worked on film scores for Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Henry Mancini, Elmer Bernstein, Johnny Mandel, Quincy Jones, Oliver Nelson, Neal Hefti, Lalo Schifrin, Dave Grusin, Michel Legrand, Alex North, and Bill Conti, to name a few. Both he and Don Ellis were studying Indian rhythms at this time, and co-founded a group known as the Hindustani Jazz Sextet.
In 1963 he met American composer Harry Partch, and sponsored his move along with all his instruments to L A. Emil was connected with the composer and his music as a performer until the composer's death in 1974. In 1965 he formed the Micro-Tonal Blues Band along with his music grammar school buddies, Joe Porcaro, and Dave Mackay. In 1968 he joined Stan Kenton as a member of his NeoPhonic Orchestra, and remained principal percussionist for the orchestra's entire existence. In 1969 he made another trip to India, Bali, and Europe, studying, and collecting more ethnic percussion instruments.
Upon his return to L A that year he joined Roger Kelloway and the Cello Quartet. In 1972 he made an extensive trip around the world collecting and studying percussion instruments with master players from all corners of the globe. In January of 1974, Frank Sinatra came out of retirement and asked Emil to join him in a small group augmented by Count Basie and his orchestra. In mid 1974 he left this group to travel through central and south America to collect and study marimbas and music of Cuba, Peru, and Brazil.
In October of 1974 Emil joined George Harrison and Ravi Shankar for an extended concert tour of north America. In 1976 he made a trip to Sicily to trace his roots, and to study the maranzano, the jew's harp found in the region where his mother came from. He stopped in England to record with George Harrison, and befriended one of the world's greatest percussionists, Sir James Blades. In 1977 he became a member of Frank Zappa's Electric Symphony and recorded several albums with this large orchestra. He was also on Zappa's first recorded album, Lumpy Gravy.
In 1979 Emil became a founding member of The New American Orchestra, comprised of 85 of Hollywood's finest musicians. Emil has played in the film studios in between all of his other activities, and in the 1980's, he concentrated on sound track recording, and became Hollywood's most sought after percussionist, playing for some of his childhood heroes; Bernard Herman, Dave Rakson, Alex North, Max Steiner, Lionel Newman, Hugo Friedhoffer, Walter Scharf, and Ernest Gold.
He has won the National Academy of Arts and Sciences Most Valuable Player Award for six consecutive years since it's inception, until he was presented with the N A R A S Emeritus Award. In 1987 Emil started traveling throughout the United States, giving clinics at colleges on the aspects of percussion playing. In 1988 Emil formed a Jazz group, playing vibes with his old grammar school music buddies, Joe Porcaro, and Dave Mackay. He continues to perform with this jazz quartet known as Calamari.
In 1993 and 94, Emil donated his entire library of percussion books, along with a substantial number of his instrument collection to the Percussive Arts Society's Percussion Museum in Lawton, Oklahoma. He still possesses over 650 different percussion instruments in his current personal collection. In 1993 he regrouped with the Roger Kelloway Cello (now Sextet), and completed an album for Angel records. In 1994 Emil recorded a solo album utilizing an assortment of instruments from his vast ethnic percussion collection, overdubbing all the instruments himself. The album, released by Interworld Music, is called Emil Richards, The Wonderful World of Percussion. He feels that there is a world of new and unusual sounds to be found and to be heard by marrying many of the percussion instruments together. This is a dedicated goal of Emil's future projects in his world of percussion.
In November of 1994, Emil was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall Of Fame, joining other noted recipients as Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, and Red Norvo. Lalo Schifrin asked Emil to join the percussion section of the Glendale Symphony Orchestra for the 1994 - 95 season. In 1996 Emil played at the San Francisco Jazz festival, in a tribute to Cal Tjader. As a result Emil released an Afro Cuban Jazz album called Luntana released by Interworld Music .This same year he was appointed as head of the percussion Department at L A M A, The Los Angeles Music Academy in Pasadena California.
Starting in 1997 Emil has taken summers to travel to Europe to do summer camps teaching percussion and performing with musicians from Italy, Sardinia, Austria, Sweden and Germany. 1998 marks sixty years that Emil has been playing mallet instruments. He has (to date) recorded on over 1350 film scores and counts over 650 artists that he has recorded and performed with.
In 1999 Emil holds the distinction of Hearing Officer at the Professional Musicians Union Local #47, Los Angeles. He also sits on the board of directors of the Percussive Arts Society and the Mister Holland's Opus Foundation. He continues to donate musical instruments to both of these non profit foundations.
Emil lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Celeste, daughter Camille, and sons, Claudio and Emilio Jr.
Alumni News
David Bergman (BM 05) won the percussion position for the Concert Band at the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, New York.
Adam Brown (BM 03) is on permanent contract for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines playing drums. He is based out of Miami and travels to Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Haiti, Mexico, Jamaica and the Grand Cayman Islands. Adam recently traveled with fellow UNT alumni Josh Jennings (BM 03, MM 05) to Sao Paulo and Salvador, Brazil.
Omar Carmenates (MM 06) will join the faculty of Furman University in Greenville, SC as Instructor of Percussion Studies.
Danny Hawkins (BM 08) won the Solo Keyboard competition at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in November, 2008.
Ron LaCour (BM 07) will be an Assistant Band Director at Centennial HS in Frisco, Texas this fall.
Use our Alumni Update link at the top of this page to send us information about what you've been doing. Updated information (if you want to share it!) will be appear regularly at bottom of this home page. If you don't want to share, we can at least put you on our email list to hear about what's going on at UNTpercussion!
1155 Union Circle #311367, Denton, TX 76203-5017, (940) 565- 4124 , (940) 565-2002 fax, unt.percussion@unt.edu