KoSA Celebrates 20 years of Drum Magic!

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Castleton, Vermont, USA – The KoSA International Percussion Workshop, Drum Camp and Festival celebrated a two decade history of intensive learning, living and playing with internationally celebrated drum & percussion masters.

Held in the serene green mountains of Vermont every summer, KoSA Co-Founders and Directors, Aldo Mazza and Dr. Jolán Kovács Mazza hosted both participants and KoSA Faculty: resulting in an amazing experience.

First time participant, 17 year-old Ethan Switzer of Massachusetts (USA), described his week at KoSA as “ totally transformative experience that every musician should experience.”

Faculty Alumni and Marching Percussion master Bill Bachman concurred with Switzer’s sentiment stating:  “Nowhere but at KoSA have I found such a close, warm connection between students and Faculty.”

And first-time faculty member, Steel Pan artist Tracy Thornton returned home exhilarated from his introduction to the KoSA experience writing, “Everyone was amazing and welcomed me with open arms.  They made me feel like family from the get go. I knew it was going to be an amazing week but didn’t know it would surpass my expectations 10 fold. The people I had the pleasure of meeting and hang with (faculty & participants),the performances, the lectures, talks, the musical collaborations including the late night hangs were all magical and inspirational.”

This year’s theme:  “The Time is Now: Drum!” was a fitting message about having no regrets in the choices that one makes, of not putting things off, of pursuing one’s passion in life and to DRUM!   This is just what the participants and artist faculty engage in at KoSA, morning, noon and night.   Regardless of the wide-ranging ages (from young teens to mature adults) all attendees bonded quickly becoming intimate members of the international KoSA Family, each bringing their individual experience. Participants and Faculty came from Germany, Australia, Italy, Switzerland, Western and Eastern Canada and all over the USA.

Nightly concerts (KoSA Music Fesitval) were recorded this year in collaboration with Drum Channel (www.drumchannel.com) for future broadcast.  Stay tuned to hear the mind-blowing performances of KoSA’s stellar faculty which included: Dennis Chambers (Santana), John Blackwell (Prince), Glen Velez (Grammy Award Frame Drum master), Bill Bachman (Marching Percussion guru),  Massimo Cusato (South Italian Tamburello), Mario DeCiutiis (KAT electronics founder), Frank Epstein (Boston Symphony Orchestra), Dom Famularo (drumming’s Global Ambassador), Julie Spencer (classical marimba artist), Aldo Mazza (Repercussion/KoSA Artistic Director & Founder), Allan Molnar (Music technology), Valerie Naranjo (Saturday Night Live), Damian Corniola (Australian drumset artist),  Marcus Santos (Brazilian master- Berklee College, Grooversity founder), Jeff Salisbury (University of Vermont), William Armando Rodriguez (Cuban master), Scott Swimmer (DrumStrong/Community drumming), and Michael Wimberly (West African Drumming) as well as smoking hot performances from KoSA’s NYC session player rhythm section: Francesco Beccaro on bass, and Bob Quaranta on piano.

Special highlights of the week included Jim Bailey’s (Evans Drumheads) tuning class and a deeply informative session with James Taylor of the Music Business Institute. A memorable skype session was also included in the jam-packed schedule with none other than KoSA Faculty alumni Mike Mainieri and Rich Holly who were happy to partake in this year’s KoSA, albeit virtually.

Continuing the long-standing tradition, KoSA awarded “Lifetime Achievement” awards this year to two very deserving KoSA Faculty members:  the immensely gifted Dennis Chambers, as well as a visibly moved John Blackwell, a first-time KoSA Faculty member, who was completely surprised to receive such an accolade.  KoSA’s “Recognition Award” were also presented to long time KoSA Faculty Members Mario DeCiutiis and Michael Wimberly in acknowledgement of their tireless efforts in promoting music education and for being dedicated ambassadors towards the worldwide KoSA mission.

The KoSA World is continuously in expansion with programs not only in USA (New York, Vermont, and Miami), but in Cuba, Europe and China. For more information on all things KoSA, visit us at www.kosamusic.com and at facebook.com/kosamusic

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