Third annual percussion concert drums to the notes of success

By Elizabeth Kneisly
Staff Writer

The Spring Percussion Festival, “Drum the Planet,” gave the members of Mira Costa’s percussion ensemble a solo opportunity to create unique music and get the audience’s feet tapping.

This third annual festival took place on May 6 in the Mira Costa auditorium. In two clinics before the show at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. , professional players taught percussion students and the audience the different elements of percussion.

Finally, at 8 p.m., the entire Mira Costa percussion section put on the show.

“I went and watched the percussion festival with my friends and learned so many new things about percussion,” sophomore Lucas Commiso said. “My favorite parts were the clinics where I got to try out the instruments and play along in the audience with the students.”

World-renowned drummers Ron Powell and Lalo Davila hosted the two clinics before the concert. Powell displayed the different types of instruments used in Brazilian Samba music, while Davila demonstrated and talked about Afro-Cuban drumming. At the end of the clinics, Powell and Davila gave everyone instruments to play along with.

“I had a great time getting to work with Powell and Davila during the clinics,” sophomore Costa percussionist Zack Thomasson said. “I think they definitely added to the show and made the whole thing a lot more fun to be a part of.”

The show’s theme, “Drum the Planet,” featured a wide selection of percussion music from all around the world.

The students played seven pieces in their concert, including “Sarengetti,” “Marimba Flamenca,” “Dill Pickles,” “Sambach,” “High Voltage,” “Samba and Clean Sweep”. Davila performed along with the students in Marimba Flamenca, High Voltage, and Samba. Powell performed in Samba.

“I liked how the concert was creative in the way that they not only demonstrated their musical skills by playing on regular drums, but also by playing on more common objects, such as brooms like in the song ‘Clean Sweep,’” senior Zeena Bhakta said.

Over 100 people attended the clinics, and by the end of the night about 700 people filled the auditorium seats to watch the concert.

The festival was also sponsored by Row-Loff, Zildjian, LP, Marriott, Evans Drumheads and Innovative Percussion Inc. Some of the musical sponsors provided a demo-center for audience members to test out different percussion instruments.

“It was my first time playing in the percussion concert, and it was a really fun and exciting experience,” sophomore Costa percussionist Casey Choi said. “I especially loved Powell’s clinic because at the end we got to play all of his instruments with him. We had this really awesome jam session at the end.”

Video clips of the Mira Costa Spring Percussion Festival can be found at manhattanbeach.patch.com.
“Overall, the concert was awesome. All of the students played really well, and it was such a good crowd to entertain,” band director Joel Carlson said.