September 11, 2008

Free percussion ensemble concert is Sept. 14

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois Improvisation Series presents a free percussion ensemble concert beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 14 in Altgeld Hall on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Ron Coulter, School of Music faculty in percussion at SIUC, founded and heads up the often-collaborative SiiS, presenting sound events that may be concerts, interdisciplinary performances or site-specific one-time-only sound experiments. This performance, Coulter said, features his student percussion ensemble.

Coulter is a busy local performer active in several musical venues both on and off campus at any given time. His past performance credits include touring with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and performances with artists such as The Four Aces, Al Martino, Galen Abdur-Razzaq, Chuck Mangione and more. He performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Conventions in 2002 and 2003, and in 2002 was a finalist in the multiple percussion competition. Also a busy composer, Coulter has more than 60 original compositions for acoustic and electro-acoustic mediums to his credit.

The ensemble for Sunday’s concert includes SIUC students Jim Beers (Chester), Josh Fielder, (Carbondale), Justin Rodig (Woodstock) and Nathan Staley (Woodstock).