RNCM Day of Percussion 2008

 Now into its 16^th year as an organised event, the Royal Northern College of Music’s Day of Percussion is a must for Percussionists old and young, beginner and professional. With the attendance growing year by year, so does the profile of the speakers involved and this years was anything but a disappointment. The main focus on the day was the percussion ensemble (enforced by the performance from the RNCM’s resident ensemble BackBeat), but Ian Wright and his team still managed to fit in sessions on classroom work and solo playing, arranging and commissioning. 

 The day began with a talk from Paul Patrick- head of percussion at Chetham’s School of Music, principle percussion for the BBC Philharmonic and a tutor at the RNCM to name but a few of his roles. Anyone expecting a quite start and the day to pick up speed couldn’t have been more mistaken. The seminar room was packed with 8 Marimbas, 3 Xylophones, no less than 13 Timps and much more besides. His talk focused on the problems, or rather solutions, for arranging for percussion. He demonstrated everything he was saying with fantastic examples, covering a range of musical eras and using many different instruments. As well as this, he invited RNCM students and their young counterparts in the RNCM Centre for Young Musicians to play for the audience as a chance to show every aspect of what he was saying. He approached difficult musical and practical problems faced by arrangers writing for percussion and even showed how far one Marimba can go, playing a traditional Mexican melody using three players- all on the one instrument. His simple approach to a difficult area was a fantastic start to the day and really set the level high for the other speakers.

Next was a new-comer to the event. After an incredibly successful 2007, with his debut album release Rhythmic Renaissance and the promoting tour, Royal Welsh College graduate Dave Danford gave a session on the grey area of commissioning and arranging for percussion. Danford was also able to practice what he preached as he played two works he had commissioned by Andrew Keeling and Gareth Wood as well as his own arrangement of Vaughan Williams’ Concerto Accademico. Danford is a keen enthusiast of building up a personal repertoire and this is apparent in his concert performances and album. He covered much ground as he talked of the possible ‘logistical nightmare’ behind writing for too many instruments and also set about dispersing the myth that established composers will not write for ‘normal people’. His talk was very informative and covered a lot of his thoughts and ideas, in particular that ‘commissioning and arranging doesn’t have to be daunting, as you have nothing to lose.’

However, the highlights of his session really were in his playing. The world premiere of Gareth Wood’s Nightlife really showed off the capabilities of the Marimba- especially range and the colours it can bring. Danford’s musicality and performance was echoed by his concert accompanist Nicola Rose. He also played Andrew Keeling’s Maximon (another world premiere at the RNCM) for which he collaborated with award-winning Lunar Sax quartet member Joel Garthwaite (Soprano Sax). This showed the Marimba (and Danford) as the accompanists, again exploring another element and advantage the Marimba has over many other instruments. Present in the audience was the composer himself (Andrew Keeling) whose previous commissions have included work for Evelyn Glennie. Keeling’s insight and vision to see the Sax and Marimba together pleased the audience greatly and he commented after the session how there needed to be ‘more enthusiastic young players like Dave and Joel’ and remarked that it was exactly how he had imagined and wanted the piece to sound (not having used a computer to assist during the composing stage).    

Danford closed his talk with the help of the RNCM’s first year string ensemble and his arrangement of Vaughan Williams’ Concerto Accademico. Using both the Marimba and the Vibraphone and a combination of two and four mallets, Danford’s arrangement again highlighted the instrument’s versatility as an accompanying and solo instrument. A brilliant session from one of the brightest young talents on the percussion circuit.

Often forgotten at events like these is the art of bringing percussion into an everyday, classroom environment. The soloist and ensembles of today are not going to be around forever, and so it is the responsibility of all to pass on knowledge that keeps ensembles and music colleges full of percussionists and musicians alike. Richard Charles and Chris Bastock’s talk was rather more of a workshop with the techniques they employ in the classroom being used on old and young audience members. Using broomsticks, blue bins and a samba kit as well as the age-old instrument that is the human body, Charles and Bastock concentrated the workshop on what they consider to be the most important elements of playing in a large group- looking, listening, concentrating, practicing and working. Although applicable in a classroom situation with children of all ages, these five basic principles are a large part of what becomes second nature to musicians in general, whether working as soloist or in an ensemble.  

A key point to come out of the talk was that of the progression from the body to the instruments. By starting on the body the transition to the instruments is much smoother, hence when at the instruments stage, it is only the how to play (or how not to play) the instruments that needs to be covered- the rhythm is no longer an issue. For some, contacting an established composer regarding a commission seems daunting, others a classroom of 30 children armed with a broomstick; however, both talks had done a lot to take the fear factor out of these situations. 

‘Depping’ a gig is something that many percussionists do on a regular basis; however Dave Adams found himself depping at one of the biggest days in the percussion calendar. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Bob Armstrong was unable to attend but Adams was by no means the next best thing. Adams graduated from the RNCM as a multi-instrumentalist and since has been the musical director for two shows on Broadway (including Jonathon Larson’s Rent) and is currently playing drums for The Lion King in the West End. His talk focused on three elements he considers to be among the most important, for percussionists and musicians in general: interpretation, musicality and ‘ears’.  

He emphasised the importance as a percussionist (and particularly a kit player) of being able to ‘mind read’, as the music coming from the composer’s pen may not always be exactly what they intended. Many composers find it difficult to write for percussion and kit and, due to not understanding its limitations, often write too adventurously or not at all. He used the example of the signature song Circle of Life from the Lion King, showing how he developed his groove, in order to enhance the music, not detract attention from any of the other players. He spent time talking of the importance of ghost notes to add spice and colour to a groove as well as being careful only to use a fill for transport, not as a showcase for personal ability. It was great to have such a success story on many instruments talking about basics that everyone could relate to. 

Nick Petrella saw the best of both sides of the day, running the Sabian trade stand and giving a talk on the art of cymbal playing. The Director of Education for Sabian UK and lecturer at the Kansas City Conservatoire spoke of the often overlooked art of clash and suspended cymbal playing, covering the making of a cymbal, grip, mallet selection (for suspended cymbal) as well as quiet playing and demonstrated this not only himself but using audience members. He pointed out the various approaches of different playing styles, not just his own, and talked of the importance of playing with a fluid motion as well as the movement planes that need to be considered as a percussionist- many more than any other instrument. His explanations of the process of dampening, sustain and the reminder that the cymbals are a colour (not a solo instrument) all came together in and contributed to the completely different sound he was able to create using these difficult instruments. However, while his techniques require practice, he also reminded the audience of the importance of score study and not blowing the music off the stand with the air rush from the cymbals! 

The ‘most enchanting, original and exciting vibraphone player in jazz today’ (Anthony Kerr) took to the stage next to deliver his seminar on all things Vibraphone. Not for the first time during the day, the word ‘arranger’ came up as he showed how the decisions you make as player are effectively the personal arrangement of the piece, adding to the musicality of your performance. His seemingly complete understanding of playing the melody and the chords, as a piano would, coupled with his jazz knowledge gave every performance of the jazz standards he performed complete originality. He also covered techniques only applicable to the Vibraphone- such as note dampening using the mallet and pedal through to the jazz idea of tension and release- building up to a climatic point using seemingly wrong chords or notes making the resolution even more effective.  

Using the help of Dave Danford on the Marimba, he showed how the two instruments can interact together. Danford played as the rhythm section while Kerr, incorporating all the techniques he spoken about, played the melody and enhanced the Marimba line by playing some chords as well. Kerr likened this approach to the spinning of two plates simultaneously (as a circus performer would) - one being the single line of melody and one being the chordal accompaniment. It seems Gary Burton’s legacy of four mallet Vibraphone playing has been picked up and furthered by Anthony Kerr, who fully lived up to the high expectations that precede him everywhere he goes.  

Having spent a large part of the day listening to the advice of the top artists present, it seemed only fitting that the final bit of listening was during the concert. The RNCM’s resident percussion ensemble BackBeat took to the stage and rounded off the day in spectacular fashion. Playing a programme of pieces written entirely by the group themselves they moved effortlessly between the opening piece for four Djembes (Okavango by Damien Horron) to pieces using four Marimbas, tom-toms, cymbals, bass drums, bongos and basketballs. Their programme was breath-taking, as was the way in which Cormac Byrne played the opening bass line of Queen’s Another One Bites The Dust on the Bodhran during his own composition Tree. BackBeat were the ultimate example of everything that most young percussionists long to achieve- confidence on a huge range of instruments, complete performance and musicality as well as an aesthetical brilliance.  

The finale of the concert, and the day, united primary school children from Cheshire and Rochdale, students from Chetham’s School of Music, the RNCM Centre for Young Musicians (by whom the piece was commissioned) and the RNCM in a piece by BackBeat’s Damien Harron. It was the perfect showcase for all abilities, all instruments and was a fantastic was of showing the progression of a percussionist from clapping, through to training at a music college and finally finishing as a primed concert performer. The future of percussion looks more than secure judging by the standard of all the performers involved.  

As we saw with the young Birmingham Percussion Day in 2007, every year that events like this run seem to be even more of a success story. All of the organising team at the RNCM deserve huge congratulations on another successful day, and the contributing artists and speakers deserve massive thanks. The insight and knowledge gained in one day was enormous, and gave everyone attending another thing to aim for.  

The date is set for next years event and more and more artists are being confirmed as it draws nearer. If you didn’t attend this year then we definitely hope to see you there next year, and if you did then it is certain we will be seeing you at the 2009 event. It can’t be anything other than brilliant.  

Keep checking www.nakers.co.uk for details of next year’s event or find details here at www.elitepercussion.com