The Percussion Ensemble will present at the New Percussion Ensemble Literature Showcase Concert on Thursday, Nov. 9. Their 90-minute performance displays the talents of students and highlights ETSU’s commitment to music.  

Matthew Geiger, the area coordinator in the Department of Music, said the showcase is the largest international conference for the percussion community held in Indianapolis. ETSU is one of four universities chosen to present, making it parallel to a “final four.”  

Geiger shared that earning this high honor has taken several years of preparation. “ . . . we had to prove that not only were we a high-quality ensemble by submitting recent recordings,” said Geiger. “We also had to prove that we were willing to learn new music.”

Photo of Jamie Whitmarsh preparing students for upcoming Percussion Ensemble concert. (Contributed/etsupercussion Instagram)

28 ETSU students broken up into several groups will be performing. “We do that intentionally to make sure that they’re really getting as much experience playing with different groups and different people as possible.” Geiger said.

Geiger hopes students will learn lessons from this experience that will positively impact their futures. “I think that they’ve really learned what it takes to put forth an excellent product, and that’s time and energy and a lot of practice,” said Geiger.  

The performance will not only showcase the students’ immense talent and hard work but ETSU’s significance in the music realm. Geiger said, “The real prize is for the students to walk on that stage knowing that they’ve earned their place at this international conference, because they deserve that win.” 

Geiger hopes to keep this momentum going within the percussion program. “We want to continue to highlight the student’s success and strive towards excellence,” Geiger said. He also shared that another goal for the Department of Music is to highlight music from underrepresented composers.  

Coming up next for the Department of Music is the annual holiday concert on Dec. 2 in the Martin Center for the Arts Grand Hall with two performances, 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.