KU JAYHAWK MARCHING PERCUSSION ACADEMY PARENT/PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK June 14-15, 2019 Welcome to our second KU Jayhawk Marching Percussion Academy! We look forward to having you join us for an exciting two days of drumline instruction. Our special guests for the workshop will be Bret Kuhn and Clif Walker. We will also be assisted by Jeff Smikahl from Olathe East High School, and Alex Vallar and Graham Deckard, drumline instructors for the KU Marching Jayhawks. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Matt Smith, Director of the KU Marching Jayhawks. We hope that you have a terrific experience! Dr. Matt Smith 785-864-3367 (office; not answered on Saturday) [email protected] PLEASE BRING THE FOLLOWING SIGNED ITEMS WITH YOU TO REGISTRATION: PHOTO, VIDEO, AUDIO, AND INFORMATION RELEASE (page 7) RELEASE FROM LIABILITY AGREEMENT (page 8) YOUTH PROGRAM/CAMP GUIDELINES AND EXPECTATIONS (page 9) 1 KU JAYHAWK MARCHING PERCUSSION ACADEMY PARENT/PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK June 14-15, 2019 Schedule Friday, June 14 8:45 Check-in (bottom floor of Murphy Hall on the KU campus) 9:00 Clinic 12:00 Lunch (included; Mrs. E’s dining hall) 1:30 Clinic 4:30 Done for the day Saturday, June 16 ***Please wear your camp t-shirt for a group photo today 8:45 Check-in (bottom floor of Murphy Hall on the KU campus) 9:00 Clinic 12:00 Lunch (included) 1:30 Clinic 3:30 Performance for parents/families (Room 130, Murphy Hall) 4:00 Done for the day PaRking Parking on the KU campus is by permit only and all parking rules are strictly enforced, Monday through Friday, Handicapped and no-parking zones are strictly enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can pay to park in the Allen Fieldhouse Garage ($1.75 for the first hour or any portion of an hour, and $1.50 per hour for all subsequent hours). Most of the parking lots are free on Saturday, but you should check any posted signs for restrictions. KU Band/School of Music is not responsible for parking tickets incurred. Drop-Off: Participants will find it easiest to be dropped off at the loading dock entrance behind the southeast side of Murphy Hall. What to Bring Participants should bring a practice pad/stand, drum/carrier/stand (if possible), sticks/mallets, and hearing protection (we will also have foam earplugs on hand). Note that this will be for drumline only, not front ensemble/pit instruments. Make suRe to label everything with your name! This weekend the KU Drumline will also be rehearsing, so we will be limited on the number of extra drums that we have available. Please try to bring a drum from your school. T-Shirts All participants will receive a shirt on Friday. We ask that you wear them on Saturday so that we can take a group photo. Refunds There are no refunds once the workshop starts, regardless of reason. Meals Lunches are included in the registration fee. 2 KU JAYHAWK MARCHING PERCUSSION ACADEMY PARENT/PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK June 14-15, 2019 Bret Kuhn, Clinician Bret is a graduate of Truman State University. During college he was a member of the Disney World All American band and has performed with such artists as Bobby Shew and Rich Matteson. As a professional player in Chicago he has played with The Chicago Big Band and the Mayo Tiana Big Band. Bret is adjunct faculty at Northern Illinois University and Prospect High School. Bret served as Caption Head and Percussion Arranger for the World Champion Cavaliers who won 6 World Championships and 5 High Percussion Awards during his tenure. He also consulted with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps 2006-2008. In 2010 he served as Program Coordinator for the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps. He was the Battery Arranger with the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from 2014-2016. Bret is very active as an arranger for various high schools and universities throughout the US and Japan. He also arranges for The Aimachi Marching Band and Indoor Drumline from Nagoya, Japan. He travels extensively performing and presenting clinics across the United States, Japan and Europe for Yamaha, Zildjian, Remo and Innovative Percussion. Bret has judged Effect Music for WGI since 2013 as well as many other indoor drumline circuits across the country. Bret has written articles for publication in Percussive Notes Magazine and served on the Board of Directors for the Percussive Arts Society from 2005-2012. Bret is also a member of The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, known as ASCAP. Ike Jackson, Clinician Ike Jackson has been working with Ayala High School since 1991. In his twenty-seven years as a percussion instructor, he has worked with more than 60 different percussion programs at the high school, college, and drum corps levels. A prolific percussion arranger, judge and drill designer, Ike has worked with various percussion ensembles all across the US. His competitive marching career started as a teenager as a member of the Sound Machine Youth Organization. He then performed as tenor player for the Riverside Community College Marching Tigers from 1992 to 1994. Finally, he finished his marching career as a member of the 1994 Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, going on to win the title of World Champion. Ike is currently Vice President of the Southern California Percussion Alliance and a founding member of SCPA and and recently inducted into WGI Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Winter Guard International Percussion Advisory Board and has worked on the Steering Committee as well. In 2006 Ike created Pulse Independent World Percussion Ensemble and POW Percussion in 2010, and is currently working with Strike Independent World Percussion and Dark Sky Independent. Ike is a Mapex and Majestic Featured Artist; as well as, endorsed by Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets, Zildjian cymbals, and Remo Drumheads. Ike has recently worked on research and development projects with many major drum and cymbal companies to make many of the products used by today’s percussionists. Ike has helped his percussion ensembles win 12 WGI World Championship medals, 22 WGI World Championship Finalist placements, 47 Regional Finalist placements, 14 Regional Championship titles, and a Bands of America Grand National Finalist appearance in 2004 and 2014. He was the Corps Director of the 2006 division III World Champion Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps. Ike is currently works as the Program Director for the Mandarins Drum and Bugel Corps and was Percussion Caption head at The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps. Locally, his ensembles have won 13 SCPA Championship medals and over 90 first place awards. 3 KU JAYHAWK MARCHING PERCUSSION ACADEMY PARENT/PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK June 14-15, 2019 Jeff Smikahl, Clinician Jeff Smikahl took over as the Director of Bands at Olathe East High School in 2010 after serving as the Associate Director of Bands for the previous 11 years. His current teaching duties includes teaching the Wind Ensemble, Advanced Percussion Ensemble Class, the Nighthawks Jazz Band, the Drumline Class, the Freshmen Percussion Class, and the Jazz Combo Class. He also co-teaches the Orange and Blue Brigade and Concert Band with Associate Director of Bands Jennifer Creek. Under his direction the Olathe East Band program has experienced wonderful success in all areas of the band program. The concert band programs at Olathe East were the first ever high school band to hold their own concert at the beautiful Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City in 2015. They have also performed at Symphony Center in Chicago, home to the Chicago Symphony and Avery-Fischer Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City with guest conductor Eric Whitacre. In 2016 and 2017 the Nighthawks Jazz Band was selected as runner-up at the KCCC Jazz Summit Basically Basie competition. They have consistently earned Outstand Band and One ratings at area jazz festivals for many years. The marching band program has won 5 Grand Championships and numerous caption awards in the last 5 years at regional marching competitions. They were also the first band from Olathe to ever compete in the highly competitive Bands of America Super Regional in St. Louis. The percussion program has received recognition as one of the top percussion programs in the nation, earning numerous State and Regional honors for both the marching and concert ensembles and performers. In 2016 the Percussion Ensemble was selected to perform at the Bands of America Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival in Indianapolis. The Percussion Ensemble has also performed at KMEA twice and the Kansas Day of Percussion twice. Mr. Smikahl holds a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Music Education from the University of Kansas, and has performed with several regional ensembles including the Kansas City Civic Orchestra, the Overland Park Symphony, and the Topeka Symphony. Mr. Smikahl is an artist/endorser for Innovative Percussion Alex Vallar, KU Drumline Instructor Alex has been involved in marching percussion as a performer, arranger, and a clinician for over 17 years. Following his years as a performing member of the Hickman High School Drumline, in Columbia, Missouri, Alex has also been a performer in the Rhythm Movement (WGI) and the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps (DCI). Alex has also performed with Marching Mizzou drumline and Kansas City Chiefs "Rumble" Drumline. Alex's teaching career began in the fall of 2004 when he returned home to teach Rockbridge High (MO). Alex taught and arranged battery percussion for Rockbridge until 2006. Alex currently holds the position of Percussion Coordinator for Blue Valley High School. Alex has taught at Blue Valley West (KS), Lee's Summit (MO), and Missouri Western University.