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Oakland College percussion college students, school, and alumni participated within the annual Percussive Arts Society Worldwide Conference (PASIC), which came about Nov. 13-14.
“PASIC this 12 months was superb as at all times, with many nice lectures starting from music enterprise to area of interest performing arts, together with performers we wouldn’t normally be capable of see,” mentioned Dan Schiller, treasurer of OU’s percussion scholar group. “This was an incredible alternative for college students because it exhibits what’s at the moment happening in our subject, from the pioneers themselves.”
Because of the pandemic, this 12 months’s conference went digital for the primary time.
“As a result of it was digital, many superb teams and people who wouldn’t have been in a position to take part in any other case had been in attendance,” mentioned David Smit, president of OU’s percussion scholar group. “It was additionally superb to see my great professors, Chinelo Amen-Ra and Mark Stone, presenting with many different esteemed audio system.”
Amen-Ra and Stone offered a panel entitled “Pores and skin on Pores and skin: A Roundtable Dialogue,” which explored the influence of hand drumming traditions and the way the drum can be utilized as an instrument of peace to beat cultural variations, and gas the noble aspiration of communal unity.
Chinelo Amen-Ra |
“With all that has occurred in our nation and our world in 2020, this 12 months’s PASIC conference was a much-needed gathering of individuals from all walks of life who intention to unite our world by way of percussion,” Amen-Ra mentioned. “I used to be honored to be a featured panelist, becoming a member of an esteemed group of various percussionists whose works have made a world influence. Our backgrounds and life journeys with music had been all very completely different, however we had been introduced collectively by way of African-based hand drumming traditions.
“That is the true spirit of the drum, a spirit that unifies our world and attracts emphasis to the oneness of humanity,” he added. “In speaking with a few of our Oakland College percussion college students, their expertise was pretty much as good if not higher than mine, and I do know they are going to be impacted on this 12 months and any 12 months they attend this important conference. I personally cannot wait till PASIC 2021.”
Stone can be chair of the PAS World Percussion Committee and helped arrange displays from Japan, South Africa, Ghana, Guinea, India, and Cuba for this 12 months’s conference.
As well as, OU percussion alumnus Ari Hajek helped to arrange a particular tribute honoring legendary percussionist Alan Abel (Philadelphia Orchestra and Temple College), who died this previous spring after contracting COVID-19.
Hajek restored and edited video footage from Abel’s distinguished profession. He additionally condensed and modifying a Zoom name by which Abel’s spouse and kids shared their recollections of him.
“It was an honor to assist out,” Hajek mentioned. “Dropping Mr. Abel was like dropping a grandfather, and it’s protected to say that almost all of his college students felt the identical manner. He cherished know-how, so I’m fairly certain if he heard about what I did, he’d crack a smile, and in his ethereal voice, say, ‘wow … that’s cool!’ He was particular person; top-of-the-line, the truth is.”
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