The Tennessee Tech University Percussion Ensemble has been invited to perform at the 2012 Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Austin, TX. Only four classical percussion ensembles are invited to perform annually, and the TTU Percussion Ensemble has been invited to perform a ninety-minute session presenting New Music Literature for Percussion Ensemble.
The Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) is the largest percussion event in the world featuring over 120 concerts, clinics, master classes, labs, workshops, panels and presentations. The finest artists from all over the world are invited to present and perform at PASIC. The program showcases all areas of percussion, including: drum set, marching, keyboard, symphonic, world, recreational, education, music technology, new music, and health & wellness. The convention’s International Drum and Percussion Expo is held annually with more than 120 exhibitors showcasing the latest in percussion instruments, gear, publications and services.
In the presentation, the TTU Percussion Ensemble will perform for over 5,500 percussionists from all over the continent and have the responsibility of representing two years of composition for this idiom in only ninety minutes – a rather daunting task.
This invitation has been compared to the NCAA’s Basketball “Final Four” for university percussion ensembles and is one of the most prestigious honors given to such a group. The ensemble will travel to PASIC in Austin, TX via Arkadelphia, AR (Ouachita Baptist University), Dallas, TX (University of Texas-Arlington), and Frisco, TX (Frisco Liberty High School) to perform several concerts before performing their Thursday afternoon session at PASIC. This is a wonderful opportunity for TTU Percussionists to serve as musical ambassadors for the university.
