Greetings and welcome to the October 2022 Vibraphone Project Newsletter. In this edition we have exciting news to share about the Social Media Internship Program, updates to the December event, a new education video, and member spotlights of Andrew Baldwin and Jerry Tachoir!
If you'd like to learn more about The Vibraphone Project, please visit our website (where you can subscribe to this newsletter), and follow us on Facebook, Instagram & YouTube for the latest updates.
December Event Updates
VPI’s December 10 event is quickly approaching! We are excited to announce that Abby Fisher and Steph Davis will be the performers of VPI’s commissioned works by Robert Honstein and Pamela Z. As a reminder, the works to be premiered from the Call for Scores are: Gavin Goodrich, Brian Graiser, Bryan Jeffs, Stephen Solook, and Carlo Tosato.
The event will take place at the Center for Mallet Percussion Research at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. We are excited to be presenting this event, and thrilled for it to take place here. We look forward to seeing you in December!
Social Media Internship Program
Want to use social media to grow your audience and develop professional connections? Join me, Matthew Lau, in our VPI Social Media internship program. You will work with me directly in this 9-month program on dos & don'ts on social media related to our percussion industry. Now let's be real.. we aren't Britney or Beyonce, many social media rules don't necessarily apply here. I will show you the ones that work for me in the past and how I get professional engagements out of it. You will create and post content for this VPI's season, weekly meeting with myself, and extra career advice sessions with some of our diverse board members!
Pedagogy and Education Videos
The Pedagogy and Education committee have a new educational video available.
Jerry Tachoir presents the various paths to becoming a mallet player.
Member Spotlight
Andrew Baldwin
Andrew Baldwin is a freelance percussionist and teacher in Chicago. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin Madison with a Master of Music in percussion performance, he has performed for master classes and festivals in the U.S. and China. His percussion playing can be heard on the soundtracks to the movies "Brawl in Cell Block 99" and "Dragged Across Concrete". Andrew is a Black Swamp Percussion concert artist.
I am currently focusing on expanding the repertoire for vibraphone and voice (duo) by working on arranging arias for soprano and vibraphone. I hope to perform these pieces along with highlighting already existing pieces for the duo on a recital for soprano and vibraphone with soprano Alannah Spencer in the near future.
Links:
www.andrewbaldwinpercussion.com
Jerry Tachoir
Just a few months shy of 50 years as an artist/clinician with the Musser company, Jerry is now endorsing the Signature Series 3.5 octave vibraphone by Bergerault. Jerry is also an endorser for the Pearl MalletStation and Innovative Percussion JT 23 Jerry Tachoir signature mallets. Currently the Duo Tachoir is touring extensively throughout the US and Canada. This Vibe/piano Duo has become very popular and in much demand.
Jerry Tachoir is one of the most in-demand artist clinicians and is currently endorsing the Jerry Tachoir Signature series 3.5 octave vibraphone by Bergerault. Jerry is a suma cum laude graduate from the Berklee College of Music and a student of Gary Burton. Jerry was the first to release an educational vibraphone video through the Master Study Series and Vol. II was release shortly after. www.masterstudyseries.com. Jerry also endorses Innovative Percussion makers of the JT 23 Jerry Tachoir signature mallet and endorses the Pearl MalletStation. Jerry’s method book, “A Contemporary Mallet Method - an Approach to the Vibraphone and Marimba” has become a standard and required study at several university music schools. Jerry and both the Jerry Tachoir Group and the Duo Tachoir have 15 recordings release of which 2 are from a performance at the Montreux jazz festival. Jerry has performed at most of the major jazz festivals and concert halls throughout the US, Canada and Europe of which some of the most recent are, the Northsea festival in Holland, the Montreux Festival in Switzerland, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Elkhart Jazz Festival, the Watertown Jazz Festival, etc. Most recently, the Duo Tachoir (Jerry, vibes and Marlene Tachoir, piano and Voice) has been extremely busy touring and presenting clinics at universities throughout the US.
Two projects in the works for this Fall/Winter are a new recording by the Jerry Tachoir Group and a solo Vibraphone/Marimba recording by Jerry.
Here are two links to Tachoir performances
The Jerry Tachoir Group at the Elkhart Jazz Festival
The Duo Tachoir at the Quebec Jazz Festival
Jerry has a video of 10 mallet tips available on YouTube or from the Education tab on his website. www.tachoir.com
Also the “Ask Jerry Tachoir” video series is ending it’s second season and can be viewed on YouTube or from the Education tab on www.tachoir.com
Jerry serves as the chairman of the pedagogy committee for the Vibraphone Project.
Vibraphone Project Chairs
President - Brian Graiser
Vice President - Lindsey Eastham
Business/Admin - Harlan Graiser
Call for Scores - Boyce Jeffries
Commissions - Gloria Yehilevsky/Lindsey Eastham
Legacy Awards - Brian Graiser
Newsletter Editor - Stephen Solook
Online Competition - Matthew Lau
Pedagogy/Education - Jerry Tachoir
Podcast - Patrick Overturf
Research Project - Quintin Mallette/Brian Graiser
Members
Sean Andres, Dimitris Angelakis, Anders Åstrand, Andrew Baldwin, Jim Bailey, Aaron Butler, Rosie Cerquone, Lindsey Eastham, Matthew Geiger, Mucsi Gergő, Behn Gillece, Josh Gottry, Brian Graiser, Harlan Graiser, Jade Hails, Boyce Jeffries, Matt Jordan, Matthew Lau, Tanner Leonardo, Terry Longshore, Quintin Mallette, Jen Martinez, Jon Metzger, Tony Miceli, Tessla Michael, Marciano Moreno, Ben Norton, John Mark Piper, Oscar Roca, Joshua Smith, Stephen Solook, Shilo Stroman, Jerry Tachoir, Saverio Tasca, Joey Tierney, Joseph Van Hassel, Morgan Walbridge, Gloria Yehilevsky
Get Involved
Donate - The Vibraphone Project is always accepting donations to support our cause. All funds received will go directly into projects that support the vibraphone; such as commissions, performances and event, and educational endeavors. Your support is appreciated! Visit www.thevibraphoneproject.org/donate to learn more.
Share - Let us know about your vibraphone-related performances, commissions, and projects! Our goal is to uplift the entire vibraphone community, and we do that by promoting all projects related to the instrument. Email us at vibraphoneprojectinc@gmail.com
Volunteer - We are always on the lookout for passionate people, eager to donate their time to The Vibraphone Project. Our volunteers gain practical experience working within a music non-profit organization, while supporting the vibraphone community. Click here to learn more.