Youngstown State University Percussion Ensemble
Ed Davis & Dustin May
Butler Institute of American Art
Personnel
Noah Au, Canfield, OH
Edward Butcher, Salem, OH
Zachary Connolly, Boardman, OH
Levi Curry, Wexford, PA
Jesse DeLorenzo, Wampum, PA
Anthony Gill, Vienna, OH
Joel Gillespie, East Liverpool, OH
Aaron Graneto, Canfield, OH
Sean Guerrieri, Struthers, OH
Andy Hacker, Hubbard, OH
Ryan Jones, Youngstown, OH
Evan McCreary, Poland, OH
Nathan Negro, Wooster, OH
Tracy Rusk, Brookfield, OH
Lennon Sackela, Canfield, OH
Tommy Starr, Pittsburgh, PA
Anthony Tresky, Pittsburgh, PA
John Guido Vitullo, Austintown, OH
About the Director
GLENN SCHAFT is Professor and Director of Percussion Studies at Youngstown State University. He is the advisor/co-founder of the Youngstown Percussion Collective and an artist with Avedis Zildjian Co., Innovative Percussion Inc., Remo Inc., and a member of the Black Swamp Percussion Educators Network. Glenn earned the DMA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the MA from Eastern Illinois University, and the BM from Baldwin Wallace University. He pursued post doctoral studies in contemporary music and orchestral percussion at Cleveland State University, Afro-Cuban music in Havana, Cuba and world percussion at the Berklee School of Music World Percussion Festival. Glenn’s teachers include John Hollenbeck, John Riley, Tom Freer, Jay Burnham, Lewis Nash, Ted Piltzecker, Tom Siwe, Johnny Lee Lane, George Kiteley, Harold Damas, Linda Pimentel, and Ruben Alvarez. A member of the Percussive Arts Society, Glenn serves on the Drumset Committee and has appeared as performer, lecturer, and panelist at PAS international conventions.
Glenn’s career spans idioms such as classical, new music, world music, jazz, blues, rock, reggae, funk, Brazilian, West African, and Afro-Cuban. Glenn has recorded and served as executive producer with the Youngstown Percussion Collective, Dave Morgan, Ron Coulter, John Hollenbeck, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Scott Wyatt, Amanda Powell, Air Force Band of Mid-America, Youngstown State University Wind Ensemble, and myriad jingles.
His credits include conductors Giora Bernstein, Jeffery Siegel, Anton Coppola, Edwin London, Gunther Schuller, Paul Martin Zonn, Peter Schickele, aka P.D.Q. Bach ensembles such as Colorado Music Festival, Skaneateles (NY) Chamber Music Festival, "Artist In Residence" at Baldwin-Wallace University with BATTU contemporary/world percussion group, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Cleveland Ballet, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, Cleveland Opera, Robert Page Singers, Akron Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Springfield (IL) Symphony, Youngstown Symphony, Duluth-Superior Symphony, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, Dance Theater of Harlem, Cleveland Dance Collective, and artists such as Paul Sperry, Julie Newell, Robert Weirich, Robert Van Sice, Peter Erskine, and Ben Toth.
Glenn drumset and world music credits include Ruben Alvarez, American Jazz Orchestra, Chuck Berry, Nick Brignola, Freddie Bryant, Ndugu Chancellor, Sarah Jane Cion, Stewart Copeland, Anthony Cox, 1940's Radio Hour Show-US Tour, Todd Coolman, Harold Danko, Paquito D’Rivera, Larry Elgart, Raul Esparza, John Fedchock, Five By Design, Reynaldo Gonzales, Taku Hirano, Laurence Hobgood, Engelbert Humperdink, Randy Johnston, Sean Jones, Mike Kocour, Alison Krauss, Victor Krauss, Ralph Lalama, Tony Leonardi, Robert Lockwood Jr., Bryan Lynch, Jim McNeely, Hank Marr, Phil Palombi, Ken Peplowski, Chita Rivera, Trichy Sankaran, Michael Spiro, Marvin Stamm, Chip Stephens, The Texas Tenors, Alan Vizzutti, Dan Wall, James Weidman, Michael Weiss, Mike Wofford, Women of the Phantom, Andrea Zonn, and Youngstown State University Faculty Jazz Group.
About the YSU Percussion Ensemble
Notable performances include the 2018 Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis, Percussive Arts Society Ohio Chapter Days of Percussion at Capital University, Ohio Northern University, Youngstown State University, and Ohio Music Education Association Conferences in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. A central part of our mission involves collaborations with composers in the commissioning, premiering, and critically acclaimed recording of their works. Our 2005 release "Dark Wood" includes six premiere recordings and commissions. Our commission project with New York City-based percussionist/composer John Hollenbeck on his "Ziggurat" for five percussionists and four saxophonists, was premiered at the Whitney Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City, and is available on his 2008 release "Rainbow Jimmies." The Youngstown Percussion Collective's 2012 release "Forms Of Things Unknown" is a concert-length suite by YSU professor of jazz studies, bass, and composition, Dr. Dave Morgan. Our 2012 recording of Ron Coulter's "Cajon Trio" will appear on an upcoming 2019 Coulter CD release.
Sharpened Stick (1999)
Brett Dietz (b.1972)
Sharpened Stick is a Native American war song and dance that is in the "fish-step" style. It is said that the popular 1920's dance craze the "Charleston" was derived from this dance. At certain points of the composition, the performers shout "Yo-Ho"- In Native American music, this is sounded by the 'head singer' and signifies a change of direction in the music as well as a change in the direction of the dance.
Notes by Brett Dietz
Quartet in C minor (2015)
Tommy Starr (b.1995)
Establishing a simple main theme at the beginning, Quartet in C Minor journeys through variations of textures and counter lines. While this main melodic idea is passed through all four players, we continually revisit that recognizable theme.
Ricoam
Moacir Santos (1926-2006)
Ed Davis (b.1981)
Moacir Santos, born to a poor family in Pernambuco (northeastern Brazil) was regarded as a walking encyclopedia in the realm of Brazilian instrumental music. Without hesitation, artists like João Donato, Dori Caymmi, Paulo Moura and Sérgio Mendes will testify to his brilliance. The late Brazilian guitar ace Baden Powell was Moacir's pupil, and revered his master on the song "Samba da Benção." And the President of Brazil has awarded Santos the medal of Rio Branco's order.
Desiring (2011) - Do I Dare Eat a Peach? (2011)
David Morgan
Dr. David Morgan, Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at Youngstown State University, composed both of these pieces as a part of a twelve-movement suite, “Forms of Things Unknown,” commissioned by the Youngstown Percussion Collective in 2011. Every movement from this work was inspired by a quote or piece of literature:
Desiring
I dig my toes into the sand
The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds
Strewn across a blue blanket
I lean against the wind
Pretend that I am weightless
And in this moment I am happy
I wish you were here
Do I Dare Eat a Peach?
I grow old…I grow old…
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare eat a peach?
Peaches En Regalia
Frank Zappa (1940-1993)
Davis/Morgan
Guest performer - Eric Finkelstein - bass
Peaches en Regalia is one of Zappa’s most well known works. Featured as the opening track on Zappa’s album, “Hot Rats,” Peaches combines Zappa’s eccentric compositional approach, quirky instrumentation, and complex arrangement.
Director Bios
Ed Davis, MM
Ed is currently an adjunct percussion faculty at YSU and freelance musician and educator residing in Youngstown, Ohio. He is also currently employed by SMARTS (Students Motivated by the ARTS) as a drum circle facilitator and coordinator of SMARTS Beats (drum based learning for students with cognitive disabilities), a private music teacher at Motter’s Music in Canfield, OH and maintains a very active performing and recording schedule throughout the region. Ed has also served as a visiting professor and taught world percussion at Capital University in Columbus, OH in 2012-13.
Ed graduated from Youngstown State University’s Dana School of Music in 2012 with a Masters degree in Percussion Performance. While at YSU, Ed was a featured performer on the Youngstown Percussion Collective’s recording of “Forms of Things Unknown,” a twelve-movement work for percussion ensemble by composer Dave Morgan. Since living in Youngstown, Ed has had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Angela Perley & the Howlin’ Moons, Jordan DePaul, Special Blend, Brad Wagner, Frank Castellano, Todd Cutshaw, Costley Ct., Penguins in Bondage: the YSU Frank Zappa Ensemble, Glenn Schaft, Dave Morgan, Tom Scott and the NO EXIT New Music Ensemble.
Originally from West Liberty, OH, Ed attended the Capital University Conservatory of Music in Columbus, OH and as a student of Bob Breithaupt, Jim Ed Cobbs, Eric Paton, and Nathan Anders he earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Media degree. While living in Columbus, Ed worked as an instructor at Columbus Pro Percussion and performed in a variety of styles as a freelance musician. Focusing on mainly drumset and world percussion, Ed has performed with groups such as the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Chuck Mangione, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and served as a member of national recording act, Red Wanting Blue. He can be heard on their 2009 release, “These Magnificent Miles” (Fanatic/Capitol Music Group).
Dustin May, BM
Originally from Westerville, Ohio, Dustin had the privilege of studying drum set with Jim Curlis and Jim Rupp. Dustin’s freelance beginnings sprouted here, at the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Career Center for Music and as a member of the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra. These two organizations allowed him to develop his craft while performing at many Columbus area venues such as the Southern Theatre, State House, Columbus Jazz and Rib Festival and many more.
In 2010 Dustin was selected by, the now Vice President of Education at the Lincoln Center, Todd Stoll, to perform the repertoire of Duke Ellington with the Ohio Youth Jazz Orchestra at the Parma Jazz Festival in Parma, Italy. The group had the pleasure of performing alongside some of their musical heroes including Joe Locke, Dianne Reeves, Ken Peplowski, Bucky Pizzarelli, Marcus Roberts, The Woody Herman Orchestra, Wes Anderson and Kurt Rosenwinkel.
Dustin received his degree in Jazz Studies from Youngstown State University in December of 2012. There he studied percussion with Dr. Glenn Schaft, Nathan Douds and Patrick Wagner. While he was a student at the Dana School of Music, Dustin had the pleasure of performing with the Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Youngstown Percussion Collective Touring Group, Youngstown Jazz Collective, Jazz Ensemble I and several Jazz Combos. These ensembles allowed Dustin to perform with wonderful colleagues and musical mentors such as Ralph Lalama, Rufus Reid, Dave Morgan, Kent Engelhardt, Nathan Douds and many more. Dustin can be heard on the Youngstown Percussion Collective’s recording Forms of Things Unknown and the Youngstown Jazz Collective’s recording Absent Dreamers.
Dustin’s active freelance career has allowed him to play with many great artists such as Teddy Pantelas, Jeff Grubbs, Wilbur Krebs, Ernie Riggins, Pat Crossley, Frank Cunimondo, Kip Reed, Bobby Selvaggio, Ashley Summers, Tom Scott, Brad Wagner, Chris Anderson, Tony Spicer, Theron Brown, Sam Blakeslee, Chris Coles, Dave Morgan, Aidan Plank and many more.
This coming year Dustin is looking forward to recording with the Sam Blakeslee Large Ensemble and Bobby Selvaggio’s Transcendental Orchestra.
