RECENT BOOK RELEASE

I'm happy to announce the release of The Drum and Percussion Cookbook - Creative Recipes for Players and Teachers, published by Meredith Music. Edited by Rick Mattingly, the book is a collection of insightful strategies by a host of today's leading percussionists.

Contributing authors include: Kenny Aronoff, Anders Astrand, John H. Beck, Michael Burritt, Bill Cahn, James Campbell, Anthony Cirone, Christopher Deane, Robin Engelman, Peter Erskine, Mark Ford, Danny Gottlieb, Gordon Gottlieb, Neil Grover, Rich Holly (yes, that's me!), Steve Houghton, Glenn Kotche, William Moersch, Jeff Moore, Al Payson, Michael Rosen, Ed Saindon, Dave Samuels, Ed Shaughnessy, Ed Soph, John Tafoya, Garwood Whaley, She-e Wu, and many others.

I encourage you to visit the "What's New" section of the Meredith Music website or your favorite bookseller to order your copy today.

AND...In addition to being a part of this excellent book, I'm very pleased to tell you that this spring will see the release of my own book - Majoring in Music: All the Stuff You Need to Know, also published by Meredith Music. I'll post more information when the book is available for sale.

BACK FROM PASIC

Well, another Percussive Arts Society International Convention has come and gone, and I'm proud to say it was another tremendous convention. As usual, I got to see many great friends from around the world, and we were able to make some great decisions in the meetings I attended to further the work of PAS. Highlights for me were sharing the stage with Evelyn Glennie and Roy Burns, hearing the Ed Soph Trio twice, the Friday night Tribute to John Bergamo concert, and the leadership forum presented by a very talented speaker, Pat Richie. We also had a golf tournament on Tuesday, November 4 - the group I was in played horribly but we sure had fun!

Keep your eyes on the PASIC website - photos and videos will be uploaded over the next few days and weeks.

If you've never been to PASIC, make plans now to attend next year. We had nearly 7,000 people attend this year's. PASIC 2009 will be in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 11 through 14. The Indianapolis Convention Center is set up beautifully for our needs: there are 27 hotels, many of which are connected via walkways to the convention center (read: in bad weather, you get to stay inside!), and within a short walk of the convention center there are something like 200 restaurants - a perfect arrangement for our convention.

PLUS - the PAS headquarters and museum will be open in downtown Indianapolis, with a gala grand opening planned for PASIC 2009. Athough PAS has had an amazing collection of instruments and a museum for many years, this will be the first time the museum and convention are in the same city (and will be for many years to come!).

OFF TO PASIC!

I leave bright and early tomorrow morning for Austin, Texas, site of this year's PASIC, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. Tuesday afternoon is the PAS Golf Outing, which I'm greatly looking forward to, and Wednesday 9:00 starts 4 days of what seems like non-stop concerts, clinics, labs, competitions, exhibits, and seeing many, many colleagues from around the world. I'll be making one of the award presentations at Friday night's banquet, and I'll be providing the opening remarks for Friday night's concert, a tribute to the wonderful John Bergamo. I have several Executive Committee and Board of Directors meetings throughout the 4 days, but I expect to get to several great concerts and clinics, too.

If you're going to PASIC and see me (there'll be 7000+ of us there), stop me to say "hi." If you can't make it this year, start making plans for PASIC 2009 in Indianapolis.