Joshua Garrett, a percussion performance major at West Liberty University has had one of his compositions for steel band selected for performance at the 2012 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC). PASIC is the largest percussion event in the world featuring over 120 concerts, clinics, master classes, labs, workshops, panels and presentations. This year’s events will be held at the Convention Center in Austin, Texas from October 31 to November 3, 2012. Garrett’s work will be featured during the performance showcase of new compositions for percussion. Artists from all over the world are invited to come and perform pieces selected for their artistic and commercial merit by a panel of industry-leading performers, composers and publishers. The selected compositions and arrangements are performed at the conference as outstanding examples of recently published works composed for the percussion medium.
The Percussive Arts Society’s Percussive Notes reviewed two of Garrett’s compositions—Very Much (A Lot) and Distractions—both of which are published and distributed by Tapspace of Portland, Oregon (www.tapspace.com). Composed in the summer of 2010, Very Much (A Lot), has been described as combining “…elements of medium-tempo mambo as well as straight-ahead rock creating a haunting, mysterioso effect.” The reviewer enjoyed “the celebratory mood of the Afro-Cuban section,” of Distractions and described it as “a fun piece that is well crafted and a fresh addition to the steel band repertoire.”
Joshua maintains an artist’s webpage on tapspace.com (www.tapspace.com/joshua-garrett/) where his music can be viewed, heard and purchased. When not performing with West Liberty University ensembles, Joshua continues to compose and arrange for steel bands and percussion ensembles throughout the nation.