Ted Atkatz Percussion Seminar

Some scenic views from TAPS LA Music Festival 2024! 🌊🤩🌅

A big thank you to Dr. Joe and Kath Anderson for hosting “Coastal Rhythms”. This was truly an unforgettable experience by the California coast! What a special treat to share great food, views, and music with the Los Angeles community as the sun set along the seaside.

Also, shout out to our principal sponsor, Majestic Percussion, for making programming like this possible 👏👏

Some shots from Music for 18 Musicians! 📸📸

Thank you to Colburn Conservatory of Music for hosting this incredible concert! 🎶🎶

Thank you to:
Colburn School
Black Swamp Percussion
Majestic Percussion
Avedis Zildjian Company
Vic Firth
Dragonfly Percussion
Harlan Percussion
Luft Mallets
Marimba One

The 2024 TAPS LA Music Festival was a smash, not only for our participants, but for our concertgoers as well. Those that attended our Colburn show saw a professional level performance of Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians. Those that attended our concerts in Long Beach and Rancho Palos Verdes experienced the magic that Andy Akiho brought to the stage. Andy’s performances of his own compositions with the TAPS fellows were breathtaking for our audiences.

Here are some highlights from the festival!
(1) TAPS fellows served the community by performing xylophone rags and chamber ensembles at a local senior center in Rancho Palos Verdes.
(2) The TAPS fellows refined their solo and orchestral percussion skills by attending an incredible series of masterclasses each week.
(3) We are so proud of the TAPS fellows for putting on FOUR amazing concerts in just two weeks!
(4) Students were coached by TAPS faculty and had the opportunity to collaborate with local musicians from Los Angeles. These coaching sessions culminated in Coastal Rhythms, an evening of music along the Pacific Ocean.
(5) TAPS fellows explored Los Angeles and made sweet memories along the way. Check out the picture of the TAPS crew at an LA Galaxy soccer game!

We are excited to create more life-changing musical experiences that are tuition-free to more young musicians. As TAPS continues its programming, we need your help to fund next year’s festival and our operating costs. https://givebutter.com/taps

https://youtu.be/cO5HPv5mO-0?si=jp5r14JfF6zqPHtB

https://youtu.be/cO5HPv5mO-0?si=jp5r14JfF6zqPHtB

Aka by Andy Akiho Aka by Andy Akiho performed at TAPS LA Music Festival 2024Featuring Andy Akiho, Yun-Chen Chou, Kai Gray, Raymond Newell, Eric Sittner, Connor Willits

Can’t attend our concert today?
JOIN THE LIVESTREAM ⬇️

TAPS - 06/28/2024 Program:Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion by Béla BartókPillar I by Andy AkihoAluminous by Andy AkihoPillar III by Andy AkihoTo wALK Or ruN in wEst harlem...

TAPS Artist Spotlight: Meet David!

Korean-American violist David Kang is a recent graduate of USC’s Thornton School of Music. David has attended National Repertory Orchestra, Atlantic Music Festival, and Colorado College Music Festival. As an orchestral musician, David has performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, LA Phil, OPERA San Antonio, and the American Contemporary Ballet. A passionate chamber musician, David has performed with artists like Yura Lee, Taeguk Mun, Andrew Wan, David Requiro, Meta Weiss, Atar Arad, Steven Cohen, François Salque, and David Geber. His exceptional string quartet skills earned him the first prize at the 2021 Ofeish String Quartet Competition, leading to an invitation as a resident artist at the Recontres Franco-Américaines de Musique de Chambre Festival with the Gateway Quartet.

“I’m thrilled to be performing works by Andy Akiho at TAPS 2024. Combining a string quartet with percussion creates a unique and distinct texture, offering countless opportunities to explore different colors and expressions. Akiho’s innovative composition challenges us to blend our sounds in new and exciting ways, making each performance a fresh and dynamic experience. I can‘t wait to share this remarkable piece with the audience.”

Check out the TAPS Summer Concert Series!
https://www.tedatkatzpercussionseminar.com/purchase-concert-tickets

Molly Pease is a versatile, experimental and collaborative vocal artist and composer whose singing has been described as “sonically mesmerizing” (LA Weekly) and “amazing” (LADC), and whose compositions defy genre. Molly has premiered solo roles with Industry Opera and Overtone Industries and toured with Bjork in 2022. She won a Grammy with social justice choir Tonality and is a member of Hex Vocal Ensemble, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Chorale Lab, and C3LA Choir. As a performer-composer, Molly incorporates improvisation, extended vocal sounds and inter-disciplinary collaboration. Her most recent musical release is called “Inner Astronomy” (innerastronomy.com).

“I’m so excited to be singing Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians as part of the TAPS festival! I’ve always loved this piece because it is so transportive - the way it ebbs and flows reminds me of reeds blowing in the wind, schools of fish swimming by, and waves crashing. Can’t wait to be immersed in it!”

🎶: Molly Pease
📸:

TAPS Artist Spotlight: Meet Eric! 🎻🎶

Violinist Eric Cheng enjoys concertizing in various settings, particularly focusing on classical solo and chamber music. Recent performances include at the Recontres Franco-Americaines chamber music festival, Classical Crossroads’ “Second Sundays at Two”, The California Club, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, and Classical California KUSC. He has also been featured and reviewed by the Sing Tao Daily and China Journal, upon organizing and collaborating with friends and local artists on a diverse range of music. He has served as guest artist at the Lansum International Music Festival and Concertmaster of the Eastvale Symphony Orchestra. Eric currently performs as the first violinist of the Ivory Quartet, formed at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, winners of the 2022 Christine Marie Ofiesh Honors Quartet Competition.

Eric received a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Violin Performance at the Eastman School of Music studying under Mikhail Kopelman, having earned the Performer’s Certificate and served as teaching assistant of Kopelman. Eric is currently studying at the USC Thornton School of Music under Glenn Dicterow, pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree.

“TAPS LA Music Festival will feature great performances and excellent performers. I’m looking forward to working with these incredible musicians and providing a quality concert to our audiences.”

TAPS is on page 8! Thank you Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) News!

Los Angeles Downtown News Los Angeles Downtown News - LA Downtown News 6-17-24

Thank you L.A. Downtown News for the feature!

‘Really Exciting’: Percussion seminar brings fledgling, pro musicians together The Ted Atkatz Percussion Seminar (TAPS) is bringing music to DTLA.

https://www.colburnschool.edu/calendar/events/taps-presents-music-for-18-musicians/

TAPS Presents: Music for 18 Musicians Join TAPS (Ted Atkatz Percussion Seminar) for an incredible evening of music featuring works by Cole, Westlake, and Reich! Often considered Steve Reich’s greatest work, Music for 18 Musicians features violin, cello, two clarinets, four voices, four pianos, three marimbas, two xylophones, vibraphon...

TAPS Artist Spotlight: Meet Dr. Micah Wright! 🎶🎶

An accomplished and versatile artist, Dr. Micah Wright is an active musician based in Southern California. Dr. Wright has received many national and international musical awards and given solo, chamber, and orchestral performances throughout the United States. He has performed concertos with several ensembles including Rice University’s Shepherd School Symphony, Drake University Symphony Orchestra, Masterworks Festival Orchestra, Meyer Chamber Orchestra, and Des Moines Metro Concert Band. Known for his unique programming, Dr. Wright frequently performs his own arrangements, has premiered many contemporary works, and co-founded several active chamber ensembles including the Aristeia Trio, Syrinx Reed Quintet, and Kaleidoscope Trio. In 2018 and 2023 he was featured as a soloist by the Beverly Hills National Auditions, performing on both clarinet and piano.

Dr. Wright maintains a diverse teaching schedule and is currently on faculty at California Lutheran University, Pierce College, California School of the Arts, Kadima Conservatory of Music, Harvard-Westlake School, and Pasadena Conservatory of Music. He graduated with academic honors from USC Thornton (D.M.A., 2015), Rice University’s Shepherd School (M.M. 2012), and Drake University (B.M. 2009).

“I am looking forward to performing Music for 18 for the first time."

School Shepherd School of Music University Thornton School of Music

TAPS Artist Spotlight: Meet Kristine! 🎶🙌

Based in Southern California, Kristine Llanderal enjoys leading an interdisciplinary musical life as a clarinetist/bass clarinetist, musical educator and collaborator.

Highlights of Kristine’s clarinet performance experience include performing with the Opera SLO Grand Orchestra in their performance of “The Nutcracker,” performing in the 2022 Los Angeles Conducting Workshop and Competition orchestra, playing Music for 18 Musicians with the TAPS LA Music Festival, and recording on the bass clarinet for the orchestral arrangement of “Crazy” written by Wooli, Codeko & Casey Cook. Kristine is a founding member of the Fivemind Reed Quintet, who have completed their second year as artists in residence at the Interlochen Public Radio Sound Garden Project summer concert series.

“I am so looking forward to performing such a profound piece of music and meeting the brilliant people of the TAPS community.”

It’s time for a TICKET GIVEAWAY!! 🎉🎟️

Tag three friends in the comments to win a package of 4 tickets so that you and your friends can watch five-time Grammy nominee and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Andy Akiho, perform LIVE on Friday, June 28, 2024. Join us at 7:30pm in Daniel Recital Hall at Bob Cole Conservatory of Music for a night of incredible chamber music. This giveaway ends Friday, June 21 at 11:59pm PST, and a winner will be announced by Saturday, June 22.



TAPS LA Music Festival 2024 is grateful for its corporate sponsors!
Marimba One Majestic Percussion Dragonfly Percussion Harlan Percussion Vic Firth Avedis Zildjian Company Black Swamp Percussion

TAPS is looking forward to collaborating with Andy Akiho this summer. Check out the link below for information about our collaboration!

https://andyakiho.com/pages/performance-list #

Performance List Aki Rhythm Press

We are excited to share the Music of Steve Reich with the Los Angeles community this June!

https://stevereich.com/concerts/

Event details:
Date: Jun 23, 2024
Time: 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Venue: Zipper Hall at The Colburn School, 200 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012, USA

Upcoming Concerts Upcoming Concerts

https://cmsocal.org/event/the-music-of-bela-bartok-and-andy-akiho/

The Music of Béla Bartók and Andy Akiho - About the event Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion – Béla Bartók To wALK Or ruN in wEst harlem – Andy Akiho Riveting. Virtuosic. Powerful. TAPS is excited to present the monumental work, Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion by … Read More

TAPS Artist Spotlight: Meet Jason! 🎹🙌

Jason Heemang Griffin is a composer and pianist active in LA and Orange Counties. While he is currently maintaining a busy schedule of piano teaching and accompanying, he has aspirations of both preparing for a doctorate program and transitioning into media music. While studying and integrating Korean traditional music is his primary compositional interest since his undergraduate years at Stanford, his musical interests have also expanded to both dabbling in film scoring and exploring the intersection of language and music during his time as a master’s student at Cal State Long Beach. He has also maintained an active collaborative piano career, performing in over thirteen student and professional musical productions in the Bay Area and continuing his piano accompaniment services to the students of Cal State Long Beach and Golden West College.

“I’m excited to participate in my first TAPS concert, and also to revisit Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians after my last performance of it nine years ago!”

Tickets to Music for 18 Musicians available below 🎶⬇️

https://www.tedatkatzpercussionseminar.com/events/music-for-18-musicians

It’s TAPS QUIZ TIME (BONUS ROUND)!! 🙌🙌

ℝ𝕦𝕝𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕖: The TAPS Team has created some trivia about TAPS LA Music Festival 2024. YOUR job is to answer our questions based on your *exemplary* musical knowledge. Drop your answers in the comments BELOW‼️👇👇

To purchase tickets to our concerts, check out the link below! These are concerts you won’t want to miss!
https://www.tedatkatzpercussionseminar.com/purchase-concert-tickets

It’s TAPS QUIZ TIME (ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥 THREE)!! 🤓🎉🤩

ℝ𝕦𝕝𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕖: The TAPS Team has sketched multiple stage plots that will be in use during TAPS LA Music Festival 2024. YOUR job is to answer our questions based on your *exemplary* musical knowledge. Drop your answers in the comments BELOW‼️👇👇



If you haven’t had a chance yet, make sure you purchase your ticket before it’s too late! Seats are selling out fast!
https://www.tedatkatzpercussionseminar.com/purchase-concert-tickets

It’s TAPS QUIZ TIME (ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥 TWO)!! 🤓✏️👨‍🏫

ℝ𝕦𝕝𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕖: The TAPS Team has sketched multiple stage plots that will be in use during TAPS LA Music Festival 2024. YOUR job is to answer our questions based on your *exemplary* musical knowledge. Drop your answers in the comments BELOW‼️👇👇

If you want to come hear music by Bartók alongside many incredible works by Grammy Award-winning musician and TAPS 2024 Artist-in-Residence, Andy Akiho, make sure to purchase a ticket today at https://www.tedatkatzpercussionseminar.com/purchase-concert-tickets