You may be aware that castanets entered the symphonic orchestrator’s toolbox via Spanish flamenco music. Along with the sound of the 5-string guitar, the “clacking” of the castanets defines the Andalusian flavor associated with flamenco music. Traditionally, one or more flamenco dancers play the castanets. With one pair in each hand, the dancers click out patterns that support the movement of their dance. What you may not be aware of is that flamenco castanets are pitched unevenly, with one pair lower in tonality than the other. The lower pair, held in the right hand, is called “macho” (male) and the higher pair, held in the left hand, is called “hembra” (female). (A notch carved on the bottom often distinguishes one...
Steve Fitch, born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, plays percussion, associate principal timpani and drum set with The Phoenix Symphony. He has performed in the Drum Corps International Championship finals, and attained sixth place in DCI's "Snare Drum Individuals." Steve earned his bachelor's of music degree in percussion performance with Michael Rosen at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and his master's of music as a graduate teaching assistant to John Beck at the Eastman School of Music. While at Oberlin, Steve soloed with the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra, the Oberlin Wind Ensemble, and the Oberlin Percussion Group, and he won the school's concerto competition performing Robert Kurka's Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra. He was also inducted into the honorary music fraternity Pi...
Our good friend, Bill Manley, stopped by the Grover factory yesterday to select a pair of our new Pro Concert Castanets. Bill, a very busy Boston based percussionist, is heading south next week to play the season with the Sarasota Opera, where he holds Principal Percussion chair (or rather stool).
A little know fact is that Bill, who secretly know as the "Grosse Glocken Meister", is our resident Naugahyde historian and expert.
Keep them naugas grazing Bill!
Matthew Darling is a Professor of Music at California State University, Fresno, where he has taught percussion since 1991. In addition to teaching, Matt is the principal timpanist/percussionist with Music in the Mountains (Nevada City, CA), a position he has held since 1987. Matt is the principal timpanist with the Sacramento Choral Society Orchestra, principal percussion in the Fresno based Orpheus Chamber Ensemble, a section percussionist with the Arizona MusicFest in Scottsdale, and performs regularly with both the Fresno Philharmonic and Sacramento Philharmonic. He holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Arizona, a Master of Music Degree from Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Music Degree from Sacramento State University. Matthew currently serves as President of the...
On behalf of all the staff and craftspeople here at Grover Pro Percussion, I wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season!
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