Boston based percussionist, Lee Caron, will be presenting a clinic at the 2011 United States Association of Rudimental Drummers convention being held in Lancaster, PA.
Mr. Caron, considered by leading Basel Swiss drummers as the best and foremost authority of Swiss drumming in the United States, will be presenting his clinic on this subject on Saturday, April 16 at 1:00 PM.
Caron’s Swiss Master Class Introduction:
Most percussionists know that the birth of rudimental drumming was in Switzerland but
most of ‘most percussionists’ know nothing more than that. The purpose of this Swiss
drumming master class is to compliment my Percussive Notes article (Jan 2010) and clear the mystery
of this known but not so known art form. The presentation will show attendees:
– A brief history of Swiss drumming (1380’s till present).
– An explanation of the carnival ‘Fasnacht’
– The Swiss rope tension field drum (wood and brass) and how they work.
– Grip: ‘Traditional grip’ but with a slight difference in the right hand.
– A breakdown of Swiss rudiments.
– Reading, deciphering, and interpreting Swiss notation (Burger and Winzer
Code).
– Live performance of Swiss drumming.
Lee Caron's Biography from Boston Musicians' Association:
Performing rudimental drumming for 20 years, Lee has been a member of and
performed with groups such as The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps 3rd US INF (Escort
to the President), The United States Army Band (Pershing’s Own), United States Coast
Guard Band, Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, and was in the 2007 cast of the
Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Edinburgh Scotland. His travels also take him to Basel
Switzerland where he performs regularly in the Carnival ‘Fasnacht’ with the Clique ‘Seibi’.
In 2009 Lee was the first American to compete in the ‘Offiiells Bryysdrummlen
und Pfyffe’ (the competition in Basel before Fasnacht) as well as placing in the finals.
When not performing rudimental drumming, Lee is a freelance percussionist performing
with orchestras, chamber groups, and music theater productions throughout New
England, faculty at the Indian Hill Music School and Axiom – a Drummers Place,
percussion specialist Weymouth HS, and drum instructor for the William Diamond Jr.
Fife and Drum Corps in Lexington, MA. Mr. Caron attended the Hartt School of Music
and the Boston Conservatory.
This year’s United States Association of Rudimental Drummers convention is being held at the Heritage Hotel – Lancaster, PA on April 15th, 16th & 17th.
For more information on the U.S.A.R.D. convention and the organization itself, please go to the U.S.A.R.D. web site at www.usard.org
-Joe