The Percussive Arts Society is pleased to announce the 2019 Executive Committee, to go into effect January 1, 2019. Chris Hanning, Michael Burritt, Sarah Hagan, Julie Davila, Thad Anderson, Brian Zator.
The Percussive Arts Society is pleased to announce the new Executive Committee which was voted on unanimously earlier this month by the current PAS Board of Advisors. “I have had the great fortune of working with tremendously talented and dedicated board members for the past two and a half years and believe this group will continue the strong tradition of working on behalf of the more than 5,000 PAS members and future members” said Joshua Simonds, PAS Executive Director. “In addition to the new EC members, I want to publicly thank Julie Hill, Paul Buyer, and George Barrett for all their time and service to PAS as they rotate off the Executive Committee”.
The new Executive Committee of the Percussive Arts Society will be as follows and will officially assume their roles on January 1, 2019
2019 Executive Committee
Effective: January 1, 2019
Dr. Chris Hanning - President
West Chester University
Dr. Chris Hanning is a Professor of Percussion and Dean of the Wells School of Music at West Chester University. As a performer, Chris is a recording artist for NFL Films, performs with the Peter Paulsen Quintet, the Bach Festival Orchestra of Bethlehem, and Philadelphia's premier contemporary music ensemble Relâche. He also regularly appears with the Philly Pops, Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, and the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra. His performing has taken him throughout Europe, South America, and the United States with engagements at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, Verizon Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Royal Albert Hall in London. In 2006 he released Island Grooves, an instructional drum set DVD that received a 4 1/2 out of 5 star rating from Modern Drummer magazine. Chris performed on numerous recordings for NFL Films over the past fifteen years including several Emmy Award Winning projects. You can hear Chris every year when the Lombardi Trophy music is played during the Super Bowl. Chris is an artist/clinician for Vic Firth, Pearl/Adams, Remo, and Zildjian and has presented clinics at universities, conventions, and percussion festivals across the United States and abroad.
Michael Burritt - President-Elect
Eastman School of Music
Having performed on four continents and more than forty states Michael Burritt is one of the World's leading percussion soloists. He is in frequent demand performing concert tours and master classes throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada. Mr. Burritt has been soloist with the United States Air Force Band, Dallas Wind Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Ju Percussion Group (Taiwan), Percussion Art Quartet (Germany), Amores Percussion Group (Spain), Nexus and the Third Coast Percussion. Mr. Burritt has three solo as well as numerous chamber recordings. In 2006 he recorded the Joseph Schwantner Percussion Concerto with the Calgary Wind Ensemble on the Albany label and is soon to release a new recording of solo and chamber works by Alejandro Viñao. Mr. Burritt released a recording project with the world renown percussion group Nexus titled Home featuring his new work Home Trilogy, commissioned by the group.
He has been a featured artist at nine Percussive Arts Society International Conventions. In 1992 he presented his New York solo debut in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall and in 1998 performed his London debut in the Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall. Mr. Burritt has extensive chamber and orchestral experience and has performed with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, The Chicago Symphony, Nexus, Third Coast Percussion and the The Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra.
Mr. Burritt is also active as a composer, with three concertos to his credit as well as numerous solo and chamber works for marimba and percussion. His works for solo marimba have become standard repertoire for the instrument and are frequently required repertoire on international competitions. Commissions include The World Marimba Competition in Stuttgart Germany, The Paris International Marimba Competition, Nexus and the Paris Percussion Group. Mr. Burritt is published with Keyboard Percussion Publications, C. Allen, Masters Music and Innovative Percussion. Burritt is also an artist/clinician and product design/consultant for Malletech, where he has developed his own line of marimba mallets and the MJB Signature Marimba. He is an artist / educational clinician with the Zildjian Company and Evans Drum Heads and Yamaha Drums. Mr. Burritt is the President Elect of Percussive Arts Society, was a member of the Board of Directors from 1996 - 2008, a contributing editor for Percussive Notes Magazine from 1991 - 2006 and was chairman of the PAS Keyboard Committee from 2004 – 2010.
Michael Burritt is currently Professor of Percussion and head of the department at The Eastman School of Music where is only the third person in the history of the school to hold this position. Prior to his appointment at Eastman Mr. Burritt was Professor of Percussion at Northwestern University from 1995-2008 where he developed a program of international distinction. Mr. Burritt received his Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees, as well as the prestigious Performers Certificate from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.
Sarah Hagan - 1st Vice President/Treasurer
Zildjian/Vic Firth
A drummer and former teacher, Sarah Hagan joined the artist relations department at Avedis Zildjian Company fifteen years ago, and has worked her way up to the position of Director of Drum Set Artist Relations (Zildjian/Vic Firth). During this time, Hagan has personally selected cymbals for top drumming luminaries and has been instrumental in building Zildjian’s roster of artists representing a wide range of musical styles. As a member of Zildjian’s Sound Team, Sarah has been working closely with the R&D and marketing departments on the successful development and launch of products over the last ten years. In addition, Sarah has been a board member of the Percussion Marketing Council as well as served on the PASIC Drum Set Committee.
Julie Davila - 2nd Vice President
Middle Tennessee State University
Julie Davila is renowned percussionist, performer, music educator and clinician. She was inducted in to the WGI Percussion Hall of Fame in 2014, in recognition of over 20 years contributing to the marching arts activity as a leader, teacher, designer and adjudicator. Julie is currently the percussion coordinator and arranger for the Middle Tennessee State University Band of Blue Drumline and a member of the chamber percussion ensemble the CAIXA TRIO, winner of a 2011 “Drummie” award by Drum Magazine. In addition, she serves on the Executive Committee for the Percussive Arts Society and is a member of the WGI and DCI nationally recognized adjudication teams. She is an active clinician specializing in contemporary and marching percussion, and has taught and performed in Seoul, South Korea, Paris, France, Puerto Rico, Peru, Mexico, Brazil and extensively throughout the United States. Julie is a graduate of the University of North Texas. She has published numerous marching and concert percussion features through Row-Loff Productions and Drop6 Media. She is the author of the "Modern Multi-Tenor Techniques and Solos” and “Impressions on Wood” published by Row-loff, and is a co-author of “Aptitude” an innovative solo snare book published by Drop 6 media. Julie is an endorser and clinician for the Pearl Corporation, Innovative Percussion, the Avedis Zildjian Company, Grover Pro Percussion and Evans Drum Heads.
Thad Anderson - Secretary
University of Central Florida
Thad Anderson is an Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Central Florida where he coordinates the Percussion Studies program, teaches applied lessons, and directs the Percussion Ensemble. Joining the faculty in 2009, Anderson also oversees the Collide Contemporary Music Series, directs the UCF New Music Ensemble, and teaches courses in music technology. Anderson is a versatile performer and pedagogue with focused interests that include contemporary music, composition, design, electro-acoustic music, conducting, and technology.
Active as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician, some of Anderson’s recording credits include releases on the Cantaloupe, Naxos, Flying Horse Records, and Innova labels, while performance experience includes the Victoria Bach Festival, Austin Chamber Music Center, Round Top Festival-Institute, Syracuse Society for New Music, Make Music New York, Accidental Music Festival, Winter Park Bach Festival, Days of Percussion in Florida, Texas, Idaho, and Oklahoma, the Texas and Florida Music Educators Association convention, Percussive Arts Society International Convention, Austin, Waco, and Brevard Symphony Orchestras Anderson has been a featured soloist with Conspirare, the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, UCF Wind Ensemble, and the Murray State University Wind Ensemble. Anderson frequently presents clinics, lectures, and performances around the United States and as far as Bangkok, Thailand.
Anderson specializes in the creation and performance of new music through commissioning and collaborating with composers. Some of these projects have produced new works by Paul Lansky, Marc Mellits, Zack Browning, Steven Snowden, Jonathan Kolm, John Serry, Martin Bresnick, Halim El-Dabh, and Travis Jeffords. Also active as a composer, Anderson wrote and recorded the soundtrack for the award winning documentary film Standard Deviation. Anderson self-publishes original works through +Two Media. Universal Editions and Peters Edition are also currently publishing some of his projects.
Additionally, Anderson is highly active in the Percussive Arts Society community where he has served as a member of the Board of Advisors, the Music Technology Committee, President of the Florida PAS Chapter, and contributes to the various publications. He is also a frequent evaluator and faculty member at the Music For All National Percussion Festival and Summer Symposium. Dr. Anderson completed his undergraduate work in Music Education at the University of Central Florida and received his Master’s of Music and Doctorate of Music Arts in Percussion Performance from the University of Texas at Austin.
Thad Anderson plays Yamaha percussion instruments, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Zildjian cymbals, and Remo drumheads.
Dr. Brian Zator - Immediate Past President
Texas A&M University - Commerce
Dr. Brian Zator is the Head of Percussion at Texas A&M University-Commerce, having joined the faculty in 2001. He holds degrees from Baylor University, the University of Michigan and the University of North Texas, and is also a student of world-renowned marimba artist, Keiko Abe. Dr. Zator has performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), TMEA, TBA, Midwest, conventions and festivals across the United States, at Carnegie Hall, and abroad in Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. He has two CD’s released on Equilibrium Records: Zamiki: Music for Solo Marimba and a chamber-works CD entitled, Zoomorphs.
Active within the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), he currently serves as President. He has also served as President-Elect, Second Vice President, Secretary, on the Board of Directors, and on the Keyboard and Percussion Ensemble Committees. Dr. Zator was a contributing author for the New Literature Reviews for Percussive Notes and has adjudicated the PAS International Percussion Ensemble, Composition, and Solo Marimba Competitions.
Providing instructional materials for marimba and keyboard students, Dr. Zator wrote a keyboard method book, Keyboard Fundamentals with Play-Along Tracks, published by Innovative Percussion, and is the primary keyboard artist for the iBook publications by Pocket Percussion Teacher. He is Chair of the Texas Prescribed Music List (PML) Percussion Committee that regularly edits, updates and revises the primary percussion solo and ensemble list used by high schools across Texas and the country. Dr. Zator is a performing artist and clinician for Dynasty/Bergerault, Innovative Percussion, Sabian, Evans, and Black Swamp Percussion.
Dr. Zator’s students are perennial winners at PASIC competitions, winning the College Keyboard category 5 of the last 8 years, the College Multiple-Percussion category three times, the Timpani category, and the Small Ensemble Competition. The A&M-Commerce Percussion Ensemble was one of the three winners of the prestigious PAS International Percussion Ensemble Competition and performed a showcase concert at PASIC 2010. The ensemble also presented a concert at PASIC 2006, featuring works of Minoru Miki, and has released two CD’s since 2007. His students have earned graduate assistant positions at prestigious programs across the country and are becoming successful professionals in their chosen fields.
Dr. Zator is also heavily involved in his community, currently in his second term as a School Board Trustee for the Royse City Independent School District. He was one of the Co-Captains for the Davis Elementary All Pro Dad Chapter, having served in this role for eight years. Invited by members of the City Council, Dr. Zator served as Chair of the Royse City Comprehensive Plan Action Committee and gave presentations at the Chamber Luncheon and town forums. He is also a member and plays drumset at the Fellowship Church-Royse City.