Sandi Rennick is a percussionist and marimba soloist with extensive performing and teaching experience in the DFW area and throughout the United States. An original cast member of the Tony and Emmy Award-winning production “Blast!”, Sandi performed in London, England, as well as a featured marimba soloist on tour throughout the United States. Sandi is currently a percussion arranger for the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps (2011-present), and the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps (2013-present).

Sandi has teaching and arranging experience with a variety of groups at all levels, including the UNT Green Brigade Marching Band, Drum Corps Japan
Champions Yokohama Scouts, and Drum Corps International champions Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps (2003-2010) and Carolina Crown (1998-2004).

A member of the Percussive Arts Society since 1995, Sandi served on the PAS Marching Committee for 13 years, and was elected to the PAS Board of Advisors in 2019.
Sandi is an Adjunct Professor of Percussion at the University of North Texas and Texas A&M University-Commerce. In addition to her drum corps responsibilities in the summer, she also serves on the faculty of the UNT Keyboard Percussion Workshop, and is a clinician for the Girls March music and leadership camps.

Sandi is a Signature Artist for Innovative Percussion, Inc., and a clinician/artist for Dynasty USA, Remo Drumheads, and SABIAN / Gon Bops Percussion.

Ed Smith's music career as a jazz vibraphonist and percussionist spans more than three decades. He has performed with distinguished artists such as John Cage, Phil Wilson, Louie Bellson, Johnny Mathis, Ed Soph, Glen Velez, Trichy Sankaran, Nyoman Wenten, Hands On’Semble and many others. In 1992 Ed helped form the internationally recognized world percussion group D'Drum, which recorded the soundtrack for the National Geographic film Lions of Darkness and performed in Hong Kong as part of the Chinese modern presentation of Mozart's The Magic Flute. A PBS short film about the group and their world travels won an Emmy in 1999. D’Drum has been a featured concert act at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC). They have two CDs published, Village Besides Time and Within You, Without You.

As a member of D’Drum Ed recently collaborated with Stewart Copeland, drummer of The Police, on a world music concerto called Gamelan D’Drum. The world premiere with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in February 2011 received rave reviews. They performed it again with the Cleveland Orchestra in 2012.

Ed began traveling to Bali, Indonesia in 1995 to study the music of wayang kulit (shadow puppet play) on the gamelan gender wayang. While in Bali in 1998, Ed was awarded the high honor of performing on the gender wayang with his teacher, Ketut Madri, in a temple celebration. Since 2002 Ed has also been studying the repertoire of the large Balinese gamelan, gong kebyar, with Nyoman Wenten and Wayan Sudirana.

Along with teaching vibraphone at UNT, Ed also directs the UNT Gamelan Bwana Kumala. In 2009 Bwana Kumala won the first annual PAS World Music Ensemble contest and performed at PASIC later that year. He also teaches at Southern Methodist University and Cedar Valley College. Ed is a Malletech Love Vibe Artist and has his own line of Malletech mallets.

Mark Ford  is a marimba artist and the Coordinator of Percussion at The University of North Texas College of Music in Denton, Texas. As a Past-President of the Percussive Arts Society and the coordinator of one of the largest percussion programs in the world at UNT, Ford is an active performer and composer. Mark has been featured as a marimba soloist throughout the United States at universities, festivals and music conferences. He has performed internationally throughout Europe as well as in Japan, China, Taiwan, Australia and South America. In addition to his duties at UNT, Ford is also the Artistic Director for the bi-annual Drum Fest Marimba/Vibraphone Competition in Opole, Poland.

With over four decades of performing, teaching and composing to his credit, Mark’s recordings have established his dedication to excellence in music. Ford’s solo marimba CDs, Stealing a Moment, Motion Beyond and Polaris, have become standards in the percussion world. His CDs have been described by PAS’ Percussive Notes as “beautiful, exceptional and  virtuosic.” Contact, with the UNT Wind Symphony conducted by Eugene Corporon features Mark performing marimba and percussion concertos by Jennifer Higdon, Daniel McCarthy, Keiko Abe and Ford.

Additionally, Ford has written popular works for solo marimba and percussion ensemble including Head Talk, Polaris, Stubernic, Afta-Stuba! CABASA!, Wink for Alto-Saxophone,  Marimba, Coffee Break (co-composed with Ewelina Ford) and many others. Mark’s latest work, Concerto for Marimba and Wind Ensemble (2022) was recently premiered in Australia by the Melbourne Conservatorium Wind Symphony directed by Nicholas Enrico Williams. His Stubernic Fantasy Concerto (2012) has been recorded on 5 albums and performed on tour by the US Navy Band, the US Air Force Band and numerous university wind ensembles. His percussion compositions have been performed at universities and concert halls throughout the world and also featured on National Public Radio.   

Ford is also the author of Marimba: Technique Through Music (Musicon Publications), an intermediate four-mallet marimba method book, used by conservatories and schools of music around the world. His latest book, #MarimbaBaby, has received critical acclaim and is established as a progressive educational songbook for marimba.

Ford has been recognized as a leading percussion educator, and his former students perform and teach throughout the USA. Under his direction the UNT Percussion Ensemble has toured in Poland, Croatia, France and Belgium and also won the PAS International Percussion Ensemble Competition. Mark Ford is the Artistic Educational Director for Tama/Bergerault and also proudly represents Sabian Cymbals, Evans Drum Heads, Musicon Publications, Meinl Percussion and Innovative Percussion Inc. as performing artist and clinician. 

Michael Crawford is a Lecturer of Music Education at the University of North Texas, where he teaches undergraduate coursework and serves as Coordinator of Student Teaching for the College of Music. Dr. Crawford also works within the Percussion Area, overseeing all curriculum and instruction for the percussion methods courses and co-directing the UNT Percussion Group percussion ensemble

Before joining the faculty at UNT, Dr. Crawford dedicated a decade of his career to teaching secondary public school throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area metroplex, where he directed various instrumental groups, such as marching bands, jazz ensembles, concert bands, world music ensembles, and percussion ensembles. Additionally, he served on the instrumental faculty at Tarleton State University (2011–2014) and as the drumline instructor/arranger for Baylor University (2013–2017). Dr. Crawford maintains a close connection to secondary music education by serving as an adjudicator at regional, national, and international festivals throughout the year.

Dr. Crawford has been invited to present featured clinics and research at regional and national conferences, including NAfME, CBDNA, National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, National Fellowship of Worship Musicians, TMEA, and TBA. As a facilitator and consultant, he is frequently requested to collaborate with area professional development seminars, teacher-education workshops, community ensembles, TMEA All-State groups, and professional organizations such as the Dallas Symphony Chorus. As a percussionist, Dr. Crawford has performed throughout the United States and Europe with regional orchestras, jazz ensembles, chamber groups, and drum corps.

Dr. Crawford has published articles in The Instrumentalist, Journal of Music Teacher Education, and Rhythm! Scene Magazine, and musical compositions through C. Alan Publications. He is a member of the Percussive Arts Society Education Committee, a certified Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy educator, and a Pearl Drums/Adams Regional Marching Percussion Artist.

Caleb Pickering (b. 1990) is the Assistant Professor of Percussion at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

A frequently requested guest artist and clinician, Caleb’s works have been regularly performed internationally, including performances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, Texas Music Educators Association Convention, Midwest, and Phonon Percussion Festival (Taiwan).

Caleb was the 2019 composer-in-residence for the World Percussion Group, and regularly receives commissions from universities and professional ensembles throughout the US and abroad, as well as numerous commissions from individuals.

Caleb can also be heard as a co-host on the @Percussion Podcast. Caleb received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from James Madison University and is a member of the Percussive Arts Society, Texas Music Educators Association, and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).

Caleb holds artist sponsorships with Tama | Bergerault, Innovative Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Black Swamp Percussion, Heritage Musical Spoons, and Beetle Percussion.

Dr. Benjamin A. Charles serves as the Assistant Professor of Percussion at Tarleton State University.

A versatile performer, Dr. Charles’s experience spans solo percussion works, chamber music, and orchestral repertoire. He was recently featured as a soloist with the Tarleton State University Wind Ensemble performing Russell Peck’s triple percussion concerto, The Glory and the Grandeur.

Dr. Charles is a member of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS). He is a proud artist/endorser of Yamaha instruments, Zildjian cymbals, Remo drumheads, and Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets.

For more information on Benjamin A. Charles, visit his website: http://www.benjaminacharles.com

Currently Associate Professor of Jazz Drumset at the University of North Texas, Quincy Davis, born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, comes from a very musical family.  He began taking piano and drum lessons at age 6. In his elementary and middle school bands, he also played trumpet and tuba. Both of his parents are musicians who exposed him to different styles of music including instrumental jazz, European classical, gospel, opera, R&B and jazz-fusion.

His formal music studies began during his 11th grade year at Interlochen Arts Academy. There he studied classical percussion and began playing drumset in jazz bands with peers for the first time.

After graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy in 1995, Davis began studying at Western Michigan University (WMU). There he studied with the drum legend, Billy Hart. During his collegiate years, Davis gained experience playing in big bands and small groups at various collegiate jazz festivals. Davis’ talents would be recognized at these festivals through accolades by notable musicians Benny Green, Bunky Green, Jon Faddis, Rufus Reid, Roy Haynes, Carl Allen, Louis Hayes and Wallace Roney.

After graduating from WMU in 1999, Davis taught elementary and middle school instrumental music in the Grand Rapids area for one year where he taught beginner, intermediate and advanced concert band before moving to New York City.

In the summer of 2000, Davis moved to New York City where he quickly became one of the highly sought after “young cats” on the New York jazz scene. In New York, Davis frequently played at all the famous jazz venues including Village Vanguard, Blue Note, Smalls, Jazz Standard, Birdland, Iridium, Dizzy’s Coca-Cola Club and Smoke.

During his time in New York City, Davis performed and toured with world-renowned musicians Frank Wess, Ernestine Anderson, Cecil McLorin-Salvant, Russell Malone, Eric Reed, Paquito D'Rivera, Kurt Elling, Christian McBride, Buster Williams, Eric Alexander, Leslie Odom Jr., Aaron Parks, Seamus Blake, Vanessa Rubin, Aaron Goldberg, Jon Faddis, Jimmy Heath, Gerald Clayton, The Clayton Brothers, Harold Mabern, Aaron Parks, Peter Bernstein, Regina Carter, David Hazeltine, Roy Hargrove, Randy Johnston, Bob Sheppard, Paula West, Houston Person, Curtis Fuller, New York Voices, The Mingus Orchestra, Ryan Kisor and Wessell Anderson. Davis still performs with many of these artists.

In 2010, Davis accepted a teaching position at the University of Manitoba (Canada) where he was the assistant professor of jazz drumset. He, along with the other world-renowned faculty, helped to bring more visibility to the program that has since produced some very successful students, winning many awards and making a name for themselves on the international stage.

In 2013, Quincy released his debut recording as a leader, Songs In the Key of Q, which rose to #1 on Jazz Week’s radio jazz chart. His sophomore release, Q Vision, was ranked #3 for 5 weeks. Both albums feature all original music written by Davis.

Davis began teaching at the University of North Texas in 2017 where he is currently chair of the drumset department.

Quincy can be heard on over 50 albums playing with many notable jazz artists including Tom Harrell, Gretchen Parlato, Benny Golson, Steve Nelson, Ted Rosenthal, Marcus Printup, Dave Stryker, Walt Weiskopf, Stefon Harris, Randy Napoleon, Benny Green, Aaron Diehl, Frank Wess, Bobby Watson, Xavier Davis, Danny Grissett, Vincent Gardner, Darmon Meader, Sachal Vasandani and many more.

Davis stays very active as a performer in the United States and internationally. His passion for teaching is not only evident through his teaching at the University of North Texas, but also through his many video lessons on jazz drumming and interviews with master drummers on his YouTube channel which currently has 15k subscribers.

Quincy is a proud endorser of Zildjian cymbals, Tama drums and Vic Firth drumsticks.

Nathan Siegel is a percussionist, composer and educator who resides in the DFW metroplex. He recently just finished his DMA at the University of North Texas. He received his Master’s in percussion performance from the University of Colorado Boulder and his Bachelor’s from Indiana University. 

As an educator, Nathan has spent the last few years as a teaching fellow at UNT, teaching studio lessons, coaching one of the Percussion Ensembles, instructing the Steel Band and leading and facilitating various repair and maintenance projects across the College of Music. He has taught at over 20 public schools across Texas, Indiana, Michigan, Colorado and Ohio. His passion for the marching arts has led him to perform with several high level groups including the Bluecoats and Rhythm X. He has also taught at Legends and Genesis drum and bugle corps, serving as the Front Ensemble caption head and has taught at Vigilantes Indoor Percussion since 2021. Nathan has had the opportunity to present a clinic on Improvisation at the marimba titled “Fun with Improvisin” at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention which has led him to present at several univeristy programs across the country. Nathan also creates online content geared towards percussion and marimba technique across several social media platforms, maintaining an audience of over 10,000 people. 

As a performer, Nathan has played in numerous regional orchestras and wind ensembles most recently playing as a soloist with the North Central Texas winds. He has performed twice at the Denton Arts and Jazz festival with the Four ‘o clock lab band, the UNT percussion ensemble and the African Drum and Dance Ensemble. Nathan performed with the UNT percussion ensemble in a tour in Poland in the Fall of 2023. 

As a composer, Nathan just finished a set of octave etudes for the intermediate mallet player published by C. Alan Publications. Nathan hopes to write more music for percussion that prioritizes accessibility and specific technical challenges to help students grow. He has also arranged music for front ensembles and high school percussion studios across the DFW metroplex. 

Nathan is a member of the Percussive Arts Society, the Texas Music Educators Association and is endorsed by Salyers Percussion as an Educational Artist.