Hands-on Percussion for the Non-Percussion Educator: Basics of Snare and Mallets
Clinic Synopsis:
This session is meant to help those who either had little to no hands-on percussion methods
training or need a refresher by being reintroduced to common & modern percussion techniques along with having time to put sticks and mallets in their hands with the guidance of a percussion educator in the room. Participants will have opportunities to apply both snare and mallet technique.
Justin Koszarek
- Biographical Information
Justin Koszarek is both the Marching Band Director at Peters High
School in McMurray, Pennsylvania and K-8 General Music teacher at East
Elementary in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania. Before moving to Pennsylvania in the
summer of 2021, he spent the last 13 years teaching in the Chicagoland area. Mr.
Koszarek has composed and/or arranged works for a variety of mediums including
Wind Band, Marching Band, Pep Band, and Jazz Band, Symphonic and Concert
Orchestra, Choir, Percussion Ensemble, and other Small Ensembles. Mr. Koszarek
has a Master’s in Education Leadership from the University of St. Francis, a
Master’s in Music Education from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor’s
of Music in Composition from Bradley University. Mr. Koszarek studied
Percussion with Peggy Bonner (Bradley University) and composition and theory
with Dr. Stephen Heinemann (Bradley University) along with Dr. Nicholas
Contorno (Marquette University). Mr. Koszarek has compositions published with
Alfred Music and is an Innovative Percussion Educational Artist. He also
maintains active memberships in NAfME, NBA, PAS, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Peggy Bonner - Biographical Information
Peggy Jo Bonner is known in Central Illinois for her exemplary and versatile percussion skills. Currently, she teaches percussion at Bradley University where her duties include: private lessons, percussion ensemble and percussion methods class. In addition, she directs the Central Illinois Youth Symphony Percussion Ensemble and maintains a large private studio. Peggy is a long-standing professional musician and is principal percussionist with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra for the past three decades where she has an endowed chair in her name. She also is the principal percussionist with the Knox Galesburg Symphony for the past 30 years. She has performed dutifully with the Peoria Municipal Band, Prairie Wind Ensemble (charter member), Opera Illinois, St. Mary Cathedral Choir/Orchestra, Peoria Players Theatre, Cornstock Theatre, Eastlight Theatre, and countless others when called upon.
Peggy is the first call percussionist when national touring musicals perform at the Peoria Civic Center. She has played professionally for Wicked, Hair Spray, Mary Poppins, and many others.
Peggy graduated from Bradley University and served as band director in Central Illinois, serving Peoria Public Schools. While at Rolling Acres Middle School and Roosevelt Arts Magnet School her concert and marching bands consistently earned top ratings at both district and state levels. In the summers Bonner led the Peoria Park District Summer band program, a traveling award-winning program she participated in as a teen under the direction of long-time director/mentor Fred Huber.
Brandon Estes - Biographical Information
Brandon Estes, Associate Director of Bands at Naperville Central High School, is an active educator, arranger, clinician and adjudicator throughout Illinois and Texas. Responsibilities include: Director of the Marching Redhawks, Co-teaching 3 concert ensembles, Co-Director of NCHS Drumshow Percussion Ensemble, Director of 1 of 3 jazz ensembles, instructor for Music Theory and Music Production classes.
A native of Houston Texas, Mr. Estes holds a B.M. in Music Education from Texas State University – San Marcos where he studied percussion under Genaro Gonzalez, Tony Edwards and John Lopez. He earned his M.M. in Music Performance from Northern Illinois University, where he was Graduate Assistant to Robert Chappell and Dr. Gregory Beyer with further studies under Richard Holly, Liam Teague, Clifford Alexis, and Dr. Thomas Bough.
Mr. Estes' drum corps experience includes membership with the Pioneer and Madison Scouts Drum Corps between 1998 and 2002. In 2005, he served as Co-Arranger and Percussion Caption Head of the Blue Stars Drum Corps and recently worked with Phantom Regiment. As a performer, Brandon was a founding member of the Chicago Bulls “Stampede” Drumline. Mr. Estes is in his 11th year as a performing member with the Chicago Bears Drumline.
Adam Hill - Biographical Information
Adam D. Hill is a music educator and percussionist in the Chicagoland area. He received a B.A. in Music Education from VanderCook College of Music with an emphasis in percussion under the instruction of Kevin Lepper and Dr. Charlie Menghini. At Romeoville High School in Romeoville, Illinois, Hill is the director of percussion, assistant band director, and teaches jazz band, music technology, music theory, and guitar. Adam is also a member of the music faculty at University of St. Francis in the Music Technology program. He founded Pioneer Indoor, and is the Executive director of Pí Percussion Inc. an independent marching percussion ensemble and has lead the ensemble to multiple WGI medals as their Executive Director. Hill spent ten seasons as a member of the Chicago Bears drumline and is currently the director of the Chicago Bulls “Stampede“ Drumline. He was a member of Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps and spent several seasons as their percussion coordinator, caption head, and arranger. Hill placed within the top ten for snare drum solo contest in Drum Corp International, Drum Corps Midwest, and PASIC. In 2002, he placed second in the DCI snare drum solo competition. Hill received the “Dr. Rosanne Rosenthal Excellence in Teaching Award” from Vandercook College of Music, the “Natalie Stukas Hearing Conservation Award”, and named a Pillar of the Community in Valley View School District. He has also performed at large music festivals such as Lollapalooza and North Coast Music Festival. He is also an Emmy nominated music artist. Adam Hill is an active music arranger, judge, clinician and performer in the midwest supported by his wife and 2 boys. He proudly endorses Innovative Percussion, Evans, TAMA Drums, Bergerault Keyboards, Sabian cymbals,Gon Bops Percussion.
James Yakas - Biographical Information
Director of Percussion Studies Dr. James Yakas joined VanderCook in 2015, and recently completed a Doctorate of Musical Arts in percussion performance from the University of North Texas, where he also earned his bachelor’s degree in music education. After earning his master’s degree in percussion performance and pedagogy from Northern Illinois University, he spent 12 summers in the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, eventually becoming their percussion coordinator and arranger in 2003. Yakas has performed at festivals in Trinidad/Tobago and Seoul, South Korea. He studied Afro-Cuban drumming with Orlando Cotto, and accompanied ethnomusicologist Dr. Steven Friedson for tribal drumming studies in Ghana. Yakas has been a member of the Percussive Arts Society Education Committee as well as the previous Vice President of the Illinois Chapter of PAS. He endorses Yamaha Percussion, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Remo Drumheads and World Percussion Instruments and Sabian Cymbals.
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