This session will be available to watchThursday, December 3 at 9:00 PM
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Metaphor Percussion
Metaphor Percussion is a contemporary percussion duo composed of Dr. Jordan Shippy and Dr. Vivienne Shippy. Known for their innovative approach to percussion performance, Metaphor Percussion’s performances blend acoustic instruments, electronics, and multimedia to create immersive concerts that are above all else accessible and engaging for all audiences. Recent highlights for Metaphor include being featured artists at the Festival of New American Music, collaborations with artists such as Clarice Assad, Patricia Islas, Joe W. Moore III, and others. Metaphor has also enjoyed several recent tours across the country to over twelve institutions. Most recently Metaphor Percussion is celebrating the debut of a new educational grant initiative “Sounding Out”, which aimed to commission new percussion duos for students in underfunded music programs.

Shades: A Concert of New Percussion Duos with Multimedia

Electronic/Technology
Daytime Showcase ConcertVirtual

Shades is a unique multimedia concert that explores the spectrum of color through new percussion repertoire. Our program incorporates live acoustic percussion and electronic soundscapes as well as video and lighting elements to highlight the emotional and textural qualities of each color. Each featured composition is paired with an artist-created video and lighting, shifting hues throughout the performance.

With a rotating list of programming, the most recent iteration of Shades features music written between 2024 and 2026, with the centerpiece of the program being several new 2025/2026 commissions from our new grant-funded educational project, the Sounding Out project.

* denotes a piece featured in the “Sounding Out” project.

Painting the Roses Red (2024) by Vivienne Shippy
Factory Reset (2024) by Jordan Shippy
Ok, Take Me With You (2026) by Patricia Islas *
Beams of Light (2026) by Joe W. Moore III *
No(w)here (2025) by Adam Hopper *
Methuselah (2025) by Jessie Flannigan *
The Storm (2025) by Christopher Harris

Debuted at the 2024 Festival of New American Music and subsequently performed on tour at over 10 institutions around the country, Shades has been widely praised for both its innovative use of multimedia and its engaging musical content.