Former President of the Percussive Arts Society, John R. Beck is a Professor of Percussion at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and an Instructor at Wake Forest University. He is also the Principal Percussionist of the Winston-Salem Symphony, as well as a member of the Greensboro Symphony, the Brass Band of…
Born in Cordoba, Spain, Jesus Ramirez Fernandez is currently head of the percussion department at the Cordoba Professional Conservatory of Music. He began his musical training on the piano, and guitar, at the age of seven. And it was at the Cordoba Superior Conservatory of Music where he studied percussion with D. Enrique Baez, and…
Dr. Garwood Whaley’s affinity for percussion began in the eighth grade when he wanted to be the drummer of a newly formed band. But to do this, he had to overcome one obstacle: he needed to own a set of drums. Determined to join, he worked on a small farm over Easter break, and with…
Since childhood, Beth Gottlieb has been fascinated with percussion due to the multitude of instruments one can perform. Unfortunately, her parents disapproved because they viewed percussion as being unfeminine. In turn, she began her musical studies on the piano, violin and clarinet. But because of her persistence, her parents relented, and she was permitted to…
As a child, Todd Ukena would intently listen to his mother, Dorothy, play show tunes on the piano; thus crediting her for his love of music. It was in grade four, that he would follow in her foot-steps and began studying the piano, while wishing that he could play the snare drum. And…
Michael LaMattina studied percussion performance at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Cleveland State University where he earned the degrees of Bachelor of Music and Master of Music respectively. In addition, he attended the Music Academy of the West; he was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center; was a member of The Spirit of Atlanta…
A full Professor of Music at William Paterson University teaching contemporary music, percussion, composition, improvisation, and Hindustani music; and Co-Artistic director of SHASTRA, Dr. Payton MacDonald has created a unique body of work as a performer and composer. Having been described as an “energetic soloist” by the New York Times and as an “inventive, stylistically…
Daniel Kirkpatrick graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of North Texas College of Music. At UNT, he was principal timpanist of the UNT Symphony and Chamber Orchestra while studying with Christopher Deane, Mike Drake, Mark Ford, and Paul Rennick. Following UNT, he attended the University of Wisconsin…
Born into a family of professional dancers and musicians, James Musto began playing the drums for social events around the Jersey Shore at age 15. He studied jazz drums with Barry Altschul, Freddie Waits and Fred Buda of the Boston Pops; and was encouraged by them to study other percussion instruments. Hence, culminating when he…