#261 Sandbox Percussion Ensemble- 2-Time Grammy Nominated Chamber Group!
The photo of the group taken by: Noah Stern Weber.
This episode is sponsored by Dream Cymbals, and their 24” cymbal bag, and gong bags.
Described as “exhilarating” by The New York Times, and “virtuosic and utterly mesmerizing” by The Guardian, Sandbox Percussion has established themselves as a leading proponent of this generation of contemporary percussion chamber music. Brought together by their love of chamber music and the simple joy of playing together, Sandbox Percussion captivates audiences with performances that are both visually and aurally stunning. Through compelling collaborations with composers and performers, Jonathan Allen, Victor Caccese, Ian Rosenbaum, and Terry Sweeney seek to engage a wider audience for classical music.
Sandbox Percussion performs throughout the United States and made their United Kingdom debut in 2019 at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival in Cardiff where they premiered a new work by Benjamin Wallace for percussion quartet and fairground organ. In the 2019-20 season Sandbox Percussion premiered Don’t Look Down, a new work by Christopher Cerrone, with pianist Conor Hanick, as part of a new live stream concert series at the Caramoor Center for Music. They also presented a performance at Dumbarton Oaks of a new work by Viet Cuong. Sandbox Percussion has presented four separate programs of music by John Luther Adams at Storm King Art Center, Tippet Rise Art Center, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, and the String Theory concert series in Chattanooga, TN. Sandbox performed Viet Cuong’s concerto Re(new)al with the Albany Symphony and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, as well as premiered a wind ensemble version of the work with the Brooklyn Wind Symphony. Sandbox collaborated with actor and writer Paul Lazar on a portrait concert of music by John Cage at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University, and gave three sold out performances of Music for Eighteen Musicians with Emerald City Music in Seattle, WA.
In addition to maintaining a busy concert schedule, Sandbox has also led masterclasses and coachings at schools such as the Peabody Conservatory, Curtis Institute, the University of Southern California, Kansas University, Cornell University, and Furman University. While there, they coached students on some of the most pivotal works in the percussion repertoire including Steve Reich’s Drumming, György Ligeti’s Síppal, Dobbal, Nádihegedüvel, and John Cage’s Third Construction. These teaching experiences have inspired the quartet to pursue a role of pedagogy and mentorship for today’s young generation of musicians. In 2016, Sandbox Percussion founded the NYU Sandbox Percussion Seminar – this week-long seminar invites percussion students from across the globe to rehearse and perform some of today’s leading percussion chamber music repertoire at the iconic Brooklyn venue National Sawdust.
In 2020, Sandbox Percussion released their debut album And That One Too on Coviello Classics. The album features works by longtime collaborators Andy Akiho, David Crowell, Amy Beth Kirsten, and Thomas Kotcheff.
In the 2020-21 season, Sandbox Percussion will launch a group of new virtual initiatives: a concert series live-streamed from their studio in Brooklyn, #sandboxsunday – a live-streamed series of conversations with composers, performers and other close collaborators, and monthly live-readings of new works submitted by composers from around the world. In 2021, Sandbox will release Seven Pillars, an evening-length commissioned work by Andy Akiho, with staging and lighting design by Michael McQuilken.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Terreon Gully! Grammy winning, musician extraordinaire, Terreon Gully is one of the most influential artists of his generation. Widely recognized for his creativity, versatility and authenticity, Terreon is in high demand. His innovative and distinct sound has inspired artists such as Dianne Reeves, Christian McBride, Stefon Harris as well as John Beasley’s Monk’estra to make him a member of their bands.
Terreon has mastered a variety of musical genres. He performs, tours and records extensively with a variety of artists. From jazz legends and modern masters to the hottest hip hop icons, Terreon has worked with the best: Kurt Elling, David Sanborn, Nicholas Payton, Kenny Barron, the Stones Project, Sting, Keyon Harrold, Queen Latifa, Yerba Buena, Charlie Hunter, Abbey Lincoln, Joe Locke, Marc Cary, Russell Gunn, Lizz Wright, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Maria Schneider Big Band, Jacky Terrasson, Eldar, Me’Shell NdegeOcello, Lauryn Hill, Pharoahe Monch, Mos Def, and Common as well as a host of other artists. In addition to live performances, Terreon is also known for his exceptional work in the studio, producing and recording for CDs, films, and commercials; including his first solo project “TANKTIFIED”.
Gig Alerts
Another socially distanced New Years’ celebration is upon us as 2022 appears on the horizon. Here’s a look at some of the events that are scaled back or canceled altogether. -Article
Join CD Baby in Austin, TX for the 6th annual DIY Musician Conference next August 26-28, 2022! If you’re serious about your music career, you'll want to be in Austin, TX for this exciting weekend! -Tickets
You can check out Chris Robley’s episode HERE.
Issa Rae’s thoughts on the music industry.
Educational Spotlight
The Percussive Arts Society Solo Artist Competition is the only one of its kind in the U.S., happening every year, with the instrument category alternating between Drum Set and Solo Percussion. The 2022 PAS Solo Artist Competition category is Drum Set. Applications will be accepted through December 31, 2021, with final live rounds taking place June 14 - 16, 2022.
Requirements
Entrants must be 18 - 30 years old on or before June 1, 2022.
PAS membership is not required.
There is NO entry fee for PAS members and a $20 entry fee for non-members.
Deadline to apply is December 31, 2021.
Social Soundbyte
The social soundbyte for this week is the movie Encanto by Disney.
Shout-out to Matt Chamberlain (drums), Edmar Castaneda (Harp), and friends of the show: Luis Conte, Alex Acuña, and Javier Raez (among others) for participating on it.
Iconic Recording
This week’s iconic recording is “Paranoid Android” by Radiohead from the ‘OK Computer’ album released in May of 1997.
Brad Mehldau recorded this song in 2002 on his album ‘Largo’ with his trio.
Then in 2003, the Umass Marching Band front ensemble (Pit) performed and recorded it at the Multibands concert. This is a percussion ensemble arrangement done by Seth Adams.
Music News
Saturday, January 15th is the last day to enroll for coverage beginning February 1, 2022! Click the link for more information about the health coverage options available through this service, including details and requirements: MORE DETAILS.
Dental, vision, and life insurance are available to you as well.
The service searches through all of the Affordable Care Act health insurance plans available to you, checks to see if you qualify for financial assistance, and helps you choose the right plan.
For any questions, please contact Stride at support@stridehealth.com or (415) 930-9110.
The ‘Music Man’ revival with Hugh Jackman was officially canceled due to Omicron.
The December 25 and December 26 shows were canceled after actress Sutton Foster tested positive. She missed Thursday’s performance of the show and producers decided to shut down the next scheduled dates. These cancellations are just the cherry on top of a trend that sees a dozen Broadway shows going dark for cast and crew testing positive for coronavirus.
Despite the vaccination protocols for audiences, crews, and performers, shows like ‘The Lion King’, ‘Jagged Little Pill,’ ‘Aladdin’, ‘Hamilton’, and ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ have all gone dark. -Article
Shout-out to friend of the show, Victor Pablo for playing percussion on the Music Man (when it comes back).
Eric Clapton Says He Won’t Be Suing That German Widow for Selling His CD on eBay. He has issued a statement following news of his lawsuit against a German widow selling a bootleg CD. -Article
Sandbox Interview
The song leading into the interview is Pillar III by Andy Akiho from his Grammy Nominated, Seven Pillars piece, performed by the Sandbox Percussion ensemble.
Sandbox Percussion is a Non-Profit, 501(c)(3) organization and they rely on donations and grants to help their operations.
Shout-out to friend of the show Jason Trueting, who is on the board of directors for Sandbox.
Jonny and Damon talk about how to break through and get into the orbit of more successful people. Jonny brings up the So Workshop he attended.
Since then, the Sandbox guys have started their own seminar at NYU.
Victor and Jonny talk about what they were doing the week “everything shut down” in NYC and also some revelations about navigating the city.
Damon brings up the different roles the members have and what it says in their bios (Ian - Jonny - Terry - Victor)
They talk about navigating commitments as an ensemble vs individuals.
Victor manages the video content and also the finances.
The guys are looking to pass off some of the office jobs to others, like grant writing.
The Seven Pillars video project is what is talked about. The album is nominated for two Grammys and they performed it at this year’s PASIC.
Shout-out to friend of the show Andy Akiho, the composer of Seven Pillars.
Damon and Andy marched the Cadets together in 1998. Andy played top bass drum. Damon was in the pit.
Shout-out to friend of the show Robert Van Sice, who has cultivated tons of percussionists at Yale University.
Some things people might not know about their career would be how much time they spend together NOT playing. The logistics aspect of traveling with the instruments is always a challenge.
They bring up checking in on their mission statement. “Sandbox Percussion is a quartet that shares meaningful musical experiences with communities worldwide through performance, collaboration, and education, to inspire and cultivate creativity, conscientiousness, and cooperation.”
They talk about striving for a “perfect show”, realizing they may never achieve that, but the drive to keep pushing for it keeps them going.
They talk about some of the pipes they use in their performances (see in the above video).
Damon talks about the SKB case test. He also used a case for his cajon on an airplane. The case Damon refers to with the adjustable velcro barriers is THIS ONE.
They talk about the storage space which also doubles as a rehearsal space. They are fortunate enough to have a studio manager as well. Shout-out to Felix Reyes.
They bought a couple of vibraphones and a glockenspiel as a “splurge” when they had a budget surplus at the end of one year.
Damon talks about the items he has splurged on in the past. The guys briefly talk about carts. Damon has the R-12 Stealth model.
The items they would grab in a fire are mentioned. Damon brings up his gear is insured. If you’re interested, Music Pro Insurance and Clarion Musical Instrument insurance are a couple of the top companies.
Shout-out to the Board of Directors: Linda Rappaport (Chair), Katey Metzroth, Jason Treuting, Laifun Chung, Mark DeChiazza, and Robert Sirota. The guys in So Percussion, Third Coast Percussion, Amadinda Percussion Group, and Nexus. Robert Van Sice, John Beck, Michael Burritt, and Ben Toth.
They use Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Zildjian cymbals and gongs, Black Swamp percussion, Pearl drums, Adams instruments, Remo drumheads.
You can follow the guys of Sandbox on their Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud, and YouTube.
