Percussionists are like illusionists when it comes to rolling. When given a half note, the player must do their best to create the illusion of sustain. In reality, the player is alternating single strokes as fast as possible. This clinic will offer practical advice on playing smooth rolls for two and four mallets. Two performances of pieces with rolls will be featured and a handout of resources for pieces that include two- and four-mallet rolled passages and/or full pieces will be available.
Julia Gaines-Montag
- Biographical Information
Dr. Julia Gaines-Montag is the author of the book series Sequential Studies for Four-Mallet Marimba. The series, published by Tapspace includes three books, each filled with twenty lessons that break down the strokes involved in four-mallet marimba literature. She also has a solo CD, Tiger Dance, that includes recordings of some of the intermediate solos included in these books in addition to other works she has commissioned.
She has performed as a soloist throughout the United States and in several countries including Brazil, China, England, and Russia. She has performed in the percussion sections of the Missouri Symphony, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the Fox Valley Symphony, the Green Bay Symphony, and the Idaho-Washington Symphony. She has given many clinics at conferences throughout her career as a percussionist including Midwest 2013 and PASIC 2004, 2008, 2013, and 2019. Her three percussion performance degrees come from the Lawrence Conservatory of Music (BM), the Eastman School of Music (MM) and the University of Oklahoma (DMA and performer’s certificate).
Dr. Gaines-Montag is a long-time member of the Percussive Arts Society and has served in several leadership positions including Secretary of the Executive Committee and Associate Editor of Percussive Notes. She has worked at the University of Missouri for thirty years where she began as the Director of Percussion Studies. She became the Director of the School of Music in 2014 and lead the school through its Centennial Celebration and the design, construction, and grand opening of the Sinquefield Music Center.