Drum ensemble performs all-percussion concert

Students from the Buffalo State Percussion Ensemble and the West African Drumming Ensemble will give an all-percussion concert today, featuring exciting contemporary chamber music and traditional African drumming.

From the exotic sounds of West African Drumming music to the more modern feel of percussion chamber music, this performance will showcase a wide array of multicultural music. 

"Percussion music is still developing," said Colin Sperrazza, sophomore music education major and member of the Percussion Ensemble. 

John Smigielski, a sophomore music education major and a member of both ensembles, said that it is really cool to be playing music written so recently that all of the piece's composers are still living.

Two pieces being performed by the Buffalo State Percussion Ensemble are particularly exciting. The first is called "Martian Tribes" and was written by Emmanuel Sejourne. It will include theatrics, acting and continuous movement of the players, as they move around a single five-octave marimba, which makes it the most exciting piece of the performance, according to those involved.

The second is a piece many percussion ensembles strive to perfect.  It is titled "Paschal Dances" and was written by David Gillingham.

Brad Fuster, director of the Buffalo State Percussion Ensemble, said it is very important for students to have an understanding of music from other cultures, like West African drumming.

"For a long time any music program had to be strictly classical and eventually jazz snuck in," said Tiffany Nicely, director of the West African Drumming Ensemble. "Now it's more and more, not only respected, but expected that people need to know more about music from other cultures."

The Percussion Ensemble was formed in 2005, Fuster said. It consists of 11 students, all of whom are percussion majors.

"It's a way for percussionists to make chamber music," Fuster said. "It's so modern, composers didn't really start writing for percussion instruments as a chamber ensemble until the mid-to-late 20th century."

He said that by having this kind of ensemble, colleges give percussion majors a chance to make chamber music in a largely unconducted ensemble.

The West African Drumming Ensemble has existed at Buffalo State College for about three years, Nicely said. She was asked by Fuster to start the band and they have been going strong ever since.

"The idea behind the ensemble is that everyone can participate," Nicely said. "What I love about it is there are some very experienced percussion majors in the group but then there are also people that are just trying it out. It really makes a nice combination of people."

The percussion ensemble from Williamsville North High School will be featured as special guests to the Buffalo State Percussion Ensemble. Fuster said it is rare to find percussion groups like this at the high school level and he is very excited to have them.

"I think it's great that there are high school programs in the Buffalo region that have high school percussion ensembles," Fuster said. "We're really happy to be able to welcome them to campus and share our concert with them as well."

The Percussion Ensemble will be performing twice more this year, an all-ragtime performance in collaboration with the Buffalo State theater department. They will perform again in April with the newly formed Digital Music Ensemble at Buffalo State.

The West African Drumming Ensemble will next be featured in April along with Nicely's percussion group, Diaspora Drumming.

This concert is a unique opportunity to experience a kind of music that you won't often hear anywhere else, Fuster said.  

"(Percussion music) is something you really don't know what it is until you see it first hand," Sperrazza said. "I think the words ‘percussion ensemble' have a connotation of just banging on things and making noise."

Sperazza and Smigielski agree they want to disprove this stereotype.

Nicely said students would enjoy the concert because of the interesting and unique sounds. She said she hopes it will inspire people who have never heard this type of music before to seek it out more often and make them consider joining the West African Drumming Ensemble.

The performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall.

Both Sperrazza and Smigielski would like to encourage students to come out for an exciting, unique and free experience.

Mia Summerson can be reached by email at summerson.record@live.com.