Stop Wishing Start Drumming
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STOP WISHING. START DRUMMING. INTERNATIONAL PERCUSSION WORKSHOPS, DRUM CAMPS, EVENTS AND FESTIVALS WWW.KOSAMUSIC.COM THE A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTORS MISSION “Life is too short to be wishing for things that have been proven by many to be achievable” is a wise statement made by self-help author Edmond Mbiaka. While such a notion may seem obvious to some, how many people do you personally know that wake up each day wishing for things that are actually attainable? … if they only would put their KoSA Music is dedicated to wish into action! developing and promoting percussive arts events that At KoSA, we believe that everything is possible – even things that don’t specialize in active mutual yet exist. It is the imagination that creates the vision and the image of participation by profession- what is possible. Once the imagination has created the image of what als and students. This goal we want to achieve, then it is only a matter of investing the time, the is met by featuring the best energy and sharpening our focus to achieve our goals. Naturally, you programs taught by some need to put in the hours to grow, improve and reap the rewards of your of the finest artists and hard work. This is true whether you are a farmer, the owner of a vine- instructors today. We pur- yard, an aspiring athlete, and this is certainly true for those pursing posely keep the size of the their dreams as musicians. program small to facilitate As musicians, the inspiration to make music may come early in life, personalized learning in a but for some, it may come later, perhaps because they were naturally friendly, accessible environ- gifted in other things or simply never exposed to music before. Such ment. We plan our programs was the case with the great jazz composer George Gershwin. In fact, carefully to incorporate and Gershwin spent all his time playing sports outdoors and never even share essential information considered taking up an instrument until the day he went to his friend’s that is pertinent for musi- violin recital and then everything changed. He begged his parents for cians from all levels - from piano lessons and the rest as they say is history. Can you imagine if high school, college, uni- George Gershwin simply left the recital “wishing” he had taken up an versity, music educators, instrument when he was younger and then never did anything about it? band directors, music pro- fessionals and general drum In both our professional lives as musicians, Jolán and I constantly enthusiasts. KoSA strives to hear people say: “I wish I had taken up a musical instrument”. Having connect people through the worked countless hours on our craft all our lives, we know the benefi ts universal language of music of music and having taught in our combined careers thousands of stu- because a world immersed dents, we know that there is nothing more positive and powerful than in making music is a world music. But how do you convince people that their wish is possible? For at peace. over two decades, we have been creating educational programs all over the world to tell people – just that. If you study with the top artists and you practice countless hours with focus and dedication, then you have the opportunity to reach your goals – you have the recipe for suc- cess. Stop wishing and start drumming. Aldo Mazza Dr. Jolán Kovács Founder / Artistic Director Founder and Project Coordinator 003 ALDO MAZZA DR. JOLÁN KOVÁCS BIOGRAPHY BIOGRAPHY Founder and Artistic Director of the KoSA Equally a master in classical piano and classical International Percussion Workshops, ( KoSA Music) violin, Jolán was a double scholarship recipient worldwide programs and festivals, and member of at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal the internationally acclaimed percussion ensemble, where she studied as a young child for nearly Répercussion performing over 2,500 concerts ten years. Her piano teachers included Dorothy around the globe.Founder of the Giardines delRey Morton, Anton Kuerti, Manahem Pressler and El- Jazz Festival, Cuba. Aldo is an internationally eonora Turovsky, and Raymond Dessaint, Denise recognized drummer-percussionist, recording Lupien, Tom Williams, and Gerard Kantarjian in artist, clinician, composer, producer, author, violin. As an award-winning performer in many publisher entrepreneur and educator. provincial and national competions on both instruments, Jolán discovered that she had a He has recorded over 100 cds with such artists secondary passion for teaching. After complet- as Celine Dion, Jon Bon Jovi, Répercussion, ing a performance degree at the Schulich School Alain Caron, Phil Wilson, Joachim Horsley and of Music of McGill University, she continued her Aldo Nova and has performed live with such studies at McGill obtaining a PhD in Music Edu- artists as James Brown, Shirley Bassie, Marvin cation Research and has many publications to Hamlisch, David Amram, Chris De Burgh, Claude her name. Bolling, Frank Sinatra Jr., Oliver Jones and major symphony orchestras. With over 30 years of teaching experience, Jo- lán is an in-demand music educator successfully Aldo was house drummer for a national televi- preparing her students for music careers. She has sion show Montreal Pop, and has performed on been teaching at the Schulich School of Music of many national television specials in Canada, the McGill University in the Music Research Depart- United States, and Europe. He has participated ment for over two decades. She often serves as in several important fi lm soundtracks including an ajudicator in music festivals and music exams. Les Plouffe and The Pines of Emily Carr. He has She also teaches skype lessons in the U.K for the appeared in numerous fi lm documentaries, radio past 9 years - an arrangement easy to do as she programs television shows and participated in possesses the envious ability of having absolute numerous international classical, contemporary, pitch. as well as jazz music festivals. Since 1996, Jolán is the co-founder and project He is contributing writer to magazines such as coordinator, along with her percussionist and Drum !, Canadian Musician and Australia’s Drum- drummer husband Aldo Mazza of KoSA Music – Scene. He has recently authored a best selling an international renown music education events book “Cuban Rhythms for Percussion and Drum company which hosts workshops and festival Set: The Essentials” with Alfred Music. world-wide. www.kosamusic.com. www.kosamusic.com / www.aldomazza.com 005 New York, NY : On November 19, 2016, Lehman Percussionist/drummer, Aldo Mazza continued The KoSA NY Percussion Day finale concert College and the Pacheco Jazz Festival (Allan Mol- the electric energy with a special interactive featured special guests Duo Clavis (Marcello nar, director) hosted the KoSA NY annual Percus- workshop on Southern Italian frame drums. Casagrande and Mateus Gonsales) from Brazil, KOSA NYC’S sion Day presenting a variety of masterclasses Mazza played and incorporated the rhythms of Marcus Santos , The Fogo Azul NYC Bateria, and clinics by internally renown artists culminat- his native homeland while playing traditional Aldo Mazza, Allan Molnar, and nanny Assis and ANNUAL PERCUSSION ing in an exhilarating jam session performance drumset . The participants were also treated to other surprise guest artists. in the early evening. traditional African rhythms which Aldo also ex- pertly demonstrated to the participants. He then Finally, a special highlight from the event was DAY FIRES UP THE The day began with a performance by the Lehm- incorporated djembe and drumset combinations the surprise award given to KoSA Music (Aldo an College Jazz Ensemble under the very capable to perform these rhythms. Mazza and his wife Dr. Jolán Kovács) which was STAGE AT LEHMAN direction of Allan Molnar. Legendary jazz drum- bestowed by Lehman College and the Pacheco mer Mike Clark (Herbie Hancock) then gave a The workshops for this very memorable Percus- Latin Music and Jazz Festival for their over two clinic using the jazz ensemble performance as a sion Day concluded with performances by the decade long work, passion and dedication in COLLEGE critique vehicle and making suggestions to en- Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music Percus- global percussion education. hance the performance of the pieces. Following sion Ensemble directed by Penny Smetters- Clark was Brazilian percussionist and KoSA Facul- Jacono. The ensemble and participants were The whole event was streamed live by Bronx Net ty alumni, Marcus Santos, who was accompanied treated to a highly interesting review and throughout the day by the New York based Brazilian percussion en- critique of the performance and ways to im- semble, Fogo Azul NYC bateria directed by Stacy prove performance techniques by the highly KoSA NY was graciously sponsored by Ludwig, Kovacs. Santos and Fogo Azul performed several respected classical percussionists Arnie Lang Sabian, Evans, ProMark, Istanbul Agop, LP, In- Brazilian traditional numbers and gave a hands- (former NY Philharmonic) and Jonathan Haas novative Percussion, Gibraltar, Remo, Kickport, on clinic on Brazilian percussion techniques as (NYU Percussion professor). Vic Firth, Lang Percussion, Lehman College/The well as Samba Raggae ensemble rhythms. Johnny Pacheco Latin Jazz Festival. 006 007 KOSA XXI: TAMBURINO ALDO MAZZA A THUNDERING SUCCESS SIGNATURE SOUTHERN ITALIAN IN THE GREEN MOUNTAINS DRUM OF CALABRIA! Locri, RC –Italy: To the delight nar (Jazz Vibraphone –Nelly set” presented by the esteemed at the KoSA nightly festival lighted everyone with his funk of many European percussion- Furtado), Gigi Morello (GM drummer/ percussionist/editor, alongside an equally talented drumming and astonishing ist and drummers, the renown Drum Schools), Aldo Mazza Alfredo Romeo (Drumset Mag). musician- Francesco Loccisano technique. On the last night KoSA International Drum Camp (Repercussion-Artistic Director The jam-packed schedule then who played a not-so-commonly of the concerts, Rick was vis- and Music Festival founded by and Founder of KoSA) and the included hands-on sessions seen instrument in North Amer- ibly moved when he received Aldo Mazza and his wife Dr.