From Percussionpalooza host and organizer Jason DeCristofaro:

For my birthday this year, I am doing something special: a fundraiser for the Warren Wilson College percussion studio called Percussionpalooza, which will feature 11 local percussion artists (Rick Dilling, Micah Thomas, Brandi Mizilca, Jon Lauterer, Isaac Wells, Marty Cosgro, Jor Sutton, Theodis Jenkins, Brad Corpening, and Danny Farmer). The brewery will donate 10% of sales to the fundraiser.

I have had the privilege of being able to teach at my dream teaching job, Warren Wilson College, for the last two years. This past semester, applied percussion lessons were reintroduced into the catalog of music classes at WWC, after almost 30 years of not being offered. Moving forward, students who want to major or minor in music can study percussion with me as their primary instrument. I am looking to build the percussion studio from the ground up, and would like to provide instruments for students to practice on outside of my own instruments. Right now, all I am able to provide the studio with is a vibraphone, xylophone, glockenspiel (with one note missing), drum set, a few snare drums, congas, bongos, a doumbek, a frame drum, some cymbals, and some handheld percussion. I would love to see the studio have more instruments for students to study and practice on, including:

1. A marimba (5 octave is preferable, but a 4.3 octave instrument would also be wonderful)
2. Timpani (2 drums minimum)
3. Any and all Afro-Cuban percussion, particularly timbales, congas, and bongos
4. Middle Eastern percussion (riqs, doumbeks, frame drums)
5. A higher-end vibraphone

Of course, any and all donations are graciously accepted – these donations can be monetary, percussion instruments, percussion equipment (stands, etc.), sticks/mallets/etc., and music supplies (blank manuscript paper, sheet music for percussion, etc.). The concert will be held at Southern Appalachian Brewery from 7 PM – 10 PM on Friday July 27, and will also feature a house band consisting of me (vibes/percussion/drums/piano), Kevin Kehrberg (bass), and Ray Ring (guitar).

If you are unable to attend, I hope you will still making a contribution to the Warren Wilson College percussion studio. For more information on how to make a donation to the WWC percussion studio, please email me at jasdecristofaro@gmail.com.