High School Percussion Ensemble clinic beats its way to River Campus

For those who follow the popular adage "March to the beat of your own drummer", there will be plenty to choose from at the Percussion Ensemble Clinic on Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus.

Ensembles from Jackson, Perryville and Farmington, Missouri, high schools will attend and perform at the percussion clinic, which takes place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is open to the public, and admission is free.

Shane Mizicko, professor of music at SEMO, said each high school will bring up to five ensembles. He said the groups will range from four-piece marimba ensembles to 14 members playing "snare drums, timpani and you name it. Pretty much everything in the orchestral percussion inventory."

Mizicko said the clinic is a way for the student ensembles to prepare for the district solo and ensemble competition Saturday, March 4, at Jackson High School.

"This gives the students a warm up or kind of a practice performance, a chance to fine-tune and play their pieces for somebody else," Mizicko said. "We work with them for about 20 or 30 minutes on each piece. We just give them some insight and pointers."

Mizicko said the SEMO percussion ensemble will play several sets throughout the day, "so that the high school students get to hear the university ensemble as well."

He said each high school will also have a performance where they combine their students into a larger ensemble. These performances will be at 1 and 6 p.m.

"Anyone is welcome to come check out the ensembles during the day," Mizicko said. "The clinics and performances will be in the Bedell Performance Hall, so people can come and go as they please."

For more information about the clinics or performances, call the River Campus box office at (573) 651-2265.