New radio spot for ODOT

I’ve just completed a new 60-second radio spot called “The Safety Step” that will be airing statewide in Oregon for the coming year. It’s a public service announcement for the Oregon Department of Transportation, written to be a catchy and fun jingle in the style of the Andrews Sisters.

All these 3-part harmonies make me wish I’d learned to sing when I was hitting on all those drums as a kid. 

Credits:

Agency: Gard Communications
Producers: Mary Ann Aldridge, John Plymale
Lyrics: Daryle Rico
Music composition: Jim Casella
Vocals performed by: Michelle Kosta

For more demos of my commercial projects, go here.

Cyclone - early demo

I’m just putting the finishing touches on my latest percussion ensemble Cyclone. This piece was commissioned by Lewis Norfleet, director of bands at Union High School in Camas, Washington to be premiered at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago this December.

This piece features a quartet of marimbists sharing two facing marimbas. This quartet is accompanied by piano and 7 other percussionists, most of whom are playing some form of mulit-percussion setup. There is still some detailing and refining left to do, but this has been one of my more ambitious pieces and I thought it might be fun to share it while it’s still in the final stages of cooking. 

This audio recording comes straight out of Sibelius, so there are some humanizing and mixing things that aren’t nearly where I’d like them to be yet, but it’s a start. All sounds are generated from Virtual Drumline.

For more information, click here.

Compound Autonomy - new work for percussion ensemble

I’ve just completed work on a new composition for percussion ensemble called Compound Autonomy. This was written for the 2010 Foster High School percussion ensemble from Richmond, Texas. This group is very talented, and always up for an ambitious challenge, so I consider myself fortunate to be able to go outside the box a bit and delve into a piece like this.

This piece is published by Tapspace.

The Graves - in theaters nationwide January 2010

Distribution for The Graves was recently picked up by After Dark Films which will feature the film in their fourth annual Horrorfest - 8 Films to Die For festival nationwide. The new poster for the film has been unveiled. Get a first look at the new poster.

Fez Fatale "Six Pack" now available

Fez Fatale (the band in which I play drums) just released a short CD called "Six Pack." For those of you unfamiliar with the Fez, we're a quirky hodge-podge of lounge, funk, blues, and rockabilly. Something for everyone I guess. While I wish I had more time to practice with such a busy schedule, I'm proud of how the production of this project turned out. You can purchase the coaster-sized recording from CDBaby, or buy online at iTunes or Amazon. Thanks for supporting us!

Cavaliers earn bronze medal at DCI world championships

It was a great year for drum corps. The group I write for, The Cavaliers from Rosemont, IL captured the bronze medal at Drum Corps International's world class championships in Bloomington, Indiana this Summer. We created an original show called Samurai which made heavy use of eastern sounds such as Yangqin (an Asian dulcimer), Shimidaiko, Hyoshigi, Chappas, Chudaiko, and many other colorful elements that created a show I'm very proud of. The percussion section was absolutely stunning. Big kudos to all the guys in the drumline, and the amazing percussion staff that brought it all to life!