Utah Percussive Arts Society

PAS UT chapter DOP 2026 is March 13-14!! Check out all the info, including solo/ensemble registration info at utahpas.org #dayofpercussion #pas #percussiveartssociety #percussion #drums

A massive congratulations to Doug Wolf, University of Utah Professor Emeritus and past Utah PAS Chapter President, on his Percussive Arts Society Lifetime Achievement in Education Award! After dedicating 42 years to teaching in Utah, Professor Wolf’s impact on the percussion community remains profound. He will receive this honor at the PASIC 50 in Indianapolis this November. Leave a comment below if Professor Wolf’s influence reached you in any way and show him some love!

Save the date! March 14th, 2026

The percussion community mourns the loss of Dr. Dennis Griffin. He passed on May 6th at the age of 81. Utah percussion has been shaped by Dr. Griffin with his time of over 36 years at Utah State University and over a decade of performing as the timpanist for the Orchestra at Temple Square. Dennis was the recipient of the Utah Chapter PAS Service Award in 2012 and was a tremendous member of the PAS Chapter in supporting and building the Day of Percussion with Utah State. His students have received countless awards from the Utah Chapter and hold several teaching positions in music. Notably, 4 of his students performed for the USUO Salute to Youth program on marimba. Dr. Griffin will be sorely missed by all of us who are a part of PAS and his loss will ripple through our community for years to come. https://www.wingmortuary.com/obituary/dennis-griffin?fbclid=IwY2xjawKLndNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFMVlNxNWl4UWFvdEVrQlNzAR6017cUfbLTfoZCaMa1UaxVc_MZl0TNqrKBES2wmQ7BzDT6Vg5eDxcwAZXyFw_aem_bLgZK4TftXJhPoi1dknhhQ

Introducing our snare drum clinician: Brendan Mason! Brendan will be accompanied by none other than Dave Loyal of Loyal Drums! Here is a little about Brendan. Register for Utah Chapter DoP: https://www.utahpas.org/ Brendan Mason is an active teacher, performer, and clinician in the New England area. He currently is the band director at Providence Country Day School in East Providence, RI. It is a position that he has held in the past at East Shoreline Catholic Academy in Branford. He provides private lessons to many students of all ages in the New England Area. Brendan also has served as caption head or technician to several area drumlines and percussion sections including the Cheshire High School Marching Band, Jonathan Law High School, Col. John Chester Drum Corps, Connecticut Patriots Drum Corps, The Stony Creek Drum Corps and the 7th Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. He has provided clinics and workshops all over the world, including a 2014 presentation for the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis, a week of clinics in Singapore for the Singapore Armed Forces Band and for The Royal Marine School of Music in Portsmouth, UK. Brendan is a regular teacher, performer and guest throughout China as a member of The China Percussive Arts Society. Brendan is a student of Paul Cormier, Bob Rush, Mike Gagnon, Matt Mayotte, and Tim Cecil. He later studied under Ken Green while attending Northwestern State University of Louisiana where he pursued a degree in music education and percussion performance. Brendan started playing rudimental snare drum at the age of 6 as a member of the Col. John Chester Drum Corps. He soon began competing individually through the Corps, winning honors at the Connecticut, Massachusetts, Hudson Valley, and Northeastern States Championships. At age 9, Brendan became the youngest drummer to hold The Dan English Trophy as the Connecticut State Junior Snare Drum Champion, a distinction he has won more times than any other individual. In addition to teaching, Brendan is a member of the Connecticut Patriots Drum Corps. He has also performed with the Grand Republic Fife and Drum Corps, the Middlesex County Volunteers and

Introducing our chamber percussion clinician and college keyboard solo judge: Francisco Perez! Dr. Francisco Perez (b. 1990) is a percussionist, composer, and educator from Pflugerville, TX. He currently serves as Instructional Associate Professor of Percussion Performance at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. As an active performer, he has accepted international engagements in Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Spain, and China, and toured extensively throughout the US including performances at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. He has performed with various professional ensembles such as the Lexington Philharmonic, the Symphony of Southeast Texas, and is a founding member of the BlueSHIFT Percussion Quartet. Dedicated to the expansion of chamber percussion music, BlueSHIFT has performed throughout Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee. As an active composer, Francisco is privileged to have a wide variety of published works with several ensemble commissions from the University of Kentucky, Texas Christian University, Northwestern State Univesrity, University of Texas at Arlington, as well as solo commissions for a variety of artists throughout the US. His works have been performed at The Midwest Clinic, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the Texas Music Educators Association Convention and are published by Tapspace Publications & C. Alan Publications. Francisco received his Doctorate of Musical Arts and Master’s in Percussion Performance from the University of Kentucky under Prof. James Campbell. He received his Bachelor of Music Education from Texas Christian University under Dr. Brian West. Francisco proudly endorses Marimba One, Innovative Percussion, Black Swamp Percussion, and the Zildjian Company as an Educational Artist. For more information about Francisco and his compositions/arrangements, please visit: www.perezperc.com.