The Music of the Americas Project is a 15-member ensemble at Adams State University.

Click here for our Colorado Music Educators Association Conference (CMEA) program

Music of the Americas Project Performances, January 20-25, 2020: 

January 20th Adams State University, Alamosa, CO 

January 21st Buena Vista High School, Buena Vista, CO 

January 22nd Denver School of the Arts, Denver, CO 

Littleton High School, Littleton, CO 

January 23rd Fountain-Fort Carson High School, Fountain, CO 

January 24th Palmer…

PASIC Lightning Session B

November 16, 2019, 3pm-3:50pm

Room 201

Indianapolis, Indiana

Presentation Resources:

Woman-Identifying Percussion Ensemble Composer Database:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1omcWh2w_seOUX8_xD_hKDcvHcVTvbIN9nmwtXQ3B6Eo/edit?usp=sharing

“Portable” Percussion Ensemble Database:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1l9LqHDYeeC_JNrrtRhFBJSq5FVPPTN_FCjn3yxqVS90/edit?usp=sharing

Composers:

Gemma Peacocke

https://www.gemmapeacocke.com/

inti figgis-vizueta

https://www.…

Join the Live Stream here at 6:50pm MST.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpusuQBRvowFlfWkXw9iUnQ/live

Program info below!

Click here for program information:

11.12.19_Percussion_Extravaganza.pdf

Program Notes:

Tonight marks a return to the Percussion Extravaganza concept of our percussion concerts. What this means for you as audience members is the opportunity to enjoy a sampling of what defines Adams State Percussion all at one time in one place. First and foremost, we value collaboration and…

Live Stream Here! 

Director’s Note:

The Spring 2019 academic semester began with a percussion ensemble clinic/performance at the Colorado Music Educators Association Conference (CMEA) at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs on the topic of portable “backpack” percussion works. The students on stage this evening are composing a collection of beginner to intermediate works for portable percussion to be available this summer. This project is for directors and students to have affordable and accessible…

Two CD release concerts coming up with Apricity Trio--both benefitting student and faculty exchange between Gunma University, Japan, and Adams State University, Colorado.

Join us in Alamosa, CO

or 

Santa Fe, NM!

Read more about us here

In an effort to make chamber percussion music more accessible to all, the Adams State Percussion Studio is embarking on a multi-year project to create several volumes of works for “portable” percussion ensemble. Young percussionists, regardless of socio-economic factors, rehearsal space availability, and instrument inventory should have the opportunity to rehearse and perform works written solely for percussion. This project intends to address the needs of percussionists of all levels and add to the…

Below are links to pdf's pertaining to three of my clinics for the 2019 Colorado Music Educator's Conference at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Also below is a database link for percussion ensemble works that fit in a backpack (or close to it!).  Check back frequently for updates, share, and feel free to add to the list.

Please feel free to email me with any questions!

Plays Well with Others

"Practical Applications for Chamber Music in Your Band Program"

Clinic Handout

Snare Drum FUNdamentals Clinic

…

The Adams State University Percussion Ensemble Presents:

“Affinity”

Director’s Note:

Programming for ensembles should carry a heavy burden. Asking students to commit untold hours of individual preparation, sectional rehearsals, instrument building, mallet selection, full ensemble rehearsals, research, recording sessions, and post production work for a single performance requires consideration worthy of their education and artistic growth. As an educator, I first consider the individual students…

If you see a problem, engage to find solutions.

A few months ago, I was casually perusing social media over my morning coffee. It was the height of the fall semester “concert season" in academia and numerous concert programs were being posted by directors of percussion ensembles, wind bands, and the like.

A quick calculation of the composers represented—38. Of those composers, 38 were male. Of the 38, 37 were white males.

Did this come as a surprise?

An examination of Steve Weiss's catalogue of…

Composition XX

Notes by Dr. James Doyle

Link to Live Stream 

Notes from the Director

As the title of the concert suggests, all of tonight’s works were written by women. While it would be ideal to normalize this fact by not drawing attention to the uniqueness of the programming, it is arguably necessary. When researching repertoire for this academic year, I became keenly aware of the fact that nearly every program I've seen from institutions around the U.S. have been comprised entirely of male…