CONCERTS, CLINICS, MASTER CLASSES, ARTIST RESIDENCIES
CONDUCTED BY MARIO DECIUTIIS & ANDY WASSERMANOur Mission Statement
Present a professional musical experience and holistic approach that utilizes the power of MIDI to its full potential, exposing the technology through innovative and expressive musicianship.
Generate a fresh perspective and renewed interest in music by illustrating the exciting variety of stylistic genres (Western and non-Western) and new timbres made available by Electronic Percussion performance techniques.
Make available published music written for electronic percussion instruments, with accompanying teacher-training guides, as well as student reference and resource materials that reinforce a broad-based pedagogical foundation.
Demonstrate useful connections between acoustic and electronic percussion instrumentation, applying acoustic playing techniques and concepts to the electronic medium.
A visit to your campus could include any or all of the following presentations:
Three one-hour workshops (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced) that will give the students appropriate background on the fundamental technology of MIDI and its use in Electronic Percussion. Resource and reference materials will be provided.
A clinic/seminar for students and teachers that will illustrate in-depth musical applications and compositional techniques particularly well-suited for MIDI percussion instrumentation. This will include performance and demonstration by the artists intertwined with hands-on experience for the attendees. Resource and reference materials will be provided.
A concert presenting a full evening's performance of original compositions by the duo of Mario DeCiutiis and Andy Wasserman on Electronic Percussion instruments for the Percussion Department and general audiences.
Repertoire will cover an extremely diverse range of music that is composed and performed in Western and non-Western musical styles; these genres include influences of European Classical tradition (Bach, Ravel, etc.), traditional and contemporary Jazz, Blues, Fusion and Funk, Indonesian (Bali), West African (Senegal, Mali), Brazilian, Japanese, Techno/Ambient, Film Score and New Age Soundscapes, Native American Indian, Afro-Cuban, North Indian Classical, Salsa, plus an array of innovative cross-cultural multi-styled approaches to sound, form and rhythmic structure that suggest directions for music to explore in the next millennium. This entertaining and informative program explores a new musical vocabulary that will inspire students of composition, synthesis, film scoring, percussion and electronic instruments as well as anyone interested in learning about the vast potential of digital music technology.
Clinics & Seminars
Clinics, workshops and seminars designed for both students and teachers will be tailored to the specific needs of the college. DeCiutiis and Wasserman will speak directly with instructors and/or curriculum advisors before their appearance to create a custom clinic that reinforces what the educator is looking for or what will reinforce what is currently being taught. Clinic preparation materials will be sent in advance so that students can study and practice for the upcoming clinic. These materials will prepare students for actual hands-on participation.
The primary focus of all clinics is to show how electronic percussion can open new avenues of expression by adding the capability of performing melody, harmony and rhythm simultaneously. The percussionist is then able to express musical ideas that go beyond rhythmic invention alone. This is demonstrated by discussion and musical examples of the following concepts and techniques:
The ability to create multiple layers of sound through textural drumming: the controlling of many timbres and parts simultaneously.
Explanation of each percussion instrument type used in the clinics:
- mallets (malletKAT)
- sticks (drumKAT, trapKAT)
- keyboards as a percussion controller
To show, step by step, how we arrange the music in our concerts: sounding like a group of 4 to 8 musicians using MIDI to build all the parts of a large ensemble; building arrangements and compositions based on rhythmic, harmonic and melodic motifs
Arrangements and rehearsal techniques for live MIDI performance
Emphasis on achieving acoustic timbres and "real" acoustic-like expression with MIDI instrumentation; sound programming, the art of digital sampling; patch organization for live performance
Exploration of alternate tuning systems, scale structures and time signatures
MIDI mixing, panning, volume and controller functions for live performance.
The art of sequencing for real-time MIDI triggering
Workshops
Elementary level
- Operations of MIDI instruments and technology and how it relates to electronic percussion.
- The integration of all the MIDI components needed to build a
full-functioning electronic music workstation for the electronic percussionist.
- The concepts involved in MIDI triggering systems.
- MIDI controller programming techniques and applications.
- The fundamentals of digital sampling technology for the percussionist.
- Composing and arranging techniques for MIDI percussion.
- Master class in approaches to electronic instrumental performance.
Specially designed training classes to equip educators with the information, tools and resources they need to include Electronic Percussion in their curriculum.
Resource and reference materials
MIDI handbook
MIDI data files for playing and instruction
Software and hardware resource guide
Published music for electronic percussion (solo and ensemble)
Custom designed workbooks on performance and programming techniques
Performance patches, sound files and digital audio loops