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West Point Percussion Group
The
newly formed West Point Percussion Group is comprised of members from both
the concert band and field music group of The United States Military
Academy Band. The ensemble performs a variety of music, including
standard and contemporary percussion literature, as well as compositions
unique to the heritage of West Point. The West Point Percussion
Group is dedicated to educating and entertaining its audiences through the
energy of its music. The
members of the West Point Percussion Group are musicians in the United
States Military Academy Band, and are active duty military personnel.
Prior to being permanently assigned to West Point, they studied at
respected conservatories and universities, taught in public schools, and
served with other military bands. Each was selected for duty at West
Point through a highly competitive audition process against applicants
from across the United States and beyond. Proudly representing the
United States Military Academy Band, the members of the West Point
Percussion Group are dedicated to the highest standards of artistry. STAFF SERGEANT CRAIG BITTERMAN is from Buffalo, NY. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree in performance from SUNY Buffalo and relocated to Connecticut receiving a Master of Music degree (performance) from the Hartt School of Music. After completing graduate studies, Bitterman free-lanced in the New England area and taught percussion at Holyoke Community College, Wesleyan University and Hartford Conservatory. Performance highlights include appearances with Nebojsa Zivkovic and the Jovan Perkussion Projekt, Maelstrom percussion ensemble, June in Buffalo new music festival, Ankara new music festival, Full Force Dance Theatre, Steelsunrise Steelband and worked with composers Steve Reich, David Felder, James Tenney, Lou Harrison and Amy Williams. Bitterman has recorded under hat(now)ART, mode, EMF, Yesa, Malletjazz and Whitewater labels. STAFF SERGEANT WILLIAM CALOHAN joined the Hellcats in August of 2005. In 2002 he received his Bachelor of Music Education from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where he studied with C. William Rice, Dr. Todd Johnson and Dr. Michael Overman. He completed his Master of Percussion Performance at the University of Minnesota in May of 2005. His teachers there were Fernando Meza and Earl Yowell. As a graduate student, SSG Calohan taught percussion lessons and the percussion techniques course for undergraduate music education majors. SSG Calohan also attended the Leigh Howard Stevens summer marimba seminar, and performed at PASIC 2004 with Rolando Morales-Matos. He was the winner of the 2001 Virginia Music Teachers Association concerto competition. He has performed under Frederick Fennell, Dr. Barry Kolman, Craig Kirchhoff and Dr. J. Patrick Rooney. SSG Calohan has instructed and arranged music for high school marching bands and has also worked as a freelance percussionist in Virginia and Minnesota. STAFF SERGEANT J. ANDREW PORTER joined the United States Military Academy Band in May 2005. Prior to his appointment, SSG Porter taught percussion for J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas, and general music and band in the Barren County School District in his home state of Kentucky. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Western Kentucky University and a Master of Music in percussion performance from Louisiana State University. His primary teachers include Dr. Christopher S. Norton, Dr. Michael G. Kingan, Timothy K. Adams, Jr. and Conrad Alexander. SSG Porter has performed with the Baton Rouge Symphony, the Natchez Opera Festival, the Dallas Wind Symphony, the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps and the Music City Mystique indoor marching percussion ensemble. SSG Porter is also a member of the Field Music Group. Staff Sergeant Rone Sparrow is originally from Fairfield, California. He earned a Bachelors degree in percussion performance and pedagogy from Brigham Young University (1997) and a Masters degree in percussion performance from The University of North Texas (2000). While at North Texas, SSG Sparrow taught percussion methods classes, directed percussion ensembles, instructed in the percussion studio, and was the coordinator for the UNT Green Brigade drum line. SSG Sparrow's diverse freelance career includes performances with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Sundance Summer Theater, The Drifters, The Jerry Floor Big Band, and The Walt Disney Corporation. SSG Sparrow joined the USMA Band in August 2002 and has been featured with the band on steel pans, piano, and mallet percussion.
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