Hall of Fame

by Lauren Vogel Weiss One of the newest members of the PAS Hall of Fame, Peters, unfortunately, will not be able to accept this honor in person, as he passed away on October 28, 2017 at the age of 82. But his music lives on, through his recordings with the Dallas Symphony and Los Angeles…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss Timpanist of the New York City Opera. Timpanist of the American Symphony Orchestra. Timpanist of the San Francisco Symphony.  Timpanist of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Any of these positions would look impressive on a percussionist’s resume. But what if, in a field traditionally dominated by men of European-American origin, the…

by Rick Mattingly Jacksonville Symphony percussionist Kevin J. Garry recalls his first concert at Oberlin Conservatory of Music: “While playing glockenspiel on a wind ensemble piece by Joseph Schwantner, my hands had shaken so badly that the colored label tape on my mallets looked like a solid band of color. I left the concert extremely…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss When one thinks of a marching drumline, sounds of booming bass drums and staccato snare drums come to mind. But in the 1980s, one drum corps instructor reimagined the sounds that could be created on a field—from soft scrapes on cymbals and gongs to symphonic-based percussion instruments. That creative, but unorthodox,…

by Rick Mattingly Upon entering Le Conte Junior High School in Los Angeles, Frank Epstein applied to the school orchestra—but not as a percussionist. He wished to be a pianist. “Since there were five of us pianists, it was suggested that three of us play percussion,” Epstein recalls. “The conductor—who was an oboist—stuck a pair…

by David Stanoch Everyone knows 2020 is going down in history as the single most challenging year humankind has faced in modern history. Between the ravages of a worldwide pandemic threatening our families and livelihoods and the hopeful signs of long-needed change rising from another needless social tragedy, after too many years of looking the…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss During this time of a global pandemic, racial unrest, and economic uncertainty, there is a peaceful serenity from the soothing sounds (the natural harmonic overtone series) of the “Healing Chime,” made by Woodstock Percussion. The man behind those musical chimes is Garry Kvistad, not only a master tuner and instrument builder,…

by Rick Mattingly The PAS Hall of Fame is home to a select group of musicians and visionaries who have dedicated their lives to elevating the art of percussion,” says Peter Erskine. “If for no other reason than that his drumming propelled the music of both Miles Davis and Michael Jackson, Ndugu Chancler deserves our…

by Rick Mattingly It the 1960 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, fourteen percussionists and educators met for dinner. They were concerned about the lack of quality percussion education at the time, evidenced by what they were seeing and hearing from the percussion sections of many high school and college ensembles that were performing…

by Rick Mattingly It was always fascinating to watch Layne Redmond’s hands and fingers as they deftly stroked, tapped, slapped, prodded, shook, and massaged sounds out of her tambourine. But aside from her playing, one could also be absorbed by her smile, which reflected a joyous bliss that radiated to the people around her. To…