UND Percussion Day
Join us for a day of percussion-related events for all area high school students!
November 2, 2024
UND Memorial Union
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 9:30 a.m. | Registration, Memorial Union, 2nd Floor |
| 10 – 10:50 a.m. | Mallet clinic: Kevin Bobo |
| 11 – 11:50 a.m. | Brazilian clinic: Brian Rydell |
| 12 – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:30 – 2:20 p.m. | Drumline Clinic: Jason Kihle |
| 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. | Mass Drumline |
| 4 – 5 p.m. | Guest Artist Concert |
REGISTER NOW
What is UND Percussion Day?
Percussion Day is non-competitive solo/ensemble festival with feedback, clinics, and a special performance by featuring our guest artists and clinicians. Drumlines and percussion students will explore Brazilian percussion instruments, marimbas, and drum sets.
Everyone is welcome to attend clinics with accomplished drummer and percussionist Brian Rydell, world-renowned percussion soloist Kevin Bobo and UND Music's Professor of Percussion Dr. Jason Kihle.
What is Mass Drumline?
Mass Drumline is for everyone! It doesn't matter if you have a marching drum, concert drum, or a drum pad, everyone is welcome to participate. We'll all come together to create a homogeneous cadence!
Is lunch included?
Lunch will be on your own and be available at the UND Memorial Union food court, C-Store, as well has local nearby restaurants like Jimmy Johns. NOTE: UND eating establishments are all cashless and require a credit or debit card.
Where do I park?
Parking for individuals and school vans will be available in the parking ramp adjacent to the Memorial Union.
Additional Details
- If you have scheduled a UND Honor Festival audition during this time, contact Dr. James Popejoy for accommodations.
- Prizes! We will be raffling off a large variety of door prizes throughout the day and after the final concert.
- The best way to enter the Memorial Union is through the front door facing University Drive. Proceed to the second floor to the main ballroom.
UND Percussion Day Clinicians
Dr. Kevin Bobo
Dr. Kevin Bobo is professor of percussion at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, a position he has held since 2007. Prior to his appointment at IU, he served as assistant professor of percussion at the University of Kansas (2003-07).
He studied percussion with J. C. Combs and Gordon Stout, and composition with Greg Woodward and Dana Wilson.
Internationally respected as a solo marimba artist, Bobo has performed on five continents. His travels have taken him to Taiwan, Singapore, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Australia, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, and nearly 40 states in the U.S.
As a composer, Bobo’s compositions are performed all over the world, with his solo works frequently appearing on international competition repertoire lists. He has authored two method books and composed numerous pieces for a variety of instruments and ensembles.
Dr. Jason Kihle
Dr. Jason Kihle is currently the Director of Percussion Studies at the University of North Dakota. He has been published in Early Music Colorado Quarterly, The Instrumentalist, The Educator’s Companion and Percussive Notes.
Dr. Kihle has performed and presented at various state music conferences and various national conferences, including the NAfME National Conference, the International Double Reed Society Convention, Texas Music Educators Association, the National Flute Association Convention, and the Montreaux Jazz Fesetival.
His compositions and books are published by Bachovich Publications. Dr. Kihle is an artist/endorser for Innovative Percussion, Yamaha, Black Swamp, Remo and Zildjian.
Brian Rydell
Brian Rydell, a Grand Forks native, attended Kelly Elementary School. In fifth grade, he started snare drum lessons from then band director Glen Wolf. In seventh grade, he started drum set lessons with his teacher, Kris Eylands. That summer, Brian took lessons with Mike Blake who was head of UND Percussion. Brian is still friends with Kris and Mike and they performed together in June of 2024 at the 2nd annual Empire Alive benefit concert at the Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks.
After taking a break from music classes during junior and senior high school, Brian rediscovered his passion for drums and music while in college at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis in 1991. This led him to enroll at Music Tech in 1993 in Minneapolis which later became McNally Smith college of Music. While at Music Tech, under the guidance of drum department director, Gordy Knudson, Brian was exposed to various musical styles including funk, blues, jazz, Latin and Brazilian. Many of these styles were brand new to him at the time and the Brazilian music and rhythms quickly became his passion.
During that time, Brian joined a local band in Minneapolis which played only a handful of shows. In 1995, while living in Breckenridge, CO, he joined another band that played locally. In December 1995, Brian traveled to Salvador, Bahia, Brazil to follow his passion for Brazilian music. There he met his wife, Selmara, who was part of a 13 piece internationally traveling band named after the lead singer, Marcia Freire. He was able to attend many rehearsals with that band which was like going to a music school. Brian lived in Brazil for over 2 years and learned many local rhythms and musical styles as well as the Portuguese language.
After returning to the US, Brian and Selmara joined a Brazilian jazz group in Minneapolis, MN called Ticket to Brasil in 2001. They played many shows and festivals with them until moving back to Grand Forks in late 2005.
In late 2018, Brian joined a local Grand Forks band called The Dank, a six-piece jam band with which he still plays.