MSU Moorhead Percussion Day Nov. 4, “The Diversity of Percussion!”
MSU Moorhead hosts its annual Percussion Day, “The Diversity of Percussion!,” on Saturday, Nov. 4, in the Roland Dille Center for the Arts. The daylong event features guest artists Allison Miller, Ralph Nader, Fode Bangoura and Whitney McCluskey. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for students, and free for drumline student participants and MSUM students, faculty and staff with ID.
In addition to African dance and drumming workshops and snare and drumset clinics, the day’s highlights will include a drumline battle among regional schools from 11:30 a.m. to noon in the Comstock Memorial Union (CMU) Ballroom. A grand finale concert at 5:15 p.m. in the Roland Dille Center for the Arts Hansen Theatre will feature all guest artists and MSUM’s “Fuego Tropical” Steel Drum Ensemble.
For details, registration information, complete artist bios and the full schedule, visit https://www.mnstate.edu/percussion-day/.
Artist Bios:
Ralph Nader will lead a mass drumline from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Comstock Memorial Union Ballroom and will share his skill in a snare drum clinic from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Roland Dille Center for the Arts Fox Recital Hall. A percussionist from Brooklyn, N.Y., Nader started his performing career in the Jackie Robinson Center “Steppers” Marching Band. As a member of Black Fire Percussion, he performed with the NY Knicks and NJ Nets Drumlines during time-outs and halftime performances. While studying at Hampton University, Nader performed and competed with the 18-time world champion Concord (Calif.) Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps. He was a two-time World Champion gold medal and drum title winner with the Blue Devils. Nader later took his innovative ideas and drumming flare to Disneyland, where, with a co-creator, the “Soundsational” Parade, Festival of Holidays’ Toy Drummers, and Food & Wine Festival’s Jammin’ Chefs musical productions were all born. His Disney inventiveness and performances sparked European and South American tour opportunities with the German Reggae/Pop band “Seeed.” Performing with Seeed arose the performing percussion duo “BYOS,” a social media sensation leading to performances with Tony Royster Jr. (Jay Z’s former drummer), Allen Stone (R&B Soul artist), Travis Barker (Blink-182), and Beyoncé (her Coachella Festival concert). Nader is an international educator with a ProMark signature marching stick to highlight his incredible achievements around the world.
New York City-based drummer Allison Miller defies all boundaries and brings her sound to diverse types of music while preserving their stylistic authenticity in a drumset clinic at 4 p.m. in the Roland Dille Center for the Arts Gaede Stage. Miller goes from playing with legendary songwriting vocalists Ani DiFranco, Brandi Carlile and Natalie Merchant to touring with avant-garde saxophonist Marty Ehrlich and legendary organist Doctor Lonnie Smith. She was chosen as “Rising Star Drummer” in Downbeat’s 53rd Annual Critics Poll and has recorded six albums as a leader.
A West African Drumming workshop will be led by Fodé Bangoura, artistic director and lead drummer of Duniya, from 1 to 2 p.m. in the CMU Ballroom. Hailing from Guinea, West Africa, Bangoura and has been recognized internationally for his work as the lead drummer with the acclaimed ensembles “Les Merveilles de Guinée” and the national ballet of Guinea, “Les Ballets Africains.” A protege of the late Mohamed Kemoko Sano, Bangoura is one of his generation’s most respected and sought-after drummers and is currently based in the Twin Cities.
Leading a 2 to 3 p.m. West African Dance workshop in the CMU Ballroom will be Whitney McClusky, director and choreographer of Duniya West African Rhythm and Dance troupe based in Minneapolis. McClusky began her study of African dance at The Djoniba Dance and Drum Center in New York with master dancers from “Les Mervielles de Guinea” and “Les Ballets Africains.” She has traveled to Senegal and Guinea to deepen her knowledge of West African Dance and currently teaches at The St. Paul Conservatory for the Performing Arts High School and Carleton College.
This event is funded in part with support from the Lake Region Arts Council through a Minnesota State Legislative appropriation, the MSUM Comstock Fund, Promark, Ludwig, Drummer’s Journey, Yamaha, Zildjian, LP and Vic Firth.