Dr. Moore’s sponsors include Pearl Drums/Adams Musical Instruments, REMO Drumheads, The Percussion Music of Marc Mellits SABIAN Cymbals, Black Swamp Percussion, and Vic Firth sticks and mallets. Featuring the Ninkasi Percussion Group Gregory Lyons is Associate Professor of Music and the James Alvey Smith Endowed Professor at Louisiana Tech University where he teaches applied percussion, directs the percussion ensemble, Smith Recital Hall coaches the drum line, and coordinates the area of instrumental music education. Formerly, he was an assistant band director in the Missouri public schools where he taught percussion and Tuesday, February 25, 2020 conducted beginning and intermediate bands. He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree 4:30 p.m. in percussion performance from The Ohio State University, the Master of Music degree in percussion performance from Central Michigan University, and the Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Wheaton College Conservatory. MARC MELLITS This Side of Twilight (2010) As a solo and ensemble performer, Dr. Lyons has made appearances in Missouri, Arkansas, (b. 1966) Illinois, Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Michigan, and California. He has performed at the Red (2008) Percussive Arts Society International Convention’s Technology Day (2014) and the National I. Moderately funky Conference on Percussion Pedagogy (2013, 2016, 2017). He was a semi-fi nalist in the Southern II. Fast, aggressive, vicious California International Marimba Competition (2009). He has performed with the West Shore III. Moderate, with motion Symphony Orchestra (Muskegon, MI), the Lansing Symphony Orchestra (Lansing, MI), the IV. Slow, with motion Monroe Symphony Orchestra (Monroe, LA), the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra (Shreveport, V. Moderate, with motion LA), and the Texarakana Symphony Orchestra (Texarakana, TX). He performs regularly VI. Fast, obsessive, bombastic, red as principal percussionist with the Rapides Symphony Orchestra (Alexandria, Louisiana) where he was recently the featured soloist on composer Michael Daughtery’s newest percussion Ninkasi (2015/2018) concerto, Dreamachine. Stick (2010) Since 2016, Lyons has been the co-coordinator and co-founder of New Music on the Bayou, a summer festival that brings contemporary composers and musicians to the communities of Black (2008/2016) north Louisiana. He is also the coordinator of the North Louisiana Youth Percussion Ensemble Festival, an annual event at Louisiana Tech that has hosted an assortment of prominent guest Gravity (2013) artists and clinicians since 2012. Dr. Lyons served as treasurer (2016-2019) and president (2013-2016) of the Louisiana Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society. He is a proud endorser of Grover Pro Percussion, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, SABIAN Cymbals, and Majestic Percussion. Sponsored By Yamaha Music USA Pearl/Adams Musical Instruments Majestic Percussion REMO Drumheads Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets Salyers Percussion Grover Pro Percussion Black Swamp Percussion SABIAN Cymbals Composer Marc Mellits is one of the leading American composers of his generation, enjoying As an active soloist and chamber ensemble musician Dr. Molina seeks new literature from hundreds of performances throughout the world every year, making him one of the most composers and commissions new works. He has joined several consortiums including composers performed living composers in the United States. From Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, Alejandro Viñao, Baljinder Sekhon, Steven Snowden, Ivan Treviño, and Marc Mellits. Dr. Molina to prestigious music festivals in Europe and the US, Mellits’ music is a constant mainstay on has teamed up with Dr. Joe W. Moore III to form the Omojo Percussion Duo. The duo was programs throughout the world. His unique musical style is an eclectic combination of driving formed in 2013 and they have presented clinics and performed recitals throughout the United rhythms, soaring lyricism, and colorful orchestrations that all combine to communicate directly States. with the listener. Mellits’ music is often described as being visceral, making a deep connection Dr. Molina endorses Yamaha Percussion, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Remo Drum Heads, with the audience. “This was music as sensual as it was intelligent; I saw audience members SABIAN Cymbals, and Black Swamp Percussion. His professional affi liations include the swaying, nodding, making litt le motions with their hands” (New York Press). He started Percussive Arts Society, College Music Society, National Association for Music Education, composing very early, and was writing piano music long before he started formal piano lessons National Society for Steel Band Educators, and Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society. at age 6. He went on to study at the Eastman School of Music, Yale School of Music, Cornell University, and Tanglewood. Mellits often is a miniaturist, composing works that are comprised Dr. Gustavo Miranda has taught masterclasses in renowned universities in Brazil, Panama of short, contrasting movements or sections. His music is eclectic, all encompassing, colorful, and and the United States. He served as Adjunct Professor to both Southern University of Baton always has a sense of forward motion. Rouge and McNeese State University. He is currently the percussion professor of Nicholls State University. He was the director of the Louisiana Youth Orchestra percussion ensemble as well as Mellits’ music has been played by major ensembles across the globe and he has been an instructor of the Performing Arts Academy at LSU. commissioned by groups such as the Kronos Quartet, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Holland), Duo Assad, Bang On A Can All-Stars, Eliot Fisk, Canadian As a soloist, Dr. Miranda has performed with the Louisiana State University Symphony as well Brass, Nexus Percussion, Debussy Quartet, Third Coast Percussion, Real Quiet, New Music as with professional orchestras in Brazil, including the Orquestra Sinfonica da Paraiba and Detroit, Four-In-Correspondence (National Symphony Orchestra), Musique En Roue Libre Orquestra Sinfonica do Recife. As an orchestral percussionist, Dr. Miranda has played in several (France), Fiarì Ensemble (Italy), Percussions Claviers de Lyon (France), Talujon, the Society orchestras in Brazil and the United States including the Orquestra Sinfonica Virtuosi, Louisiana for New Music, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, and the Albany Symphony’s Dog’s Of Desire. Philharmonic Orchestra, Acadiana Symphony and Baton Rouge Symphony. As a chamber Additionally, Mellits’ music has been performed, toured, and/or recorded by members of the musician, he is a member of the Black Sheep Percussion along with percussionist Dr. Joe W. Detroit Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Minneapolis Moore III, Sam Trevathan and Tim Shuster. Dr. Miranda is also a member of the PercSounDuo Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, eighth blackbird, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, with the versatile percussionist Ismark Nascimento (Brazil). In addition, he has founded the New Millennium Ensemble, Da Capo Chamber Players, and the American Modern Ensemble, Dynamic Duo, a duo of percussion and violin with his wife Deborah Ribeiro. among many others. Dr. Miranda has published an article with the Percussive Arts Society journal, Percussive Notes. On fi lm, Mellits has composed numerous scores, including the PBS mini-series “Beyond The He is committ ed to teaching and promoting a variety of musical styles to the next generation of Light Switch” which won a 2012 Dupont-Columbia award, the most prestigious award in young percussionist. He has commissioned several new works for percussion solo with world- documentaries. Mellits also directs and plays keyboards in his own unique ensemble, the Mellits renowned composers including David Stock and Liduino Pitombeira. Consort. He was awarded the prestigious 2004 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Award. On CD, there are over 50 recorded works of Mellits’ music that can be found on Black Box, Joe W. Moore III currently serves as Assistant Professor of Percussion at Benedict College in Endeavour Classics, Cantaloupe, CRI/Emergency Music, Santa Fe New Music, Innova, & Dacia Columbia, SC. Prior to this he was Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Music. Marc Mellits is an Associate Professor of music at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He Valley. Moore received the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Central Florida, the lives in Chicago with his wife and two daughters and spends signifi cant time in Romania. Master of Music degree from the University of South Carolina, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree with a minor in composition from Louisiana State University. His primary percussion Performer Bios teachers include Jeff Moore, Kirk Gay, Scott Herring, Jim Hall, Brett Dietz and Troy Davis. His composition teachers include Jay Batz ner, Brett Dietz , and Dinos Constantinides. Dr. Oliver Molina is an Assistant Professor of Music and Assistant Director of Bands at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. At NSU, he teaches the marching band percussion Active as a soloist and chamber musician, Moore performs as a member of the Omojo Percussion section, applied percussion lessons, an introduction to music education, conducts a concert band, Duo, 2x2 Percussion, the Black sheep Percussion Quartet, and Dead Resonance. His recent and co-directs the percussion ensemble. performances have included the Sugarmill Music Festival, the UTRGV Marimba Festival, the Dr. Molina earned a doctor of musical arts degree in Percussion Performance and Pedagogy at National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, and the 2018 Percussive Arts Society International the University of Iowa under Dr. Dan Moore. He earned a master in music from the University of Convention. Arkansas and a bachelor in music education from the University of Central Florida. As a composer, Moore’s works have been performed and heard across the United States at As an active percussion performer, educator, arranger, adjudicator and clinician, Dr. Molina state music educator conferences, the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, and has performed at various state Day of Percussion events, PASIC, and other music conferences. the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. C. Alan Publications, Alea Publishing He has served as a clinician for the “Yamaha Sounds of Summer” percussion camp and has and Recording, Percussion Music Europe, Strikeclef Publishing, and Innovative Percussion adjudicated many marching contests and state solo and ensemble festivals. Dr. Molina also has Publications publish Dr. Moore’s music. He also self-publishes many of his own manuscripts, articles published in the PAS Journal Percussive Notes and has percussion ensemble and steel which can be found in the store of this website. band arrangements through Alfred Publications.