Contact: Sammy McDavid
Robert J. Damm
Percussionist Robert J. Damm leads a diverse collection of music for steel pans, drums, marimba, and other pieces in a Nov. 12 Mississippi State program.
The university's music education department is sponsoring its assistant professor in a 3 p.m. Faculty Artist Recital at the Bettersworth Auditorium of Giles Hall. Admission is free, though donations will be accepted to help defray the costs of future programs.
Accompaniment will be provided by Leanne Fazio on piano, Charles John-Arnold, synthesizer and sampler; James Gassaway, djembe; Chris Clark, congas; David Reese, bass; Richard Brown, harmonica; Donald Buckner, fiddle; Edwin Daniel, guitar; and Mark Francis, tee-fer.
Damm's selections will range from "Distant Oceans" and "Udu Dances," two original compositions, to "Die Zwitschermaschine," a musical rendering of a Paul Klee painting. The performance will conclude with a Cajun music jam.
A doctoral graduate of the University of North Texas, Damm (pronounced domm) joined the MSU faculty in 1995 and directs the student Percussion Ensemble. As an MSU John K. Bettersworth Leadership Lecturer, he regularly presents clinics on African drumming for students throughout the state.
He also is active in the Percussive Arts Society, having served as president of the Mississippi chapter and host and clinician for the state's Day of Percussion program.
For more information on the recital, telephone (662) 325-3070.