| Dickerson Percussion A Tradition of Excellence |
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| Welcome to the Dickerson Middle School Percussion Web Site |
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| 2007-2008 Highlights!! Although this was not a "big trip" year, 2007-2008 still held some special moments. Some of the world's best percussionists visited Dickerson to work with and perform for the students. Michael Spiro worked with the students on conga technique and provided insight into the Latin percussion world. Kit Chatham performed everything from a marching snare solo from his days as a member of "Blast!" to some of the ethnic percussion from his current gig with Cirque du Soleil. A major highlight for the entire school were the wonderful performances by "Boomshaka" from Northwestern University. As always, Sonny Emory blew us all away with his incredible skill, and giving personality...this time rocking out on our drum-set (and tuning it in the process). Most importantly, the percussion students at Dickerson show tremendous improvement and continued to uphold the "Tradition of Excellence" by setting new standards. The 8th grade performance of "Metric Lips" was especially impressive (check out the audio section), as has been the record breaking progress of the 6th grade percussion class (4 mallets and percussion ensemble music!). And on top of it all, we got a 5 octave marimba!! Overkill for a middle school ensemble, but you won't hear us complain! |
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| Percussion Ensemble Invited to Perform at 2006 Percussive Arts Society International Convention!! The Dickerson Percussion Ensemble presented a clinic/performance for the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in Austin, TX. This was a wonerful opportunity to showcase our program before percussion artists and educators from around the world. More than 6,000 drummers, percussionists, educators, and composers were in attendance at the convention which featured more than 150 clinics and performances covering drumset, marching percussion, orchestral percussion, keyboard percussion, world percussion, electronic percussion, and more. The students had the opportunity to perform with Academy Award winning musician Emil Richards, Middle Tennessee State University Percussion Professor Lalo Davila, and world record holder for the World's Fastest Hands Glen Caruba. In preparing for the convention, the students worked with guest clinicians Dr. Tony McCutchen, Professor of Percussion at the University of Georgia, and John Lawless, Professor of Percussion at Kennesaw State University. |
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| Dickerson Percussion Ensemble receives commendation from Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. Click on photo for full size picture. |
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| Mr. Brown and the Dickerson Percussion Ensemble have been invited to present a clinic/performance for the 62nd Annual Midwest Clinic. The clinic, "Developing a Successful Middle School Percussion Ensemble will be similar to the clinics we presented for the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in 2006 and the Georgia Music Educator's Association Conference in 2004. This is a wonderful honor for the students and our school and should be an incredible experience for all involved! Midwest is the largest band and orchestra event in the world featuring over 100 concerts, clinics, master classes, labs, workshops, panels, and presentations with over 13,000 school band and orchestra teachers, music administrators, professional musicians, military musicians and conductors, college and university teachers, students, and administrators, music industry representatives, composers and arrangers, and grade school and high school music students from all 50 states and more than 30 countries. The finest artists and educators from all over the world are invited to present and perform at Midwest. The exhibit hall, a musician's paradise, features over 350 exhibitors in more than 560 booths. Visit the Midwest Clinic website at: www.midwestclinic.org Midwest Fundraising - |
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