{"id":9995,"date":"2022-06-29T19:27:51","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T19:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/2022\/07\/13\/furman-percussion-ensemble-drums-up-international-acclaim\/"},"modified":"2022-09-07T15:49:10","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T19:49:10","slug":"furman-percussion-ensemble-drums-up-international-acclaim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/furman-percussion-ensemble-drums-up-international-acclaim\/","title":{"rendered":"Furman Percussion Ensemble drums up international acclaim"},"content":{"rendered":"

Music Professor Omar Carmenates<\/a>, director of the Furman Percussion Ensemble, almost didn\u2019t pick up when his phone rang one Monday in June.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw the call was from Stillwater, Oklahoma,\u201d he said, \u201cand I don\u2019t know anybody there. I don\u2019t normally pick up calls when I don\u2019t know who they\u2019re from.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Omar

Omar Carmenates, professor of music<\/p><\/div>\n

He\u2019s glad he did this time, though. The caller from Oklahoma was the chair of the committee that oversees the yearly Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competition<\/a>, with the news that the Furman Percussion Ensemble had been chosen as one of 2022\u2019s three winners.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is like winning the NCAA tournament,\u201d Carmenates said. \u201cThis is the absolute highest honor for a percussion ensemble. It\u2019s a program-defining statement for our students.\u201d<\/p>\n

To compete, a school must submit a 30-minute audio recording of the ensemble performing live within the past three semesters. The entries are then judged blindly. Furman\u2019s recording consisted mostly of pieces the ensemble performed in its spring 2022 concerts.<\/p>\n

A reverb-drenched marimba quartet, \u201cShell,\u201d by composer Emma O\u2019Halloran, was one of the pieces submitted. Percussion ensembles also employ instruments such as xylophones, vibraphones, glockenspiels, cymbals, electronic instruments and, of course, a host of drums \u2013 \u201canything you can hit,\u201d Carmenates said \u2013 to provide both melody and rhythm.<\/p>\n

Listen to \u201cShell,\u201d performed by the Furman Percussion Ensemble<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/news.furman.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Shell.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

As part of the IPEC honor, the students will perform a showcase concert at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention<\/a> in Indianapolis this November in front of many of the world\u2019s best percussionists.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be 3,000 drummers all waiting to see what we\u2019ve got,\u201d Carmenates said.<\/p>\n

Furman\u2019s showcase will premiere four new works specifically composed for the occasion, three of which are by artists who have never composed for percussion ensemble before: DJ\/turntablist Val Jeanty<\/a>, California-based composer Kevin Shah<\/a> and opera composer and Furman alum Frances Pollock \u201912<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The compositions aren\u2019t all complete yet, but \u201cwe\u2019ve already started rehearsing remotely,\u201d said Carmenates.<\/p>\n

Furman shares the IPEC award with seasoned percussion ensembles from the Eastman School of Music and Texas Christian University, both previous IPEC winners. By contrast, this is Furman\u2019s first time being selected as a winner.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo say I am ecstatic would be an understatement,\u201d said Charlie Gessner \u201925. \u201cSince last year, we\u2019ve had our eyes set on the possibility of performing at PASIC. Throughout the spring semester, we worked hard to ensure that we could turn that vision into reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels fantastic to be able to represent Furman and the percussion community,\u201d said Taryn Marks \u201923, a percussion performance major. \u201cHonestly, I have not stopped freaking out about it since Dr. Carmenates told us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The percussion program emphasizes well-rounded performers, said Gessner.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of us play only one instrument,\u201d he said. \u201cWe study everything from funk drum set to Bach on marimba. In our IPEC recording, my part called for two tom drums, two metal plates, bass drum, marimba and stacked cymbals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although many of the 12 undergraduates in the ensemble are music performance or music education majors, Carmenates notes that some are also non-music majors who \u201cjust want to be part of something special.\u201d<\/p>\n

And it is something special, Marks agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all want a space where we can be comfortable and be our true selves, without any judgement or disrespect from anyone,\u201d she said. \u201cThat is what we strive to do: to not only make beautiful music, but also show the love we have for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch a performance by the Furman Percussion Ensemble<\/h3>\n