Category: Music

The Summer Percussion Academy at Mason provides valuable real-world preparation and college audition insights to teen percussionists, as well as exciting masterclass and performance opportunities.

“I’ve found that the most successful musicians are always asking questions and engaging in the most current topics in their field,” explains Program Director and Mason Percussion professor Jonathan Bisesi. “For a percussionist, some of these topics and questions are:

• How do I practice and perform at a higher level?
• What repertoire should I be playing?
• What should I play for a college audition?
• What colleges should I audition for?
• What are High School and College Percussion Ensembles currently performing across the country?
• What composers are writing new material for our instrument(s)?
• How well-rounded does a Percussionist need to be?
• How many sticks and mallets should I have?

These are only a sample of the topics that we will approach throughout the week. A variety of expert percussionists (from George Mason University and the Buffalo Philharmonic) will add their insight and experience.”

Fellow Mason School of Music professors John Kilkenny, Joe McCarthy and Victor Provost will accompany Jonathan in leading this week-long immersion into all things percussion. Plus, they will be joined by guest artist Dinesh Joseph from the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

“Through performance and discussion, my goal is to inspire each student to find their own answers once the week has concluded,” says Mr. Bisesi. “This makes the Mason Summer Percussion Academy the perfect setting to strengthen the skills that each student already has, while making him or her a better informed percussionist for the future.”

The Percussion program takes place during the “Mason Summer Music Intensive Week” on July 31 – August 4, 2017 (9am-4pm) in the de Laski Performing Arts Building on the Mason Fairfax campus in northern Virginia. A special Residential option which includes on-campus housing, meals and evening activities is also available for the full university experience. If you’re a young percussionist age 13 to 18, this is the place to be this summer!

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Thanks to our Mason School of Music Percussion department and summer program sponsors:

Young singers ages 9-12 with a passion for performing are invited to join this summer’s Creative Choral Camp where they will hone their performance craft with nationally known teaching artists in a comprehensive approach to singing that will get them moving, playing, vocalizing and creating!

“Singing in any style, whether alone or with a choir, is all about communicating a story or a message to the listener,” explains Artistic Director Bonny Tynch. “Lots of conductors/teachers (including me!) have been guilty of presenting a technically correct performance that leaves the audience (and singers- I would argue) rather cold. The notes may have been correct, the rhythms were right- there may have even been some dynamic contrasts between loud and soft sections! Yet the music falls flat and the audience is not moved beyond the excitement of seeing someone they know and love all dressed up and singing on stage.”

“Music is so much more powerful than technical perfection,” continues Ms. Tynch. “Real music comes from singers giving themselves to the music, conveying a story with their voices, facial expression and bodies. When an audience experiences singers that are engaged mentally, physically – and yes, playfully – they are moved and the true power of the music comes through.”

Bonny Tynch knows a thing or two about choral music and conducting! She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in choral music education from East Carolina University and George Mason University, respectfully. Last summer, she was awarded the Artist-Teacher Diploma from the Choral Music Experience Institute, and she has studied at the Orff Institute in Salzburg, Austria. Ms. Tynch is in her seventh season as a Youth Chorus Conductor for the Fairfax Choral Society, and she is the Founder and Board President of BRIDGES: Harmony through Music, a 501(c)3 organization that strives to provide quality opportunities for under served youth to be empowered through making music.

“I’ve found most singers, especially young singers, are eager to delve into the music and text set before them. This takes time, planning, space and creativity that is often not possible in school settings,”  says Ms. Tynch. “We have created a week long experience for young choral singers that allows them to work with experts in movement education, music and drama, sight reading and vocal pedagogy. These singers will present a culminating performance with the guidance of these experts that will showcase their musicality, playfulness and maturity. I’m so excited to have been invited by Mason’s Potomac Arts Academy to direct such an experience this summer on the George Mason University campus!”

Your child will have a blast at Creative Choral Camp and will also be developing choral and music sight-reading skills that will give them a jump ahead when preparing for fall auditions in their school choirs, future honor choirs, or for that coveted role in the community theater’s musical!

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