drumming

DRUMMING
HAPPINESS!
UP
INTERNATIONAL PERCUSSION
WORKSHOPS, DRUM CAMPS
AND FESTIVALS
www.kosamusic.com
KOSA :
THE MISSION
The perfect travel companion.
a NoTE FRom THE DiREcToRs
dRuMMiNG up HAppiNEss!
As the great Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky once said: “Happiness does not lie in happiness, but in the achievement of it”.
As musicians, we are so fortunate to achieve our happiness
through the language of music. Through music, we are given
the power to connect and share with others our love and passion unconditionally and without boundaries. Music has the
distinct capacity to be a unifying force that can heal, resolve
and create a better understanding between us all.
Drumming in particular has always played a key role in various
cultures (from Shamanism to Native Americans, African cultures and beyond) in bringing peace and unity to the world by
beating their communal drum as one. Think back to when you
first began drumming: Did you not feel the joy it personally
brought to your whole being? Did you not witness the joy it
brought to others around you as they bathed in the wonderful
sounds and rhythms you created?
Toca Freestyle II Djembes are the
ideal take-along drum. Their lightweight
synthetic shells are durable, weatherproof
and they sound fantastic.
Choose from a variety of beautiful finishes,
including the hand-painted Spun Copper.
tocapercussion.com
Being professional musicians for so many years, both of us can
say with absolute certainty that we have achieved our personal happiness, our inner joy, primarily through music. Music
is our dependable ally. Music is there for us when we are down,
when we are discouraged, angry or afraid. Music has the power
to get us through all the difficult moments in life. Where there
is music, there is happiness. KoSA challenges every one of you
to “drum up happiness”. By doing so, we know that you will
make the world a better place - a much better place. Imagine
a world where every home would make music. Imagine a world
where there was a drum in everyone’s hands. Imagine a world
where everyone could drum up their happiness because as the
great Aristotle once said: “Happiness depends on ourselves”.
So let’s get busy Drumming Up Happiness!
Aldo Mazza
Founder / Artistic Director
Dr. Jolán Kovács
Founder and Project Coordinator
KoSA Communications
(KoSA Music) is dedicated
to developing and promoting percussive arts events
that specialize in active
mutual participation by
professionals and students.
This goal is met by featuring the best programs
taught by some of the finest artists and instructors
today.
We purposely keep the
comparative size of the
programs small to facilitate
personalized learning
in a friendly, accessible
environment. KoSA is proud
of its ongoing involvement
in the world of percussion,
percussion techniques
and emerging percussion
technologies. We plan
our programs carefully
to incorporate and share
information essential for
musicians from Jr. High
School, High School, College, Music Educators, Band
Directors, Professionals
and Drum Enthusiasts. In
addition, KoSA presents
concerts and performances
featuring some of today’s
most respected artists
in the world of percussion. These concerts, in a
festival atmosphere, are
open to the public and the
community at large.
The KoSA Percussion Workshops is open to everyone:
percussionists, educators, and musicians from
everywhere, of all ages and
experience levels.
03
KoSA ACADEMY IN MONTRÉAL
KoSA Cuba Educational AND Cultural Trips
Planning a trip with your ensemble? KoSA would
like to propose an extraordinary experience for
your group: a music performance and cultural
trip to Cuba. KoSA has over 18 years of experience in organizing events, festivals and major
international workshops. Over the past 11 years,
we have been organizing festivals and cultural
trips to Cuba in collaboration with Cuba cultural
entities and officials. We have been working very
closely with many of Cuba’s best known and respected international artists.
04
group will also be scheduled to rehearse and
have musical coaching with some of Cuba’s
finest artists in preparation for concert performance opportunities. Included will be visits to
music schools, festivals, tourist and historic site
tours and close cultural exchanges with peer
groups in Cuba.
Cuba is a mecca for music not only in traditional
and popular but in jazz, classical and choral.
Their educational system is one of the best in
the world, as education is not only free but a top
These trips are customized according to your priority. The level of music and culture is very
type of ensemble, age group and musical area. impressive and your group will have the experiKoSA has built a large support infrastructure in ence of a lifetime!
Cuba over the years. We have brought many instruments and other materials, which are used These trips are available any time during the year
in our projects.
with the exception of August. All trips include
meals, hotel, local transportation, visits, musical
Each group is accompanied by our professional coaching and lessons as well as most activities.
team every step of the way. It is a “turn-key”
voyage full of unforgettable moments. Your Please visit our website to view our KoSA Cuba
group will have a full time private tour bus as band trip video online at www.kosamusic.com and
well as on-hand guides and coordinators. Your contact us at 514-482-5554 or 800-541-8401.
The KoSA Academy is a year-round music school
in the heart of the city that provides students
of all ages and all levels with the very best instruction by its top-of-the-line faculty. The faculty is comprised of professional instructors and
performers who share a true passion to teach.
Individual classes are offered on diverse instruments on drumset, all world percussion instruments, (Cuban, Brazilian, African etc), classical
percussion, bass, guitar, voice and keyboard.
Group classes are offered at the KoSA Academy
in Brazilan percussion, African drumming, Cuban
percussion, as well as playing in a band. Students of all ages and levels are invited to par-
ticipate in weekly band class in Rock, Cuban and
Jazz ensembles. Academy students get the unparalleled experience in participating in various
KoSA activities and events organized throughout
the year in the city as well as performing at the
end of the year concert. KoSA is also recognized
for preparing students for college and university entrance music auditions. KoSA’s customized music-intense study programs for foreign
students coming from as far as Brazil, Bermuda,
and Australia are also in high demand. For more
information on the KoSA Academy’s programs in
Montréal, please visit www.kosamusic.com 514
482-5554.
05
DRUM SET ADAPTATION
BY ALDO MAZZA
06
07
08
ALDO
MAZZA
Memo
Acevedo
Gregg
Bissonette
World Percussion
Brazilian Drumset
Drumset
hybrids & Drumset
Cajon
Aldo Mazza is the Artistic Director of
the KoSA International Percussion
Workshops and Festivals which he
co-founded with his wife Dr. Jolan
Kovacs. Aldo is a member of the internationally acclaimed percussion
ensemble, Répercussion, which celebrates an illustrious 40-year career.
As an internationally recognized
drummer, percussionist, recording
artist, clinician and educator, Aldo
has recorded with such artists as
Celine Dion, Jon Bon Jovi, Nikki Yanofsky and Aldo Nova. His live performances include such reputable
and diverse artists as James Brown,
Chris De Burgh and Oliver Jones.
His extensive classical training has
led him to perform as soloist with
his group with major symphony
orchestras in both classical,
jazz and contemporary music. Aldo
has composed many percussion
ensemble works and he has an instructional DVD “Nine Lessons with
the Greats” in collaboration with
Hudson Music. Under the umbrella
of KoSA, Aldo organizes educational
study trips to Cuba and China. His
diverse professional background in
rock, pop, classical, and jazz has led
him to create his personal hybrid
percussion approach in playing as
well as having written a book about
Cuban Rhythms for Drumset players
and percussionists.
Guillermo ‘Memo’ Acevedo is a
New York City based drummer/
percussionist, native of Bogotá,
Colombia, who specializes in
Colombian, Brazilian, Cuban Percussion and Latin Jazz. He has
recorded and performed with Tito
Puente and the late greats: Gregory Hines, Hilton Ruiz and Louie
Bellson. Rock and Pop stars include: Stephen Stills, Joss Stone,
Crystal Bowersox; Angelique
Kidjo, Bruce Cockburn, He has
worked with Jazz masters such
as Mark Murphy, Tom Scott, Louie
Bellson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Jackie & Roy and
top Cuban bands such as Irakere
and Klimax. Brazilian luminaries
include: Ivan Lins, Flora Purim
and Moacir Santos. He also performed in the Broadway shows
The Lion King and Civil War.
He directed and founded the New
York University (NYU) Samba Ensemble and the Latin/Brazilian
Jazz Ensemble. Memo has been
inducted into Canada’s “Who is
Who”.
His CD “Building Bridges” features Tito Puente, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Dave Valentín.
Gregg Bissonette is best known
for his ability to play in a wide
variety of styles. Gregg has
played with Maynard Ferguson,
David Lee Roth, Ringo Starr, Joe
Satriani, Gino Vannelli, Tania Maria, Brian Wilson, Robin Zander,
James Taylor, Toto, Ray Charles,
Don Henley, Santana and many
others. During 2003 and 2005,
Gregg had the “honor and thrill”
of performing with Ringo Starr in
promotional tours for the albums
Ringo Rama and Choose Love. He
joined Ringo’s All Starr Band in
2008, performing all across the
United States as well as Europe
and South America.
Gregg played on Larry Carlton’s
and Steve Lukather’s CD No Substitutions, recorded live in Osaka,
Japan, which won the Grammy
for “Best Pop Instrumental Album” in 2002. He also played on
Santana’s Grammy-winning album Supernatural, including the
tune “El Farol” which was named
“Best Pop Instrumental” at the
2000 Grammy Awards.
More than 30 academic programs
Rich cultural offerings
More
than
30 academic
programs
Over 40 student
clubs and organizations
20 varsity sports
Rich cultural
offerings
Over 40 student clubs and organizations
800-639-8521
20 varsity sportswww.castleton.edu
More than 30 academic programs
800-639-8521
Rich cultural offerings
www.castleton.ed
Over 40 student clubs and organizations
20 varsity sports
800-639-8521
www.castleton.edu
Where Pro Advice Is Always Included in the Lowest Prices
Where Pro Advice Is Always Included in the Lowest Prices
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247drums | 22 Park St. Winchester MA 01890 USA | tel 781 218 3350 | [email protected]
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10
Ed
uRibE
dOM
FAMuLARO
afro-cuban Percussion
Drumset techniQues
anD Drumset
LEARN
W
Ed Uribe is a drummer, percussionist, producer, author,
educator and composer. He has
played with many top artists
including Ray Barretto, Paquito
D’Rivera, Randy Brecker, Gary
Burton, Michel Camilo, George
Coleman, Tania Maria, Dave
Samuel, Andy Narell, and Lionel Hampton. He has produced
works for Tito Puente, Giovanni
Hidalgo, Cyro Baptista, Horacio
Hernandez, Vinnie Colaiuta,
Mike Portnoy, Ed Thigpen, and
Carmine Appice to name but a
few. Ed’s books on Afro-Cuban
and Brazilian percussion: The
Essence of Afro-Cuban Percussion and Drum Set and The Essence of Brazilian Percussion
And Drum Set are used by students and universities worldwide. A former professor at
both the New England Conservatory of Music and the Berklee
College of Music, Ed has been
a guest educator at numerous
universities around the world.
Dom Famularo has been traveling the globe preaching the
gospel of drumming for over
30 years. An intense performer,
Dom is one of the most respected solo drum artists in
the world, with a career built
solely upon his unique skills
as a drummer, educator, author
and motivational speaker. He
has directed and emceed major drumming expos around the
world, and has been one of the
most sought-after private drum
instructors for over 40 years.
Students regularly fly in from
around the globe for intensive
study with Dom...currently
teaching over 1,000 students
from over 20 countries at his
WizDOM Drumshed studio in
NY. A major player in the percussion industry, Dom acts as
Education consultant for Sabian
Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, Mapex
Drums, Evans Drumheads, Hudson Music Publications, Wizdom
Media for whom he oversees
programs worldwide. Currently
Dom continues to travel intensively while working on several
drum educational products as
well as his series of motivational books.
I
T
H
T
H
E
MASTERS!
DVD
IS AVAILABLE FROM HUDSON MUSIC
AND ONLINE AT
KOSAMUSIC.COM
NINE
LESSONS
AND
LIVE
PERFOMANCES
AT
KOSA
11
Glen
Velez
Allan
Molnar
FRANK
EPSTEIN
Frame Drumming
Music Technology, Jazz vibes
Classical Percussion
& video conferencing
17th Annual KoSA Drum Camp Delivers
An internationally recognized
master drummer, composer,
scholar, and teacher, Glen has
merged his background in Western percussion with the study
of frame drum techniques from
around the world. A member of
the Paul Winter Consort, Steve
Reich & Musicians, and Trio
Globo, Glen has left an indelible imprint on percussion.
12
Allan Molnar currently resides
in New York where he teaches at
Lehman College. Prior to moving to New York, Allan was active as a percussionist and educator in Toronto, Canada where
his professional experiences included many live and recorded
performances in a variety of
genres. Allan spent more than
20 years teaching instrumental music in the Toronto school
system and is a recipient of the
prestigious “Prime Minister’s
Award for Teaching Excellence.”
He works as a resource teacher
for the Canadian Teachers Federation through the “Sharing
Teaching Excellence” program,
is a faculty member of the KoSA
International Percussion Workshops. Allan co-founded The
ALIVE Project (Accessible Live
Internet Video Education) in
2004.
A native of Amsterdam, percussionist Frank Epstein came to
the United States in 1952, settling in Hollywood, and joining
the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) in 1968. Epstein has
made recordings with the Los
Angeles Philharmonic, the BSO,
and the Boston Pops, as well
as with Collage New Music. As
founder of Collage, and music
director from its inception in
1972 through 1991, Epstein
has overseen the commissioning and performance of more
than 200 new works written
especially for the ensemble as
well as the production of 17
recordings. Epstein is also a
member of the Tanglewood Music Center faculty. Before joining the BSO he was a member
of the San Antonio Symphony.
Epstein’s influential book entitled Cymbalisms is a complete
guide for the Orchestral Cymbals player.
The 17th Annual KoSA International Percussion Workshop, Drum Camp and Festival held
a week of intensive learning, sharing and living with world-renown drum and percussion
masters July 24-29th, 2012. Held in the calm
and beautiful surroundings of the majestic
green mountains of Vermont, participants
came from Mexico, the United Kingdom, the
USA and Canada to soak up the one-of-a kind,
hands-on, 360° drum and percussion immersion. KoSA’s theme for 2012, “We love the
drums!” was seen and felt in the daily and
nightly musical exchanges.
New this year was the live streaming of evening
concerts at the KoSA Music Festival in collaboration with Drum Channel (www.drumchannel.
com). KoSA’s Co-Founders and Directors Aldo
Mazza and partner Dr. Jolán Kovács were thrilled
by the numbers and overwhelming response
from people around the world who witnessed the
incredible performances. These evening concerts
featured KoSA 17’s stellar faculty: Memo Acevedo (Tito Puente), Alex Acuña (Weather Report),
Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath), M’Bemba Bangoura with Michael Markus (West African Drumming
and Dance), Sergio Bellotti (Berklee College),
Dibyarka Chatterjee(Classical Indian Master),
Mike Clark (Herbie Hancock), Mario DeCiutiis
(KAT electronics), Dom Famularo (world drumset ambassador), Hannah Ford (Pandorum), The
Hellcats (West Point Band drumcorps), Corky Laing (Mountain), Arnie Lang (NY Philharmonic),
Aldo Mazza (Répercussion), Allan Molnar (Nelly
Furtado), Jim Royle (Steel Pan ensemble), Jeff
Salisbury (University of Vermont), Marcus Santos (Brazilian master drummer/Berklee College)
and Glen Velez (four-time Grammy winner), The
nightly performances also featured KoSA’s talented New York City rhythm section: Francesco
Beccaro on bass, Bob Quaranta on piano.
Special highlights of the week included KoSA’s
co-founder, Dr. Jolán Kovács (McGill University)
and daughter Angelina Mazza performing violin
at the KoSA Music Festival accompanying the
infectious beats of Jim Royle’s steel pan ensemble. Corky Laing delivered a memorable session
on Sunday with his detailed recounting of his
part of the history of Rock and Rock drumming.
Laing was visibly moved at his session by the
surprise presentation, live via Skype®, from Mel
Shaw (Founding President of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/Executive
Producer of the Juno Awards) who announced
that both Corky Laing and Aldo Mazza would be
honored as two of the first group of recipients of
ʺCanada’s Recording Legacyʺ.
Continuing a long-standing tradition, KoSA
awarded “Lifetime Achievement” awards this
year to three very deserving KoSA Faculty members Mike Clark, Vinny Appice, and Alex Acuña. A
fourth award was presented at the Grand Finale
Saturday night concert to Ralph Angelillo in acknowledgement of Ralph’s 20th year as Artistic
Director and Founder of the highly successful
Montréal Drumfest.
13
kosa CHiNA
14
The annual KoSA CHINA workshop event,
in collaboration with China’s 9 Beats music
education, a nation wide structure consisting of 140 schools throughout China was another huge success. “This was my fourth tour
in mainland China,” states Aldo. “Each time
I return to North America fully charged and
impressed about different experiences there”.
Aldo’s first performance in China was in Beijing twenty-five years ago with his percussion
ensemble, REPERCUSSION. “We were apparently one of the first Western groups to perform there and, at that time, we had the open
opportunity to walk on the Great Wall, stroll
freely in Tiananmen Square and tour the entire Forbidden City without any waiting,” he
describes.
The latest edition of KoSA China held in Tianjin gave Aldo the opportunity to perform as
well as join forces with some well known
Asian artists: Zou Wengao(Shanghai), Kozo
(Japan), Sam Debell (Beijing djembe artist), Mr. Li (Tianjin) Yang Zeng, Izumi (jazz
drummer in Beijing), Heinz Lichius (drummer
from Germany), and Chris Trzcinsky (Shanghai Conservatory). There were approximately
300 students and 100 teachers from around
the country taking daily classes and attending
the concerts. In addition, Aldo was invited to
“sit in” with master keyboardist, Hong Kong’s
Kenny Chengdu in Beijing.
Plans are in place for future KoSA/China projects. It is fascinating to witness the rapid
pace of development being demonstrated by
our Chinese friends. Their fervent quest for
expanding their pursuit of musical education
and their continued excitement around live
performance is impressive, and something to
consider back in the Americas.
LP is proud to support our artists at KoSA
greg
bissonette
jason
bittner
daniel
glass
dom
famularo
aldo
mazza
allan
molnar
marcus
santos
Make it there.
uribe
Make it anywhere.
LPMUSIC.COM
©2011 Latin Percussion
ed
Bob
Quaranta
Leo
Huppert
exotic.
educational.
essential.
piano
electric bass
KoSA Rhythm Section
KoSA Rhythm Section
For over ten years, Bob Quaranta was a member of Mongo
Santamaria’s band and served
as musical director. Additionally, he composed songs for the
band, five of which appeared
on Mongo’s recordings. Two
recordings Bob appeared on
with Mongo were nominated for
Grammy Awards: “Mongo Magic”
and “Espiritu Libre”. Bob has
also performed and/or recorded
with: Dave Valentin, Willie Colon, Ray Barretto, Tommy Igoe,
Angel Canales and “Jellybean”
Benitez. With John Scofield,
he recorded on the Yamaha instructional video “The Drumset,
A Musical Approach”. Other studio sessions include TV commercials for I.B.M. and soundtrack
work for Vestron Video. Bob has
also recorded a piano disk for
the Yamaha “Disklavier”. He appears on the “Drummers Collective 25th Anniversary Celebration & Bass Day 2002” DVD and
CD. Bob continues to serve as
an integral member of the Ed
Palermo Big Band and currently
is on the faculty at The Collective in New York City. He is
also playing piano with Andrea
Brachfeld and the Phoenix Rising Latin Jazz Ensemble.
exotic. educational. essential.
Leo Huppert earned his Bachelor’s degree in Studio Music &
Jazz as well as a Master’s deKoSA Cuba Music Festivals include the KoSA Cuba Percussion
gree in Jazz Performance
from
Workshop, KoSA Cuba Band Trips and more...
the University of Miami completely
School custom programs available. Ask us! kosamusic.com
of Music in 1993. Since moving
to NYC, he has been a busy freeKoSA Cuba Music
lance bassist, touring the US and
Festivals include
Europe with artists such as Blood
the annual KoSA
Sweat & Tears, Ed Palermo’s Frank
Cuba Percussion
Zappa Big Band, Latin-jazz composer/pianist Joseph Diamond,
Workshop, KoSA
Celtic/World music fiddler EiCuba Band Trips,
leen Ivers, and Gary Morgan’s
educational tours
Panamericana Big Band. He has
an extensive Broadway career,
and more...
appearing in over twenty productions including: In The Heights,
Into the Woods, Sister Act and
Jersey Boys
19
completely custom
programs year round
available.
Ask us !
Kosamusic.com
Chester
Thompson
ERIKO
DAIMO
Sergio
Bellotti
Marcus
Santos
RON
REID
Mario
DeCiutiis
Drumset Fusion and Jazz
Classical Marimba
Drumset Groove concepts
Brazilian Percussion
Steel Drums
Electronic percussion
& Beatnick Programming
& mallets
marimba one
247 DRUMS
20
From Jazz (Weather Report),
to Rock (Frank Zappa and the
Mothers), to Pop (Genesis/
Phil Collins) to Gospel (Ron
Kenoly), Chester Thompson’s
performance and recording experiences have influenced over
three decades of music and musicians. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Chester started playing in local nightclubs
at age 13. He’s not stopped
since then and has spent extended periods of time in various musical centers including
Los Angeles, CA and London
and he had a particularly heavy
touring schedule in the 1970s,
80s and 1990s. On faculty at
Belmont University since 1998,
Chester teaches Applied Performance lessons and directs a
Jazz Ensemble. He has released
a DVD of a performance at the
2003 Paderborn Drum Festival entitled “On the Fly” and
another DVD with Luis Conte,
“Drum Talk, El Habla Tabor”.
Born in Kagoshima, Japan, Ms.
Daimo began her musical studies at age five on the piano. She
started studying the marimba
when she entered high school,
and went on to study at the Aichi
Prefectural University of Fine
Arts and Music and the Boston
Conservatory. Eriko Daimo is the
recipient of numerous top prizes
in such prestigious competitions,
including 1st prizes at the International Marimba Competition
2004 in Belgium, Japan International League of Artists Competition, Japan PAS 20th Annual Percussion Solo Competition 2004,
and Japan Soloist Music Competition. Her recent performances
include concerto performances
with Osaka Symphony Orchestra,
Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany, Melrose Symphony Orchestra, Amarillo Symphony
Orchestra and Orchestra Nipponika, and recital tours in Sweden,
Denmark, Finland, Croatia, Spain,
France, Mexico, Belgium, Japan
and the U.S.
Sergio Bellotti moved from the
south of Italy to the USA in
1995. He was first active in the
Boston music scene, and is now
a worldwide clinician/performer
who has recorded and/or shared
the stage with Mike Stern, Wayne
Krantz, Tom Scott, Bob James,
Robben Ford, Nathan East, Bernard Purdie, Harvey Mason and
Dan Siegel among others. Sergio performs weekly in Boston
with WeJazzUp! and alongside
various other local and international artists. He is the founder
and co-leader of the Electric Jazz
ensemble Spajazzy and co-leads
a duo with percussion virtuoso
and Remo Signature Artist, Alessandra Belloni. He is also the
co-founder of the successful
Ponte USA program with Franco
Rossi from the Accademia di
Musica Moderna in Italy. Sergio
has taught drum set at Berklee
College of Music since 2002,
writes for Drum Club magazine
in Italy, and has performed at
the Montreal Drum Fest ‘03 (now
available on DVD), Cape Breton
International Drum Fest ‘04, ‘05
and ‘06, Berklee World Percussion Festival ‘05, KoSA ’10, and
the Percussive Arts Society PASIC
‘05 and ‘09 in the USA and ‘06
and ‘07 in Italy.
Marcus Santos is a native of
Bahia, Brazil. An alumni of
Berklee College of Music in
Boston, Marcus has shared the
stage with artists such as Paquito D’Rivera and the Gipsy
Kings. Marcus has led numerous
workshops on Afro-Brazilian
percussion and music for Social
Change in universities around
the world, including MIT, Harvard and Brown University. Santos has produced and released
internationally the “Modern
Approach to Pandeiro” educational DVD. Santos is featured
at the DVD “Musically Speaking
II”, produced by BOSE, and on
Sony pictures “Rachel is Getting Married” starring Ann Hathaway. In 2010, Marcus taught
Afro Brazilian Drumming to the
Abreu Fellowship recipients
from the New England Conservatory’s program for the establishment of a nation wide music
educational program called “El
Sistema” USA. Currently, Santos
is artistic director of drumming
groups in six different states
in the US, part of an effort to
enact positive change by engaging communities through
music, especially immigrant
teenagers.
Trinidadian-born bassist, steel
drummer, composer/educator
has for the past 30 years been
a standard-bearer for improvisational Caribbean music. Ron
began his career as a bassist in
the late Lord Kitchener’s Calypso Revue Tent in 1978 and has
recorded and performed with an
honor roll of calypso and soca
artists, including the Mighty
Sparrow, Shadow, Lord Relator,
Ella Andall and David Rudder.
His steelpan infused sextet
Sunsteel performs an eclectic
mix of Trinidadian folk, afro-Caribbean and jazz compositions
and includes some of Boston’s
finest musicians. Ron shares his
pan playing talents with David
Williams’ J’ouvert and Calabash
of Toronto, Canada, and as a
steel drummer has recorded
with diverse artists as Myanna,
Grace Kelly and Bill Harley. As a
jazz bassist Ron has performed
with Randy Weston, Carmen
Lundy, Lenora Helm and Antonio Hart. Ron is an Associate
Professor of Contemporary Writing and Production at Berklee
College of Music in Boston.
He teaches several arranging
classes as well as Steelpan and
Afropop ensembles.
With over 26 years of professional music experience and as
principal percussionist for Radio
City Music Hall since 1979, Mario
DeCiutiis has performed literally thousands of shows ranging
from Christmas Spectaculars &
Liberace Extravaganzas to Silent
Movies and Ice Shows. He has
performed many Broadway and
Off-Broadway Shows in New York
and has spent his share of “roadtouring” for plays, MIDI clinics
and concerts. DeCiutiis can be
heard on numerous studio recordings including a Grammy Award
winning Children’s CD. He has
produced many educational music videos for KAT Inc., developed
CD-ROMs with percussion instruments for digital samplers and
has performed on a wide variety
of audio recordings as a drummer
and percussionist session player.
Since 1986, Mario fulfilled the
role of Vice President of KAT Inc.,
involved in the creation, design,
manufacturing and world-wide
distribution of KAT electronic
controllers. In 1996, he founded
Alternate Mode Inc. to continue
the KAT product line. His interests now focus on performing on
the college and concert circuit,
sharing his knowledge of music
and technology.
21
MICHAEL
TAYLOR
Daniel
Glass
West African Drumming
Jazz Drumset
Michael Taylor is a certified
Tam Tam Mandingue professor
of djembe and the founder of
Holy Goat Percussion. The Tam
Tam Mandingue Certification
in the djembe drum is offered
exclusively by Grand Master
Drummer Mamady Keita from
Guinea, West Africa, whom Taylor had the pleasure of studying with. Taylor has taught and
performed in the United States,
Africa, Japan and China. He has
recorded three CDs of original
West African djembe-based
music: A touch of Chaos in the
Rhythmic Soup, Silence and
Silence in the Rhythmic Soup.
He has also released two instructional DVDs focusing on
traditional djembe technique
(Remembering how to Drum)
and the essential repetition
that comes with mastery of the
djembe (Akaranikoiko).
22
LIFE-LONG
LEARNING FOR ALL.
Kosamusic.com
Daniel Glass is one of today’s
foremost authorities on classic American drumming. He
is currently the drummer with
the Brian Setzer Orchestra and
Royal Crown Revue, and has
recorded and performed with
a host of top flight artists, including Gene Simmons, Bette
Midler, Liza Minnelli and Mike
Ness from Social Distortion.
Daniel has written five books,
including award-winning Commandments of Early Rhythm
and Blues Drumming (with
Zoro). His DVDs “The Century
Project” and “TRAPS” recently
topped the readers poll awards
in both Modern Drummer and
DRUM magazine.
KoSA/PAS/NYU In New York City
Rocks the Big Apple
The atmosphere was electric, intense, and inspiring at the 2013 PAS KoSA NYU “Weekend of
Percussion” offering 20 hours of FREE clinics,
concerts, and competitions. Hosted by Andrew
Beall (President, PAS NY Chapter), Jonathan
Haas (Director, NYU Percussion Studies Program), and Aldo Mazza (Director, KoSA), the
KoSA/PAS weekend once again brought a unique
collaboration from two of the largest percussion
organizations in the world (PAS and KoSA).
Clinics began with Dominick Cuccia, teaching all
about the world of Fife and Drum corps, accompanied by Therese Cuccia. Pablo Rieppi followed
with an orchestral snare drum masterclass,
critiquing students from Juilliard, Manhattan
School of Music, and New York University. The
morning concluded with the Youth Percussion
Showcase, which featured Juilliard Pre-College
(Jonathan Haas, Director), New York Youth
Musicians (Diana Melgarejo, Director, Mariana
Ramirez, Mexican Marimba Ensemble Coach) and
from Orlando, FL, Freedom High School Percussion Ensemble (Franklin Jennings, Director).
The afternoon started with a bang with “The
Junkman” Don Knaack, discussing and performing his music composed for 100% re-purposed
materials. Moderated by Aldo Mazza, a panel
discussion followed on Music Business and Entrepreneurship, featuring Kevin Curry (President,
Carroll’s Music), Michael Sgouros (Owner, Players
Theater), and Drew Tucker (Artistic Director, Arts
Garage Performing Arts Academy).
KoSA Faculty alumni, Eriko Daimo headed up a
marimba masterclass. The final clinic of the day
featuring Teddy Campbell (Tonight Show drummer) took us through his early start, playing in
church Gospel choirs, to touring with Britney
Spears, 6 years drumming for American Idol, and
drumming for Jay Leno. The day concluded with
a Showcase Concert, featuring Frederic Macarez
and the NYU Percussion Ensemble, Howard Van
Hyning Tribute Drummers, The Great American
Fife & Drum Band, Jim Royle Drum Studio Percussion Ensemble, Eriko Daimo, Nacho Arimany,
“The Junkman”, Aldo Mazza, Greg Landes, Andrew Beall, Rey Soriano, Doug Feig, the cast of
Song of Solomon, and the Marimba Competition
winners.
Sunday was kicked off with Peter Saleh, who
gave a clinic on performing as a percussionist
for Dance Classes in NYC. Accompanying him
were Grant Braddock and Mike Ramsey as well as
5 seasoned dancers. Next, Nacho Arimany who
graced the audience with his unique Flamenco
Clinic, including enticing performances by Pedro
Cortés (Guitar) Sonia Olla (Dance), and Ismael
de la Rosa (Voice). Following Nacho was Madeleine Yayodele Nelson, who gave us our firstever hands-on “Shekere” workshop. Next was a
triple-threat of Aldo Mazza, Michael Markus and
M’Bemba Bangoura presenting a clinic on the fusion of world percussion and drumset, with a jam
that demonstrated how everything originates in
Africa. Then all attendees were treated to Steve
Reich’s “Mallet Quartet” with the NYU Marimba
Ensemble (Simon Boyar, director) with special
guest Josh Quillen (So Percussion). The final
clinic/performance of the weekend was given by
Valerie Naranjo (percussionist, Saturday Night
Live, marimbist, Broadway’s The Lion King). The
weekend concluded with a special finale: an
open-improvisation, bringing together artists
and presenters and exemplifying the spirit and
collaborative efforts of the entire weekend.
23
Jeff
Queen
Jeff
Salisbury
JASON
BITTNER
Drum Corps
Drumset reading
Heavy Metal Drumming
& concepts
Subscribe
downbeat.com
651-251-9682 (Outside U.S.)
877-904-5299 (U.S.)
At the age of 15, Jeff Queen
began his drum corps career
with the Canton Bluecoats and
continued on to March with
the Velvet Knights, Santa Clara
Vanguard, Blue Knights and the
University of North Texas. Jeff
was the Drum Corps International Individual and Ensemble
Snare Drum Champion in 1994
and 1995 as well as the Percussive Arts Society Individual
Snare Drum Champion in 1994
and 1995. Jeff has taught in
the drum corps activity for many
years, including being the caption head for the Carolina Crown
drum and bugle corps from 20032004. Jeff is an original cast
member of the Tony and Emmy
award winning Broadway Show
“BLAST” where he was a solo
performer and battery instructor from 1999 - 2003. Jeff has
performed on stages across the
country and in Europe, including
Broadway and London. He has
appeared in numerous television
shows including: The Late Show
with David Letterman, The Kennedy Center Honors 2000, NBA
All-Star Game 2001, BLAST, and
The Making of Blast on PBS DVD
and Video. Queen is the author
of “The Next Level: Rudimental
Snare Drum Techniques”.
Jeff Salisbury teaches drumset
at the University of Vermont
and is president of the Vermont
chapter of the Percussive Arts
Society. He serves as an artistic
advisor for the Discover Jazz
Festival. Jeff played for the Albert King Blues Band and Cold
Blood in the late 1960s. He has
performed with Chuck Berry
and Bo Diddley and many other
artists in R & B and jazz. He
currently performs with James
Harvey, Pure Pressure and the
Sklar/Grippo sextet. He has
studied with George Marsh, Bob
Moses and Pete Magadini and is
a Drum Workshop drumset artist.He has appeared in Modern
Drummer and Downbeat magazines. His articles have been
published in Percussive Notes,
Percussion News, and Drum Instructors Only.
Jason Bittner is the drummer
for American Heavy Metal band,
Shadows Fall, formed in 1995.
He is also known for being an
occasional “fill-in” drummer for
thrash metal pioneers, Anthrax.
Bittner has won numerous
awards including Modern Drummer Reader’s poll for #1 Up and
Coming Drummer in 2004, and
in 2005; #1Metal Drummer as
well as #1 Best Recorded Performance for the Shadows Fall
album The War Within. He won
#1 Metal drummer again in MD
in 2006, followed by #1 Metal
in the DRUM! Reader’s poll in
2007. He has also been nominated for 2 Grammy awards,
and was voted one of the top 3
clinicians in 2010 by the reader’s of DRUM! magazine.
25
e
DRUMPARTIES.COM
Drum Parties & Company Team Building
26
Drumming, specifically drumming in groups is
a deep set human activity that goes as far
back in human history as dancing, singing and
story telling...and has historically often been
a component of those. Many cultures have retained drumming as part of their ritual, and
part of their living experience. Western cultures, however, have largely abandoned group
drumming (or drum circles) as an important
cultural and participatory event.
ering of friends and family, are responsible for
planning an inclusive corporate event or retreat,
or are simply after an entertaining experience
you and your fellow participants will never forget, we are your facilitor!
We are on a mission to change this.
KoSA Drum Parties offers decades of percussion and performance experience. We have
participated in group drumming events
around the world, and have ourselves learned
from drum masters from Africa, Asia, South
America, and more. We bring it to you!
At KoSA, we are dedicated to the power and
promise of drumming and percussion. KoSA
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We urge you to visit these web pages, and
then contact us for more information. A KoSA
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outlook on life.
kosa CubA wORKsHOp & FEsTivAL
KoSA Cuba’s annual workshop and festival
was once again nothing short of spectacular.
The event is held each year as a collaborative
partner and sponsor with the annual Havana
Rhythm and Dance Festival (Fiesta Del Tambor)
directed by the legendary drummer and composer Giraldo Piloto.
28
on conga drums. The ever-smiling “El Capitan”
astounded with his “Cuban Contraptione”—a
unique fusion of conga drums, timbales, bongs,
guiro, bells and multiple pedals, including innovative new technologies and instruments for
expanding the drummers’ horizons. One of his
recent inventions was the “Fusheke” or maracas on a foot pedal (currently manufactured by
LP). The great timbalero, Amadito Valdés (best
known for his work with the famous Buena
Vista Social Club) gave an engaging introductory clinic on Timbales in relation to the Clave.
The great Jose Luis Quintana, better known as
“Changuito”, famous for his work with Los Van
Van and the creation of the “Songo”, shared
with us through the week, proving instruction
and inspiration. And there were astounding
concerts: including the spectacular 50th Anniversary Gala for the legendary Los Papines,
the conga and vocals quartet of Cuban brothers. Though three of the original Papines have
passed, their children and grandchildren fill
out the ranks of this famous family of Cuban
musicians. Other extraordinary classes during
the week were taught by the two Klimax group
percussionists, Jean Roberto Figueroa and Julio Lopez, Enrique Pla (the original drummer
for Cuban supergroup Irakere) and Ramses Rodriguez (drummer for Roberto Fonseca). The
final Festival Concert featured the finalists in
the drumset, congas, and Bata drums competitions. In addition there were performances by
Aldo Mazza, Memo Acevedo as well as many
musical groups and dancers such as Havana
Compass Dance and a spectacular performance
by the legendary drummer Giraldo Piloto and
his band Klimax.
An eclectic group of participants from Canada,
the United States, Mexico and Colombia were
present for the KoSA-Cuba 2013 experienceseven days and nights of percussion clinics,
concerts, and seeing the sites of this remarkable city and nation. To start the week, the
participants experienced a class with legendary
Cuban ethnomusicologist Dr. Olavo Alen Rodriguez, author of many books about Cuban music, including the acclaimed From Afro-Cuban
Music to Salsa. Dr. Olavo, gave a fascinating
presentation to KoSA participants on the history of Cuban music, its many expressions and
the cultural meanings associated with each.
Next, there were master classes and clinics with
father and son drum legends Walfredo Reyes Sr.
and Walfredo Reyes Jr. Walfredo Sr. is among
the first percussionists to translate traditional
Cuban rhythms to the drum set. Walfredo Reyes
Jr., long time drummer with Santana—and just
off a tour with Chicago— demonstrated Latin
funk grooves with a brilliant bassist guest artist from Norway, Per Mathison . Throughout the
week our educational clinics featured percussion greats like Juan Carlos Rojas--El Peje-- (the
Fish), long time drummer for Chucho Valdez.
El Peje gave an exciting clinic on Latin Jazz
drum set and also gave several private lessons.
There was conguero Tomas “El Panga” Ramos,
one of the top studio musicians in Cuba. Both
a consummate musician and a compassionate If you haven’t yet attended a KoSA Cuba Workteacher, Panga wowed us with his brilliance shop, it is a MUST ATTEND event each year.
TOURING GEAR
THE BEST LIVE
MICROPHONE SERIES
WE‘VE EVER BUILT
PROFESSIONAL
AUDIO
www.beyerdynamic.com
CREDITS
Editors:
Aldo Mazza &
Dr. Jolán Kovács-Mazza
Artistic Director:
Aldo Mazza
Projects Coordinator:
Dr. Jolán Kovács-Mazza
KoSA Team:
Louis Cailloux
John DiRaimo
Antonietta “Toni” Pulcini
Angelina Mazza
Graphic Design:
Pascal Milette (lab912.com)
KoSA Photographers:
Kip Ross, Peter Bruce Wilder,
Dr. Jolán Kovács-Mazza,
Angelina Mazza, David Pye
Memo Acevedo, John DiRaimo, Toni
Pulcini, Dom Famularo, Sergio Bellotti,
Phil Hood and DRUM! Magazine, David
Stackpole & Ed French (Stackpole &
French Law Offices), Kevin Kearns and
Modern Drummer Magazine, Phil and
Whitney Lamy, Mr. Li (9 Beats Music
School – China), Andrew Beall, Jonathan Haas, Pascal Milette, Allan Molnar,
Jim Norris and Canadian Musician Magazine, Giraldo Piloto (Klimax- Cuba),
David Segal, Ralph Angelillo, Peter and
Lynda Wilder, Michael Wimberly, T.
Bruce Wittet, Mrs. Huguette Kovács,
Marlene White, the instrument manufacturers for their great instruments
and continuous support, the wonderful
artists for sharing their talents with us,
and of course KoSA’s future directors
and budding musicians: Angelina , Massimo, and Gianluca Mazza.
Drum Tech Logistics:
Lincoln Gagnon
Head of Logistics:
Peter Bruce Wilder
Festival Live Sound:
Ezra Mulheron (MSR Sound)
Festival Stage Manager:
Lincoln Gagnon
KoSA Webmasters
and Social Media:
Scott Rouse
Mickael Kanfi
Peter Bruce Wilder
Video:
Scott Rouse
Angelina Mazza
KoSA HEAD OFFICE
KoSA 18 is dedicated to the memory
of Sabian founder Robert Zildjian,
Ed Shaughnessy, and Jan Lishon.
P.O Box 333. Station Saint-Jacques
Montreal, QC, Canada H3C 2S1
514-482-5554 • 1-800-541-8401
[email protected]
www.kosamusic.com
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30
THE LEGACY
LIVES
IN
EVERY CYMBAL
www.moderndrummer.com
The bright, sweet sound lives in every cymbal
we make. Discover the new enhanced sound
of our A Zildjian line and the entire Family of
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