#418 Dr. Lamon Lawhorn-Drummer, Percussionist, Educator and More!
This week’s guest is Dr. Lamon Lawhorn. A native of Fort Worth, TX, Lamon Lawhorn graduated from Eastern Hills HS where he now has a percussion award named in his honor. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education from Prairie View A&M University, where he studied under Professor Larry Jones. While at Prairie View, Lamon was a member of the Marching Band known as the “Marching Storm”, Principal Percussionist in the University Symphonic Band, Principal Percussionist in the University Marimba Ensemble, and also served as Student Conductor for the University Symphonic Band. Upon graduation, Lamon attended the University of Mississippi, where he received his Master of Music Degree in Percussion Performance and was a Percussion Graduate student of Professor Ricky Burkhead. While at Ole Miss, he was the Principal Percussionist in the UM Wind Ensemble, and Drummer for the “Mississippians” Jazz Ensemble. In 2008, he won the UM Department of Music Concerto Competition with his performance of Paul Creston’s Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra becoming the first African-American and percussionist to win the competition. Under the direction of Dr. Kris Keeton, Lamon received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Percussion Performance, where his dissertation was entitled, "The Evolution of Contemporary Gospel Drumming." Additional teachers throughout his schooling include Dr. Neeraj Mehta, Dr. Eric Willie, Dr. David Carlisle, and Bruce Graves.
As a classical musician, Lamon has performed in various orchestral venues including Principal Percussionist for the L-O-U Symphony Orchestra, member of the Corinth Symphony Orchestra, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, served as Artist in Residence at the FWISD Creative and Performing Arts Summer Music Camp, and performed in various theatre productions including "Cats", "Footloose," "Into the Woods" and many more. In addition to his orchestral experience, Lamon has performed with recording artist Matt MaGill, “Howlin’ Madd” Bill Perry, R.A. Hall, The Damnwells, toured with the Inner City All-Stars Brass Band, and the George Tisdale Band as a drum set artist.
Active within the Percussive Arts Society, Lamon currently serves as 2nd Vice President for the Executive Committee and a member of the Board of Directors. Lamon is a sought after clinician and adjudicator in drum set, marching and percussion ensemble performances. An avid promoter of educational instruction, Lamon has conducted clinics at the Mississippi and North Carolina Days of Percussion, multiple PASIC Conventions and states such as North Carolina, Mississippi, Texas and Virginia. In addition, Lamon served on faculty at the Austrian Percussion Camp in Ossiach, Austria, teaching marching percussion and gospel drum set techniques. Lamon is a composer within C. Alan Publications, as well as an endorsee of Pearl-Adams, Black Swamp Percussion, Drum Dots, Remo Drumheads, Vic Firth Sticks, Prologix Percussion, and Zildjian Cymbals.
Most recently, Lamon was appointed as the Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Percussion Studies at Virginia State University where he will begin instruction this fall. Previously, Lamon served as Assistant Director of Bands at North Carolina A&T State University. His duties within the University Band Program included the coordination of all aspects of the University Band Percussion Ensembles in rehearsals and field instructions, including drumline and percussion ensembles. Lamon also taught courses within the music department, conducted the University Symphonic Band, oversaw the BGMM Media Team and recruitment activities of the University Band Program. The Cold Steel Drumline is an in-demand performing group, with performances all across the US, including a clinic presentation at the 2016 PASIC. Previously, Lamon served as Percussion Instructor at North Carolina Central University where his duties within the Department of Music included the oversight of Marching Percussion, conducting the MSM Percussion Ensemble, and providing additional private lesson instruction. In 2010, NCCU was rated as one of the Top 10 Best Drumlines in College Football by bleacherreport.com.
Lamon Lawhorn is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, Inc., Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity and the Alliance of Black Orchestral Percussionist. He currently lives in Moseley, Virginia with his wife Sheena, daughter Kollyns and son Layden.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Paul Wertico! Hailed in the press as "One of the most versatile and musical drummers in music today", Paul Wertico was born January 5, 1953 in Chicago. He gained worldwide recognition as a member of the Pat Metheny Group from 1983 to 2001. During his tenure with Metheny, Wertico played on ten recordings and four videos, appeared on numerous television shows, and frequently toured around the world. He also won seven Grammy Awards (for "Best Jazz Fusion Performance," "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance," and "Best Rock Instrumental Performance"), magazine polls, and received several gold records.
In recent years, Wertico has continued to tour and perform around the world, as well as around the Chicago metropolitan area, where he is based. This led to the creation of his own band (the Paul Wertico Trio) and collaborations with jazz notables such as Larry Coryell, Kurt Elling, and Jeff Berlin. These collaborations enabled Wertico to be featured on group recordings in a variety of musical genres, and also gave him an opportunity to produce records. In 2009, Wertico's trio joined forces with Marbin, which consisted of Israeli musicians Danny Markovitch (saxophone) and Dani Rabin (guitar). The group performed as Paul Wertico's Mid-East/Mid-West Alliance, and recorded an album for the Chicago Sessions label that received accolades from publications such as the Chicago Tribune, DRUM!, and Modern Drummer. Wertico's current group is Wertico Cain & Gray, featuring multi-instrumentalists David Cain and Larry Gray. A 2013 recording by Wertico Cain & Gray, entitled Sound Portraits, won "Best Live Performance Album" in the 13th Annual Independent Music Awards (2014).
When not touring, Wertico divides his career doing session work, producing, composing, and leading his own groups, as well as teaching. Among the musicians he has played with are: Eddie Harris, Lee Konitz, Dave Liebman, Sam Rivers, Bob Mintzer, Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, Roscoe Mitchell, Evan Parker, Jay McShann, Herbie Mann, Randy Brecker, Jerry Goodman, Ramsey Lewis, David Bowie, Charlie Haden, George Coleman, Diane Schuur, Nelson Riddle, Sonny Fortune, Ken Nordine, Tierney Sutton, and many others. Wertico was a member of the Larry Coryell Power Trio until Coryell's death in 2017. From 2000 to 2007, he was a member of the platinum-record-winning Polish progressive rock band, SBB. He is also the inventor of TUBZ, made by Promark, who also makes the “Paul Wertico Signature Hickory Wood Tip Drumstick” (TX808W ).
Happy Birthday to Tom Aungst! Tom is the Director of Percussion at Dartmouth Public Schools in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. His job includes teaching percussion students at all levels of the program, from the beginners starting in 5th grade, to the middle and high school students. Mr. Aungst has been in the Dartmouth school system for the past 24 years. Under Tom's direction, Dartmouth has participated in the WGI indoor percussion activity since 1998, capturing five World Class Percussion Championships (1998, 1999, 2008, 2009, 2014) and has consistently placed in the top three.
Mr. Aungst has also been involved in the drum corps activity for over 36 years. Tom has recently returned to The Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps as the Caption Head and Arranger for the 2017 season. He was formerly the Caption Head for Carolina Crown in 2015 and 2016. Mr. Aungst got his start in drum corps in the late 70's by marching with the Reading Buccaneer's all-age corps, winning two DCA World Championships in 1979 and 1980. In 1981 Tom became involved with The Cadets, first as a member from 1981-1984, then as the Percussion Arranger and Caption Head through 2008 and later returning as a consultant in 2013. While with the corps, Tom was involved with capturing nine championships and seven percussion awards. Mr. Aungst has always remained actively involved in the drum corps activity, recently writing for the Cadets2 corps in 2013, and working with various groups like the Blue Stars, Pacific Crest, Hawthorne Caballeros, and the Connecticut Hurricanes. Tom is a member of The Cadets, Drum Corps International and the WGI Halls of Fame.
Mr. Aungst is a graduate of West Chester University, where he received his Bachelor's in Music Education and also has a Master's in Jazz Performance from Rutgers University. He is also a proud father to Alan Aungst and Noah Aungst.
Happy Birthday to Lamon Lawhorn!
Gig Alerts
Tickets are now on sale for the Boston Calling Festival happening May 23rd-25th.
The Exit Zero Jazz Festival is happening May 16-18, in Cape May, NJ!
The JEN (Jazz Education Network) Conference is happening in Atlanta, GA from Jan 8th-11th.
Friend of the show, Stefon Harris will be participating at the JEN Conference as well as the Winter Jazzfest in NYC.
Snarky Puppy will be recording a new album, live with an orchestra in the Netherlands from Jan 16th-18th. There are still some tickets available. Friends of the show, Nate Werth, Marcelo Woloski, and Keita Ogawa will be part of the percussion section.
Educational Spotlight
The Ju Percussion Group will be hosting the 23rd Taipei International Percussion Summer Camp, from July 5th-12th. Friend of the show, Kana Omori will be one of the presenters/clinicians.
Cory Wong will be hosting the Syncopated Summer camp from Aug 13-16 in Nashville, TN. Friend of the show, Nate Smith will be part of it.
Iconic Recording
Lamon picked Larnell Lewis’ performance as part of the Zildjian Live series as the iconic recording. The backing band is Ghost Note.
Music News
You can submit to present at this coming PASIC until January 22nd.
Friend of the show, Eric C. Hughes always posts a Do’s and Don’ts list for anyone applying, as guidance for a successful application.
NYC has enacted new tolls called congestion pricing. This will affect anyone who heads south of 60th street to play a gig or see some music.
Some groups like the fire department have issue with this new plan. Most New Yorkers are not fans of the new implemented “service”.
Dr. Lamon Lawhorn Interview
The song leading into the interview is Miracles by Day Three Music.
Lamon starts with talking about his name and explaining it.
He talks about his position with the Percussive Arts Society and some of the goals he has in mind along with the rest of the Executive Committee and the outreach he has been doing.
Damon asks about having more different PAS events around the world and expanding the different chapters.
Lamon talks about why PASIC has remained in Indianapolis for so many years.
Shout-out to the PAS chapters in Mexico and also in the Philippines.
Shout-out to Piotr Sutt.
Lamon talks about building relationships with the international chapters.
BHAG = Big Hairy Audacious Goals
Shout-out to friend of the show, and the executive director of the Percussive Arts Society, Joshua Simonds.
Lamon talks about some of the differences in parts of Texas, especially in Dallas and Fort Worth.
Unfortunately, Lamon is a Dallas Cowboys fan.
Lamon teaches at Virginia State University. He talks about his job duties.
Lamon got his undergrad degree from Prairie View A&M University in music education. He studied under Larry Jones.
Lamon got his masters at the University of Mississippi studying with Ricky Burkhead, and his doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro studying with Sergeant First Class, Dr. Kristopher Keeton and ultimately with Dr. Eric Willie.
Lamon talks about why he chose his schools.
Shout-out to friend of the show, Johnny Lee Lane, who Lamon mentions.
Lamon talks about the evolution in his playing and how he makes sure his students are prepared.
Lamon is turning his dissertation on the evolution of gospel drumming into a book!
He mentions the gospel caravans and Shirley Ceasar, (friend of the show) Daniel Glass and Calvin Rodgers.
Lamon talks about Joel Smith and Walter Hawkins and choir.
Damon mentions the "Amen Brother" Break and the history of it.
Lamon mentions THIS SCENE in the movie “Glory” and THIS SCENE in “The Color Purple”.
Damon mentions Big Mama Thornton.
Lamon mentions THIS SONG by Bebe and Cece Winans.
Shout-out to friend of the show, Raynor Carroll and the ABOP organization.
Lamon talks about what music feels like “home” to him and being well rounded.
Damon mentions Chevalier.
Lamon talks about people of color and the opportunities afforded to them.
Damon mentions friend of the show, Charley Poole.
Lamon talks about HBCU drumlines and marching bands. Wikipedia says, “A distinctive "HBCU-style" of marching band originated in the American South in the 1940s through the blending of earlier traditions of military music and minstrel shows with a performance repertoire based on popular song.”
Lamon did a virtual clinic for PASIC with some other knowledgeable HBCU instructors. One of them was friend of the show, Tim Greene.
Lamon picks the iconic recording for the week. Lamon also mentions “Lingus” from ‘We Like it Here’ by Snarky Puppy.
Lamon uses Pearl Drums and Adams Percussion, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Remo Drumheads, Zildjian Cymbals, Drum Dots, Prologix Percussion Practice Pads, and Black Swamp Percussion.
Shout-out to Kathy Bernal, Ricky Burkhead, Dr. Eric Wille, his mother and his brother Jamel Lawhorn.
You can follow Lamon on his Website, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
The song leading out of the interview is, “Electric Thoughts” by (friend of the show) Ivan Trevino, performed by Lamon.
