PAS 2024 Award Winners

by PAS Staff

October 3, 2024

Congratulations to the 2024 PAS Award Winners. We will honor them at the PAS Awards Banquet during PASIC this year, along with the PAS Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Please celebrate these award winners, who have given so much back to the percussion community, with us.

Brian West, Outstanding PAS Service Award
She-e Wu, Outstanding PAS Supporter Award
Michael Berg, PAS President’s Industry Award
Mexico, PAS Outstanding Chapter Award
Richard Albagli, Lifetime Achievement in Education Award
Steven Hemphill, Lifetime Achievement in Education Award
Rebecca Kite, Lifetime Achievement in Education Award

OUTSTANDING PAS SERVICE AWARD

This award was established to recognize an individual each year that has provided service to the organization through a significant project, cause, or cumulative service that has made a significant contribution to the Society as a whole. The 2024 recipient of the Outstanding PAS Service Award is Dr. Brian A. West.

Dr. Brian A. West is Professor of Music and the Coordinator of Percussion at Texas ChristianUniversity. Prior to coming to TCU, he served as the Director of Percussion Studies at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Brian has performed in Taiwan, Australia, England, France, Spain, Italy, and around the United States. He holds degrees from the University of Oklahoma, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and the University of North Texas. Brian is published by Row-Loff Productions and is an educational artist for Innovative Percussion, Yamaha, Remo, Marimba One, and Sabian.

His passion for the percussion ensemble has led to commissioning and/or premiering over forty pieces and releasing four CDs as Executive Producer. In 2022, he started the TCU Percussion Festival hosting percussion ensembles at all levels, soloists, and guest artists. The festival has grown to a two-day event featuring fifty ensembles from multiple states.

As a long-time PAS member, Brian has been active in the society for nearly forty years. He began serving on the Percussion Ensemble Committee in 2007 and chaired it from 2017–2022. Additionally, Brian was a member of the Board of Advisors from 2014–2019 and of the Marching Committee from 2003–2013. He served as the Vice President of the Texas Chapter from 2003– 2005 and worked on the local planning committee for PASIC 2000. Brian has adjudicated for numerous PAS events including the International Percussion Ensemble Competition, the Concert Chamber Percussion Ensemble Competition, the Marching Percussion Festival, and the Texas Keyboard Competition.

As a result of winning the International Percussion Ensemble Competition (IPEC), Brian has conducted seven PASIC Showcase Concerts (2022, 2019, 2015, 2011, 2008, and 2005 with the TCU Percussion Orchestra, and 2000 with the TAMU-C Percussion Ensemble). Additionally, several of his former students have won the IPEC. Recently, many of his students have enjoyed performing in the Concert Chamber Percussion Ensemble Competition.

Brian performed on steel pan at PASIC 2017, 2012 and 2003, and participated in the Texas Mass Steel Band in 2000. He was very active in the Marching Percussion Festival as a director and arranger (2012, 2008, 2006, 2000, 1993), and as a performer (1987–1991). Many of Brian’s current and past students have participated in the Individual and Ensemble Competitions over the years.

Brian lives in Fort Worth with his wife Lisa, and they are blessed with three amazing daughters: Clara, Emily, and Hannah.

OUTSTANDING PAS SUPPORTER AWARD

This award was established to recognize an individual each year that has significantly promoted the Society through his or her professional and educational activities to increase visibility and awareness of the Society. The 2024 recipient of the Outstanding PAS Supporter Award is She-e Wu.

She-e Wu has appeared as a soloist with Tampere Filharmonia, InterAmerican Festival Orchestra, Opole Philharmonic Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra, Bethlehem Bach Festival orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, West Point Band, Moment Musical Orchestra, Taipei Chinese Orchestra and many others. Ms. Wu has also performed at the Bach Symposium/ Variation Festival in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Chicago Chamber Musicians, the Philadelphia Orchestra Chamber Music Series, Percussive Arts Society International Convention and festivals throughout the world. Ms. Wu has composed works for percussion, released solo recordings Snapshot and Cello Suites No. 1-3 by J.S. Bach, chamber recordings with American Brass Quintet, Gail Williams, Osuma Percussion Group, and concerto recording with Sejong Soloist, commissioned new works for percussion, participated and hosted symposiums, summits, residencies, lectures, workshops and seminars internationally. Ms. Wu designs instruments for Majestic/KHS company and mallets for Innovative Percussion, serves on the Board of Advisors for Percussive Arts Society and also as a frequent jury member for competitions worldwide. Ms. Wu is the director of percussion program at Northwestern University, frequent guest artist teacher at the Royal College of Music in London and Cleveland Institute of Music, and consultant for Manhattan School of Music. Ms. Wu is an endorser of Majestic, Mapex, Zildjian and Innovative Percussion.

PAS PRESIDENT’S INDUSTRY AWARD

This award was established to recognize those individuals in the Percussion Industry that have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their field and outstanding support of the Society. The 2024 recipient of the PAS President’s Industry Award is Michael Berg.

Humes & Berg Mfg Co Inc is renowned for its long-standing history as a family-owned and operated business since 1935. Known for its commitment to quality and service, the company has maintained a strong presence in its industry for nearly a century.

Michael Berg is a key figure associated with Humes & Berg, as part of the Berg family. The company founded by his grandfather, Willie Berg, in May of 1935.

Irwin Berg has been a key part in the company’s success working at the business for over 60 years taking on several roles over the years . Including introducing Tuxedo Bags and Enduro Drum Cases to the world ….

Michael plays a significant role as current President in the company’s operations and legacy, he has been at the company for 33 years full time out of college and has risen up through the ranks contributing to its continued success among drummers and percussionist in the music industry, he first started to attend PASIC with his father at the 1991 convention at Anaheim Disneyland Hotel.

Under his leadership, Humes & Berg continues to innovate and produce high-quality drum cases and accessories. He has been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of color and design in drum cases. the company has introduced a range of vibrant and stylish drum case designs, This color diversity not only enhances aesthetic appeal but also allows drummers to choose cases that complement their instruments and personal tastes, including bold colors, patterns, and collaborations with some of the best drummers around the world. This approach has helped Humes & Berg stand out in the industry and appeal to a new generation of drummers who value individuality and self-expression.

Michael Berg’s commitment to innovation and style has helped shape the company’s reputation as a leader in the music industry. Celebrating its 90th anniversary, Humes & Berg’s Enduro Pro Drum Cases are a testament to their enduring quality and innovation in drum case design. These cases are crafted in the USA with robust materials and thoughtful engineering, ensuring durability and protection for drummers’ instruments. It’s a milestone that reflects their long-standing commitment to the music industry.

PAS OUTSTANDING CHAPTER AWARD

This award recognizes individual chapters who have increased membership and provided percussion events, newsletters, and experiences that are beneficial for the continued music education of all chapter members. This award replaces and enhances the PAS Outstanding Chapter President Award, which was an annual award presented on behalf of the Society for nineteen years to an Outstanding Chapter President. Knowing that an outstanding chapter president’s contributions are really the reflection of the work of the other chapter officers as well as the chapter membership, the Outstanding Chapter Award was integrated into the Society’s awards in 2010.

The 2024 Outstanding PAS Chapter Award goes to the Mexico Chapter (President: Marciano Moreno; Board of Advisors: Diana García, Gabriela Jiménez and Sergio Quesada).

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN EDUCATION AWARD

The Percussive Arts Society Lifetime Achievement in Education Award was established in 2003 and recognizes the contributions of the most highly regarded leaders in percussion education. The recipients of this award for 2024 are Richard Albagli, Steven Hemphill, and Rebecca Kite.

Richard Albagli is Principal Percussionist with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, co-founder of the Adirondack Percussion Ensemble, and a member of the music faculties of the University at Albany and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has appeared, several times, as soloist or co-soloist with the Albany Symphony, performing works by Creston, Bartok, Hovhaness, and Russell Peck.

As co-founder of Associated Solo Artists, Albagli has helped create interdisciplinary programs in the arts, sciences, and humanities for schools from kindergarten through college. ASA’s trademark “Concert of Ideas” and its programs for the corporate, professional, and governmental sectors in creativity and leadership development have been presented in more than twenty states and in Europe and Canada, including the Center for Excellence in Maryland, the Center for Creative Leadership in North Carolina and California, the international ASCD Conference in San Antonio, the Academy of Management, the Excellence in Government conferences in Washington, the National Arts and Business Council in New York, the IDRIART conference in Europe, and at universities, business schools, and for a host of major corporate clients.

Richard Albagli has served as the Musical Director of the Empire State Youth Percussion Ensemble since its inception in 1983 and, along with co-Director mark Foster, has taken the group to major percussion festivals in New York City, New Jersey, and Florida; the Manhattan and Eastman Schools of Music; Queens, Williams, and Hartwick Colleges; and the Tanglewood Music Center. The Youth Ensemble has also performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the “Musical Encounter” series for educational television, with ASO Conductor David Allen Miller, and on the nationally syndicated radio program, From the Top, aired on more than 250 National Public Radio stations.

A graduate of both the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (physics) and the Eastman School of Music (performance), Richard Albagli has composed more than twenty works for solo percussion and percussion ensemble, along with a timpani concerto and two works for ensemble and chorus. As a collaborator, with John Cimino and Jon Klibonoff of Associated Solo Artists, he has composed a dozen art songs for voice and percussion, a musical play for children entitled The Great Dinosaur Rescue, and a one-act opera, The Star Thrower, based upon a Loren Eiseley essay of the same name.

Steven R. Hemphill (b. 1956), Professor Emeritus of Percussion, and long-time Director of Percussion Studies at Northern Arizona University (since 1991; retired 2022), and former Coordinator of Winds and Percussion, earned the Bachelor of Music and the Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the Doctor of Music degree from Florida State University, where he was a University Teaching Fellow. Dr. Hemphill has taught at New York State University College at Geneseo, the University of Rochester (New York), the University of Wyoming (serving as Assistant Director of Bands and percussion instructor), and at Florida State University (as Visiting Professor).

His performance credentials include collaborations with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Chamber Orchestra, the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Opera Metropolitiana C.A., Ballet de Caracas, Fundacion Teresa Carreno Opera Company, and the Orquesta Sinfonica Municipal of Caracas, Venezuela (principal timpanist, 1979-1982), the Savannah Symphony, the Tallahassee Symphony (principal percussionist), the Phoenix Symphony, the Flagstaff Festival of the Arts Orchestra (principal percussionist), the Flagstaff Symphony Summer Ensemble, the Wagner Ring Cycle Orchestra-Arizona Opera (principal percussionist), and the Colorado Philharmonic. He performed as principal timpanist of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra for twenty-five years (1991-2016) and for twelve years as principal percussionist with the “Music in the Mountains” Festival Orchestra in Durango/Purgatory, Colorado (2003-2015).

Dr. Hemphill has performed in Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and a number of European cities. Through various venues, he has performed with a variety of jazz and entertainment artists including Freddie Hubbard, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Shirley McLaine, Roger Williams, New York Voices, Buddy DeFranco, Al Martino, Trini Lopez, Jim Bailey, among numerous musical and operatic stage productions. Other collaborations include the Animas Music Festival, the Western Arts Music Festival, the Theurer/Hemphill Trumpet & Percussion Duo, the Arizona Repertory Singers, performances at the International Trumpet Guild Conference and the International Clarinet Society Conference, and as a founding member of the Atlanta Percussion Trio (Young Audiences, Inc.). He has served as a clinician, adjudicator, or conductor in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. In 1994, 2004, and 2009, he served as an adjudicator for the Percussive Arts Society International Composition Competition.

He has recorded on the Telarc, Grenadilla, Orion, Mercury Golden Imports, Toshiba EMI, Albuzerxque, and Carl Fischer Publishing labels. Dr. Hemphill is a past president and vice-president of the Arizona chapter of the Percussive Arts Society, a past president of the Wyoming chapter of the Percussive Arts Society, and is Associate Producer/Director (with Mark Yancich) of The Art of Timpani instructional video series, including “Changing and Tuning Plastic Timpani Heads,” “Tucking Calfskin Timpani Heads” (with Cloyd Duff), and “Sewing Felt Timpani Sticks.” Professional interests in world music and cultures have led Dr. Hemphill to visitations and research in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Trinidad and a number of other Caribbean islands, several countries of the Far East (listed previously), Italy, Sicily, France, England, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. He has published articles in Percussive Notes, Percussion News, Rhythm! Scene, The PAS Educators’ Companion, The Instrumentalist, The International Association of Jazz Educators Journal, Arizona Music News (AMEA), and a number of state-wide educational newsletters in Georgia and Arizona.

He has presented/performed at the National Music Educators National Conference (MENC), the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), the College Music Society National Conference, the American Orff-Schulwerk Association National Conference (AOSA), MENC Northwest, Society of Composers National Conference, the Aspen Music Festival and School, Arizona PAS, the Mark Yancich Timpani Seminar, and frequently at AMEA In-Service Conferences (Arizona). He contributed materials to the publication of A Dictionary for the Modern Percussionist and Drummer by James A. Strain, published by Rowman & Littlefield, and he contributed testing materials for the eminent pedagogical book Teaching Percussion by Gary D. Cook, published by Cengage Learning. For twenty years, he served on the faculty for the annual Atlanta Percussion Seminar at Emory University 1990-2010 and for four years he served on the faculty of the annual Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Percussion Seminar (2013-2016). For several years, he served as chair of the orchestra committee (and ex-officio voting member of the Board of Directors) for the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra and as an ex-officio member of the Arizona Music Educators Association Board of Directors, responsible for Multi-Cultural Awareness.

Dr. Hemphill is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Kappa Phi, Kappa Kappa Psi (Honorary), and has served as Province Governor for Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He has served on the national Percussive Arts Society University Pedagogy Committee, the PAS Composition Competition Committee, and he began serving as the Professional Adviser to the inaugural PAS University (formerly Collegiate) Committee in 2003 until 2021. Dr. Hemphill served as lead developer and presenter for the 2010 PAS College Pedagogy Committee Mentoring Day seminar (Indianapolis, IN), created for pre-tenure collegiate percussion instructors and graduate percussion students, and served as chair of the PAS University Pedagogy Committee’s subcommittee national project “PAS Teaching Analysis for the University Percussion Instructor” which paired emerging university percussion faculty and doctoral students with renowned percussion pedagogues through video lesson analyses and commentary. He has served as chair of percussion studies for the NAU Curry Summer Music Camp program (1992–2020). At Northern Arizona University, Dr. Hemphill focused his teaching in applied percussion studies, percussion ensemble, music education percussion techniques courses, pedagogy and literature in percussion, and drum set techniques and pedagogy. In addition, his curriculum interests include business of music, contemporary music literature, contemporary music ensemble, jazz pedagogy, and graduate seminars in percussion and 20th century music. Hemphill’s primary teachers included John H. Beck, Gary Werdesheim, James Peterscak, Charles Budesheim, James Massie Johnson, George Clasgens, and Bill Clark, with ancillary studies with Leigh Howard Stevens, Cloyd Duff, Ted Moore, and Mark Yancich.

Rebecca Kite is an internationally recognized concert marimbist, writer, teacher, orchestra timpanist, and percussionist. In her fifty-year career, she has performed in concerts, conducted master classes, residencies, and clinics in venues throughout the United States, Europe, Central and South America, and Japan. Her recording of the Bach Chaconne in D Minor on the CD Across Time was received with critical acclaim establishing her as an exceptional world class marimba soloist:

“Rebecca Kite is a fine performer with an impressive technique, a good deal of musical sense, and the ability to exploit all the nuances of the instrument . . . The most satisfying piece on the disc is Kite’s own transcription of the famous Bach D-Minor Chaconne. Here Kite’s pacing and building of the often – complex variations are exemplary.” Richard Burke, Fanfare Magazine – 1994.

In addition to performing, Kite has studied the Japanese language, literature, and culture to give greater depth to her understanding of Japanese music – both contemporary and traditional. This interest and her study of the marimba with Keiko Abe, the world’s foremost marimba virtuoso, motivated her to engage in researching and writing Abe’s biography, Keiko Abe – A Virtuosic Life, published in 2007, and has since been translated and published in both Japanese and Spanish.

Kite’s work as a marimba soloist may be heard on her two solo CD recordings, Across Time and Prism on streaming services such as Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon. Her books, including Keiko Abe – A Virtuosic Life, Reading Mallet Percussion Music, and Anthology of Lute and Guitar Music for Marimba are available from most online retailers. Kite is a Yamaha Performing Artist and lives in Madison, Wisconsin.