ABOUT US
ENSEMBLE
Patriot Percussion is a Percussion Ensemble from Livonia, Michigan consisting of four Young and Professional artists, Johnathan Rickard, Eva Muller, Zachary Young and Ian Clark. Each member of the ensemble serves an important role in the managements of the organization. The ensemble was created at Franklin High School where all the members attend. The group was formed on January 31st, 2017 and started to rehearse the next day. The main focus of Patriot Percussion is to entertain audiences with a new type of concert atmosphere and to educate future musicians on the principles and just overall fun of being a percussionist.
Each member brings a different perspective to the ensemble. This allows Patriot Percussion to stay new and gives them the right tools to connect to their audience on an even larger scale. While classical percussion repertoire is included in the ensembles performances, contemporary and modern pieces that include brand new techniques and electronic elements are used just as much to give performances a fresh feel and variety.
INSTRUMENTATION
Though percussion is any thing that can be played and make a sound, common instruments occur to appear after a while which become the standard of percussion. Typical instruments used by Patriot Percussion include Keyboard percussion such as the Marimba, Vibraphone and Glockenspiel, which all have defined pitches. Others include Drums, wide variety of cymbals, wine bottles and glass bowls, which all have undefined pitches.
Recently, Patriot Percussion has been incorporating electronic audio and creative video/lighting into their rehearsal process and is very excited to bring these new items to their performances in their 2018 and 2019 season!
BRANDS PERFORMED ON
ADAMS Keyboards
PEARL Drums
EVANS Drum Heads
LATIN PERCUSSION Auxiliary
ZILDJIAN Cymbals
VIC FIRTH Sticks and Mallets
Patriot Percussion is a Percussion Ensemble from Livonia, Michigan consisting of four Young and Professional artists, Johnathan Rickard, Eva Muller, Zachary Young and Ian Clark. Each member of the ensemble serves an important role in the managements of the organization. The ensemble was created at Franklin High School where all the members attend. The group was formed on January 31st, 2017 and started to rehearse the next day. The main focus of Patriot Percussion is to entertain audiences with a new type of concert atmosphere and to educate future musicians on the principles and just overall fun of being a percussionist.
Each member brings a different perspective to the ensemble. This allows Patriot Percussion to stay new and gives them the right tools to connect to their audience on an even larger scale. While classical percussion repertoire is included in the ensembles performances, contemporary and modern pieces that include brand new techniques and electronic elements are used just as much to give performances a fresh feel and variety.
INSTRUMENTATION
Though percussion is any thing that can be played and make a sound, common instruments occur to appear after a while which become the standard of percussion. Typical instruments used by Patriot Percussion include Keyboard percussion such as the Marimba, Vibraphone and Glockenspiel, which all have defined pitches. Others include Drums, wide variety of cymbals, wine bottles and glass bowls, which all have undefined pitches.
Recently, Patriot Percussion has been incorporating electronic audio and creative video/lighting into their rehearsal process and is very excited to bring these new items to their performances in their 2018 and 2019 season!
BRANDS PERFORMED ON
ADAMS Keyboards
PEARL Drums
EVANS Drum Heads
LATIN PERCUSSION Auxiliary
ZILDJIAN Cymbals
VIC FIRTH Sticks and Mallets
ENSEMBLE MEMBERS
JOHNATHAN RICKARD Executive Director Since age three Johnathan has been playing percussion and creating rhythms. He has attended Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Muskegon County, Michigan, Majoring in Percussion Performance and Minoring in Conducting. He has attended the Interlochen Center For The Arts Percussion Institute in the summer of 2018. Johnathan takes private lessons with the University of Michigan Drumline instructor, who also is the principal percussionist for the Flint Symphony Orchestra. He has been taught by Keith Aleo, Jeff Irving, Eric Millstein, Terry Longshore, Dan Piccolo, Gabriella Mayer, Quincy Davis and Vassilina Serafimova. As well as being educated by the two, Johnathan has performed alongside University of North Texas Professor of Jazz Drumming, Quincy Davis and performed with the Bulgarian, International Percussionist/Marimbist and Artistic Director of The Paris Percussion Group, Vassilina Serafimova. Johnathan is a member of the Farmington Community Band and a member of the University of Michigan Youth Symphonic Band. He is an active Composer and Arranger of multiple types of ensembles ranging from Percussion Quartets to Full Orchestral Symphonies. Johnathan's main focus of percussion is Keyboard Percussion and Timpani. As Executive Director, Johnathan oversees all operations of the ensemble and is the spokesperson for the group. In addition to his role as Executive Director, Johnathan creates the Lighting Design for all of Patriot Percussion's performances. EVA MULLER Creative Director Eva is a proficient percussionist that has been playing since her youth. She has taken private lessons for Piano and Percussion and has performed many pieces at the Michigan State Band and Orchestra Association Solo and Ensemble festival. During the summer of 2017 Eva attended a Marching Percussion Camp at Michigan State University where she perfected her Snare techniques. Eva's main focus of percussion is Marimba and Snare Drum. As Creative Director, Eva plans ahead and creates ideas that allow the ensemble to stay up to date and do new and exciting things. ZACHARY YOUNG Technical Director Zach has been playing percussion since a very young age. Recently he was involved in the Lakeshoremen Winds program and is a current touring member of Shadow Drum and Bugle Corp. Zach is very flexible when it comes to performance, as he very often fills in for other percussionists when needed. Zach's main focus of percussion is Drums and Keyboards. As Technical Director, Zach is spearheading all aspects of sound, video, and anything else that incorporates technology into the ensembles performance. IAN CLARK Equipment Director Ian has been a Percussionist for as long as he can remember. Recently Ian has participated in Marching Band Activities, leading the Bass Drums, and has engage in numerous other Percussion performances. He has been an amazing addition to Patriot Percussion over the last couple of months. Ian's main focus of percussion is Large Drums, Auxiliary, and Small mallet instruments. As Equipment Director, Ian is the one who creates the packing list, sees that all necessary items are packed and ready for transport and performance, and maintains the clean and operational state of the items in use. |