The Freddie Gruber Scholarship Fund In Memory of and Nick Ceroli

Freddie Gruber began his drumming career in in the late 1940s. He played in the only big band to feature bebop sax innovator , and he became close friends with Buddy Rich, a relationship that continued until Buddy’s passing in 1987. In the early ’60s Gruber played his way through Chicago and Las Vegas, eventually arriving in , where he became a key player in that city’s jazz scene.

But Gruber soon discovered his true calling—teaching others how to play drums. Over the next forty years, Freddie’s students included a cross-section of drummers whose playing profoundly influenced the music of the times, among them John Guerin, Ian Wallace, Steve Smith, Dave Weckl, Mike Baird, Johnny “Vatos” Hernandez, David Bronson, Peter Erskine, Burleigh Drummond, and . One early student, Don Lombardi, founded the Drum Workshop company. Freddie had an unparalleled understanding of the physical “dance” involved in playing the instrument—the ergonomic relationship of the drummer to the drums. Without ever trying to disrupt a particular drummer’s “character,” he helped each student discover, express, and refine his own voice.

One $2,500 prize will be awarded

Eligibility: This annual, one year scholarship, is to assist a college student with tuition to an established, accredited institution of higher education, for the purpose of advanced study in the area of percussion, including but not limited to drumset. Scholarship is for one academic year, students may apply in subsequent years (no more than three years total). Applicant must be a current member of the Percussive Arts Society. The scholarship monies will be paid directly to such institution. An expert panel will evaluate the student’s skills in the area of drumset performance. Application Materials: All applicants must submit a completed application, a letter of recommendation verifying age and school attendance, and a Video*. Criteria: • Applicants must submit a video* consisting of a performance demonstrating the essential elements of drumset performance: style, time keeping and general musicianship. The performer may chose the setting to exhibit these skills, i.e.. solo, with small group, big band, etc. • The applicant must be visible throughout the submitted performance(s). *See application page for Video submission guidelines. Download an application: www.pas.org/experience/grantsscholarships.aspx Deadline: All materials must be postmarked by March 15, 2014.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT PERCUSSIVE ARTS SOCIETY 317.974.4488

The Freddie Gruber Checklist

The following materials must be Scholarship Fund postmarked by March 15, 2014: p In Memory of Buddy Rich and Nick Ceroli Completed application form. p A letter of recommendation verifying age and school attendance. Materials must be postmarked by: 03/15/2014 p 1 Video that is no longer than ten minutes in length. Name ______p Send materials to: Percussive Arts Society The Freddie Gruber PAS Member ID ______Expiration Date ______Scholarship Fund 110 W. Washington Street, Suite A Indianapolis, IN 46204 Birth Date ______

Address ______Video Guidelines

City ______Please strictly adhere to the follow- ing guidelines, or the application will be immediately discarded: State/Province ______p Video my be submitted on a DVD p The preferred video format is Zip Code ______mp4, although we will accept the following file formats: .avi, .mov, .mpeg, .mts, .wmv p Video should be sent as one file. Country ______Multiple files will not be accepted p Do not create any menu options as offered on many Video/DVD E-mail ______software programs p DVD or CD should be clearly marked with Applicant’s name and age Phone ______p Video length should not exceed ten minutes. Additional time will not be considered and may School Attending ______negatively affect evaluations of the application.

Where did you find out about this contest: Resolution: • 640x480 for standard definition, p Twitter p Facebook.com 4:3 video • 853x480 for widescreen DV p p PAS Website (www.pas.org) Percussive Notes 1280x720 for high definition p Percussion News p PAS Email Newsletter p PASIC Program p Other ______