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<\/a>One of his freshman percussionists, Tyler Nunn doesn\u2019t seem to be intimidated by being the first to compete on this level, before an international crowd of percussionists.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really cool,\u201d said freshman, Tyler Nunn. \u201cI haven\u2019t been a part of a lot of \u2018firsts\u2019 but to be the first junior college from Mississippi to go to something as grand as PASIC and being at the only percussion geared convention, is really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
The quintet has been practicing on Sunday afternoons preparing for the competition since September, in addition to at least one hour during the week, depending on schedule demands. The five-minute piece they will perform, \u201cBlue Burn\u201d not only has students playing multiple percussion instruments, but the music is also in a difficult time signature and the performance includes a visual aspect with students playing in sync.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to showing the universities how we play, and no one should underestimate a junior college because we definitely have skill here and I\u2019m ready to prove it,\u201d said Zach Gregore, a music industry major who has been playing the drums since he was three years old. Each of his teammates has also been competitively performing at a young age and all of them were involved in prestigious high school indoor percussion\/band competitions and were Mississippi Lions Band members.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just excited to be able to perform on a big stage and compete again,\u201d said Andrew Suttle, an engineering major. \u201cBecause of Covid, everything was shut down my senior year and I\u2019m a sophomore at Jones now. I miss that aspect of playing drums and that\u2019s what I\u2019m most excited for; the feeling of competing and getting feedback. I\u2019m excited about being back in Indianapolis too. I\u2019ve been there for Indoor Percussion competitions twice.\u201d<\/p>\n After nearly two years of enduring Covid restrictions, Michael Arevalo is looking forward to competing again and loves the challenge of performing on the world stage at PASIC.<\/p>\n \u201cI really just want to go and enjoy it. I\u2019m passionate about drumming so this is going to be fun. I don\u2019t really get nervous, I am more excited than nervous, and I can\u2019t wait to be inspired again about performing like I used to be,\u201d said the kinesiology major.<\/p>\n Frans is confident in his students\u2019 abilities as rudimental percussionists performing on non-rudimental things, like the caxixi, a Brazilian shaker. Because the quintet will be facing university groups, Frans has imparted some personal wisdom as a previous PASIC winner. After his first PASIC appearance in 2005, Frans returned in 2007 and placed first in the PASIC marimba competition. He also placed fourth in 2010, and in 2015, he took an ensemble as a featured evening concert.<\/p>\n \u201cWith an audience full of percussionists from all over the world, including international artists and students, I\u2019ll be more nervous than my students during the competition because of the gravity of who they are performing before, which is also pretty neat,\u201d said Frans.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing to do,\u201d said Gregore. \u201cI\u2019ll do whatever it takes to perform here. I\u2019m super excited to be at PASIC and I consider it a privilege to be playing with some of the best drummers from Mississippi, here at Jones.\u201d<\/p>\n The group from Â鶹ֱ²¥ will be amongst approximately 5,000 people attending the annual PASIC competition and convention. Also, more than 120 exhibitors will be showcasing percussion equipment, publications and services, in addition to the 120 concerts, clinics, workshops, presentations, and master classes given by the finest artists from around the world, in all areas of percussion marching, symphonic, education, music technology and new music. Waynesboro\u2019s Stevonta Mayfield is also looking forward to attending performances and enjoying everything with his friends.<\/p>\n \u201cI am looking forward to having a good time with my friends and working hard during the competition. This is a group effort, and it feels great hearing us perform.\u201d<\/p>\n Three equipment managers, Ema Hudson-Laurel, Taikya Ducksworth-Taylorsville and Jordan Stianche-Petal, and Dr. Josh Frans will also be traveling with the ensemble.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>Competition and convention attendees are required to be fully vaccinated and masked. Also, each performing group will compete without their instructor conducting. They are on their own, performing as one.<\/p>\n