All-State Percussion Ensemble

 

2025 All-State Percussion Ensemble

Registration is OPEN! See below for info.

Deadline to register has been extended to Wednesday, November 6, 2024

IMEA, in partnership with the Percussive Arts Society and Indiana Percussion Association, is pleased to present this fantastic opportunity for your percussion students!

Participating students will have the opportunity to perform different genres of percussion ensemble music and attend clinics and masterclasses led by the clinicians.

When:
January 16-18, 2025

Where:
Grand Wayne Convention Center
120 W Jefferson Blvd
Fort Wayne, IN 46802

Cost:
$245

Guidelines:
  1. Students who will be in grades 9-12 for the 2024-25 academic year residing in Indiana or neighboring states are eligible to apply.
  2. Individual selections should not be edited or spliced, but rather performed continuously. Adjudicators are more interested in hearing an honest performance than a flawless one.
  3. Attention should be given to the quality of the recording. Soloists should be more prominent than the accompaniment (if used), and the site of the recording should be as soundproof as possible.
  4. Applicants are encouraged to have their instructors and/or directors review their recordings before submission.

 

Applicant Instructions:
  1. Four audition etude excerpts (Timpani, Snare, Mallet) are linked below in the "Audition Etudes" button. These will be the same examples used for the Indiana All State Band auditions. 
  2. Students should submit videos for 3 our of the 4 excerpts and upload them as unlisted videos on YouTube.
  3. Click on the buttons below to fill out the application being sure to include the video links to your audition excerpts where requested.

Deadline to register has been extended to Wednesday, November 6, 2024

       

Additional information:

  1. Evaluation proceedings are confidential and final.
  2. Alternates will be selected and used to fill positions as needed.
  3. Deadline for submissions: Wednesday, October 9, 2024.  

 

Questions should be directed to Kyle Govert / Indiana All-State Percussion Ensemble Chair / [email protected] / 219-613-7128

 

2025 Guest Clinician

Mark Ford is a marimba artist and the Coordinator of Percussion at The University of North Texas College of Music in Denton, Texas. As a Past-President of the Percussive Arts Society and the coordinator of one of the largest percussion programs in the world at UNT, Ford is an active performer and composer. Mark has been featured as a marimba soloist throughout the United States at universities, festivals and music conferences. He has performed internationally throughout Europe as well as in Japan, China, Taiwan, Australia and South America. In addition to his duties at UNT, Ford is also the Artistic Director for the bi-annual Drum Fest Marimba/Vibraphone Competition in Opole, Poland.

 With over four decades of performing, teaching and composing to his credit, Mark’s recordings have established his dedication to excellence in music. Ford’s solo marimba CDs, Stealing a Moment, Motion Beyond and Polaris, have become standards in the percussion world. His CDs have been described by PAS’ Percussive Notes as “beautiful, exceptional and  virtuosic.” Contact, with the UNT Wind Symphony conducted by Eugene Corporon features Mark performing marimba and percussion concertos by Jennifer Higdon, Daniel McCarthy, Keiko Abe and Ford.

 Additionally, Ford has written popular works for solo marimba and percussion ensemble including Head Talk, Polaris, Stubernic, Afta-Stuba! CABASA!, Wink for Alto-Saxophone,  Marimba, Coffee Break (co-composed with Ewelina Ford) and many others. Mark’s latest work, Concerto for Marimba and Wind Ensemble (2022) was recently premiered in Australia by the Melbourne Conservatorium Wind Symphony directed by Nicholas Enrico Williams. His Stubernic Fantasy Concerto (2012) has been recorded on 5 albums and performed on tour by the US Navy Band, the US Air Force Band and numerous university wind ensembles. His percussion compositions have been performed at universities and concert halls throughout the world and also featured on National Public Radio.  

 Ford is also the author of Marimba: Technique Through Music (Musicon Publications), an intermediate four-mallet marimba method book, used by conservatories and schools of music around the world. His latest book, #MarimbaBaby, has received critical acclaim and is established as a progressive educational songbook for marimba.

 Ford has been recognized as a leading percussion educator, and his former students perform and teach throughout the USA. Under his direction the UNT Percussion Ensemble has toured in Poland, Croatia, France and Belgium and also won the PAS International Percussion Ensemble Competition. Mark Ford is the Artistic Educational Director for Tama/Bergerault and also proudly represents Sabian Cymbals, Evans Drum Heads, Musicon Publications, Meinl Percussion and Innovative Percussion Inc. as performing artist and clinician. 

2025 Regional Clinicians: TBD

Photography provided by: Bateman Photography