Updated 11/8/22
Dr. Glenn Schaft, Professor, Dana School of Music, will attend the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) November 9-12, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. PASIC is the largest gathering of nearly 6500 percussionists from around the world. Dr. Schaft is serving his sixth term on the PAS Drumset Committee as one of thirty select international artist/educators. Glenn was also selected as an instructor for the PASIC Drumset Training Sessions.
In addition, three of Dr. Schaft's Percussion Ensemble students, Jacob Potts, Michael Daniels, and Brett Weigel, performed with the Dana School of Music Marching Snare Drum Trio at the PASIC Individual and Ensemble Competition.
Following their acclaimed performance in April 2022, The YSU Percussion Ensemble has once again been invited to perform at the Western Pennsylvania Percussion Ensemble Symposium, to be held at Norwin High School, in Irwin, PA, on 4/29/23. Details TBA.
A special thanks to Gordon Stout for his recent dedication (on his website) to the Music of Ted Rounds. Ted was a friend, a nearby university colleague, and someone whom I had the pleasure of collaborating with on several occasions. I met Ted after I arrived at Youngstown State University in 1996 and we exchanged clinic/masterclass appearances at our respective universities. We always hung at PASIC's each year as well. At one point, Rob Ferguson, who was teaching adjunct at YSU recommended Ted's marimba quartet Bluebird Samba. When I reviewed the score and heard a KSU-PE recording of it with Rob playing, I quickly realized it was a masterpiece that deserved to be recorded.
In 2005, the Youngstown Percussion Collective released the premiere recording of Bluebird on our Dark Wood disc, and to date I believe it may be the only professional recording available. The disc is available from GlennSchaft@ysu.edu and more info at Dark Wood.
I had the pleasure, as executive producer, to work with Ted in the rehearsals and recording session of Bluebird Samba. Musicians were members of the Youngstown Percussion Collective – Rob Ferguson, Nathan Douds, Ron Coulter, & Justin Watt. Recorded 5/23/05 at Youngstown State University, Studio 2222 by Mike Telanca. Mixed at Tune Town Studios-Newton Falls, Ohio, Mike Telanca-audio engineer. Proceeds from Dark Wood and our Forms Of Things Unknown discs are used to commission composers, premiere, and record their work.
Ted's program notes...
Bluebird Samba (1994) by Ted Rounds is a tune in Eb, later in F, and in Eb again at the end. The other two themes were just separate material I was working on during the same time. The minimalist transitions were just convenient diversions to get to the different key centers for the tune. I thought the thing sounded like a samba, so that had to be part of the title somehow. On the day I quit writing the piece (you have to actually quit writing) Tyler was building a bluebird house and after she put one up, she declared that the next day there would be bluebirds living there. Sure enough, the next day there they were. Tyler was the one who actually said I should call it Bluebird Samba. It has some cool chords and some nice jagged lines. Parts of the main theme are presented over different bass lines with alternate key centers, just to see how they worked. There is a short madness that was inspired by Frank Zappa (groups of fives followed by sextuplets in groups of four. As with all my writing, I have my intentions but I'm always surprised by what comes out. That's partly because I usually compose by means of improvisation. I'll compose an accompaniment sequence that the computer loops while I improvise on a percussion controller that feeds into the same computer. If I like it, it stays. If I don't, it goes into electronic storage for another day.
Anthony Taddeo and Alla Borra
YPC performs at PASIC 2018 in Indianapolis
Glenn Schaft will be performing at PASIC 2018 with Ron Coulter and the Youngstown Percussion Collective on Thurs. Nov 15, 9am in the Indiana Convention Center Wabash Rm., Indianapolis, IN.
Ron is one of our Youngstown State University–Dana School of Music alums, BM’02, MM’04, a former YSU adjunct faculty member, and presently teaches at Casper College in Casper, Wyoming. The Youngstown Percussion Collective (YPC) is a student organization at Youngstown State that Ron, I, and several other student and faculty colleagues co-founded in the late 90’s. I serve as their Faculty Advisor. YPC previously performed a feature New Music Day concert at PASIC’03 in Louisville, KY where we featured historic percussion/dance music of Lou Harrison. This year, we’ll be performing two pieces of early percussion ensemble music written in the 1930-early 40’s by Lou Harrison and Franziska Boas. The theme of this year’s PAS Focus day has to do with Forgotten Historic Treasures. PASIC is attended annually by over 5500 percussionists.
Ron and I will be joined by two of my present undergraduate percussion majors and YPC members, Evan McCreary and Anthony Tresky. Before PASIC, Ron will be in-residence at YSU Nov 11-13 to rehearse with my students and I, present a composition seminar for Dave Morgan’s studio, a percussion clinic, and perform on our Percussion Ensemble concert. Ron will perform several of his solo compositions and the YSU Percussion Ensemble will premiere two of his new pieces, one written especially for me and my students on Nov. 13 at 7:30pm at Ford Theatre. Later this semester, we hope to record these two premieres at the Dana School of Music with recording engineer and YSU adjunct faculty member Jack Ciarniello for Ron’s latest release which also includes a cajon trio written by Ron and recorded by my students several years ago.
YSU Alums have published Concerti available at Honeyrock.com
NEW!
CONCERTO for DOUMBEK and SOUNDSCAPE
Evan Gottschalk -
Solo showcase for HAND DRUMS, one-player, multiple DOUMBEKS!
Performance Score and CD.
PRICE: $24.95
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD VERSION(Performance Score and mp3)PRICE: $22.95
Video and Score Samples
ALSO AVAILABLE:
CONCERTO for DARABUKKA and PERCUSSION QUARTET
- Anthony Di Sanza -Structured in a modified rondo form and requiring extensive improvisation by the SOLOIST, this work combines traditional Middle Eastern percussion instruments with instruments from Eastern Asia, South America, and the Caribbean.PRICE: $32.00
Ben Toth, Professor of Percussion at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford Connecticut completed one-week residencies at Youngstown State University in Ohio (hosted by Professors Glenn Schaft and Stephen Gage) and the University of Akron in Ohio (hosted by Professors Larry Snider and Galen Karriker). During each of the residencies Toth presented master classes and lessons, and performed Zivkovic’s “Tales from the Center of the Earth.”
The YSU Jazz Studies and Percussion Departments announce the Robert E. Bulkley, Jr. Memorial Scholarship, established in 2013 to award an outstanding jazz drummer/percussionist. See the “About" tab above for more info. The 2013-14 recipient was Nicholas Sainato, 2014-15 recipient was Hobie Butcher, and the 2015-16 recipient Zachary Connoly.
Senior percussion recording major Evan Gottschalk performed the world premiere of his composition Tek for dumbek and computer at the Percussive Arts Society Ohio Day of Percussion Soloist Showcase Concert at Ohio Northern University on 1/23/15. The Youngstown Percussion Collective is recorded the work spring 2015 for our upcoming YPC CD.
Senior percussion performance major Moriah Placer performed Four Movements for Marimba by Michael Burritt at the Percussive Arts Society Ohio Day of Percussion Soloist Showcase Concert at Ohio Northern University on 1/23/15.
The YSU Percussion Ensemble performed Kpanlogo (traditional Ghanaian) at the Percussive Arts Society Ohio Day of Percussion PE Showcase Concert at Ohio Northern University on 1/23/15.
The Youngstown Percussion Collective recorded the new percussion ensemble and drumset concerto Tub Thumper composed by senior jazz studies drumset major Nicholas Sainato spring 2014. The world premiere was presented at our fall 2013 YSU Percussion Ensemble Concert.
