Mus*040A  Percussion Ensemble, Tuesdays 7-10:10pm – Phil Hawkins, Director

This course focuses on the study and performance of percussion music from West Africa, Cuba, Brazil, Trinidad and the Westrn European musical tradition.  Members rehearse and then perform in at least one public concert every semester. 

Please visit: www.mcpas.net to view our upcoming performances

We are always looking for new members.  If you are a: percussionist, drummer, bassist, guitarist, pianist, vocalist or horn player and are interested in joining the class, please contact the director, Phil Hawkins (408) 855-5285  phillip_hawkins@wvm.edu

About the director:

Phil Hawkins is a master percussionist, an accomplished jazz drummer and one of the leading innovators of music for the steelpan. As a percussionist and drummer he has traveled throughout the United States, the Caribbean and South America to perform concerts, teach clinics and study percussion.

Originally from Topeka, Kansas, Phil completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music at Wichita State University where he remained as adjunct faculty, directing the Steelband and Latin Jazz Ensembles. In 1998, Phil moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where he quickly gained a reputation as a versatile drummer with groups such as Three Tenors No Opera (Sea Breeze Records), Rolando Morales, Wild Mango, Joe Craven, Pete Escovedo, Sam Bevan, Ray Obiedo and Irish music master Ron Kavana (Proper Records, UK). A friendship with world renown percussionist Michael Spiro eventually led Phil to begin work on his recently released debut CD, “H2O.” He also met and collaborated with vibraphonist Gerry Grosz and bassist Jim Kerwin (David Grisman Quartet) on the 2001 release, “The Cosmic Buzz.”

In 1993 he started his own publishing company, P. Note Music, to promote his original music. His catalogue is substantial and the list of schools that have performed his works includes Ithaca College, University of Miami Ohio, University of Illinois, Wichita State University, Brigham Young, Clemson University and Northern Kentucky University to name a few. In addition to the thirty-one compositions for steelpan, Phil has also published several books including, “World Rhythms for Kids: Caribbean Carnival,” “Caribbean Jazz Ensemble,” “Pan Rhythm,” and “Pan Combo v. 1.”

From 2002 - 2004 Phil lived in Los Angeles where he continued to work as a jazz drummer. While there he began recording “H2O,” employing the legendary Alex Acuña on drums and percussion. Phil also worked on other recording projects for Caribbean vocalist Jessica Vautor, singer Kathleen Grace, Disney Internet Group, the University of Southern California Vocal Jazz Ensemble and film score composer Patrick Kirst.