Missouri Day of Percussion Held at River Campus

Southeast Missouri State University's director of percussion, Shane Mizicko, hosted the Missouri Day of Percussion for the first time in Cape Girardeau at the River Campus on March 8. More than 100 high school percussion students from around Missouri and Arkansas attended the day of clinics and concerts.

The first clinic began at 9:30 a.m. with a drawing for door prizes ranging from T-shirts to a pair of Rosewood drumsticks. Will James of the Saint Louis Symphony, opened the clinic with asking the students what challenges they face while playing the snare drum.

James then went on to instruct how to properly establish a drumroll. He showed the students how to create the roll and the different kinds of rolls that could be used. James demonstrated how tight to hold the drumsticks and students should lock their wrists while conducting the drumroll.

James's snare drum resonated in the hall as he concluded his clinic with a demonstration of an exercise the students can use to improve their drumrolls.

Another clinic welcomed Brad Kuhn from Chicago, Ill. Kuhn discussed how to grip the drumsticks while in a marching band. He showed the students how to focus their beats in the center of the drums for marching band music because it provides more sound. Kuhn also talked about how important sound is and how it resonates.

Kuhn encouraged students from the audience to join him on the stage in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall so he could show them the correct ways to play drums in a marching band setting. Twenty-seven students volunteered to go on stage and Kuhn assisted each student individually to improve the way they held their sticks and help them establish the best position for them in marching band.

After a long morning of exciting clinics and giveaways, the students were given an hour and a half lunch break. More than 40 percussion students from Jackson, Mo. stayed at the River Campus and had pizza delivered to them. Other schools took buses to nearby restaurants.

After the lunch break, students were in for an informative afternoon beginning with a mallet clinic by Blake Tyson. The mallet clinic was followed by a piano and percussion clinic/concert. The final clinic of the day, a drum set clinic.

After four hours of afternoon clinics, the percussion students were able to leave for another two hour break for dinner.

To conclude the day, students went to the evening concert which featured some of the clinic instructors.