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. 

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.

With performances spanning three continents and over 30 states, Eric Willie has appeared at leading universities and music festivals worldwide. In the United States, he has been featured as a soloist, clinician, and ensemble director at fourteen Percussive Arts Society International Conventions (PASIC), three Midwest Clinics, as well as numerous Days of Percussion and music educator conventions.

As a 2022 Fulbright Scholar in Recife, Pernambuco, Eric immersed himself in the tradition of Maracatu, performing with the group Quebra Baque while conducting research on the genre. During this time, he served as a Regency Professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) and was the Artistic Director of the LapTop Percussion Ensemble for the V Encontro Percussivo.

In the marching arts, Eric is a Percussion Consultant with the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps. Previously, he has worked with the percussion sections at The Cavaliers, Phantom Regiment, Spirit, and Madison Scouts drum and bugle corps, as well as Music City Mystique.

Eric’s solo compositions and educational books have been published by Musicon Publications, Ox and Lamb, TapSpace, and Row-Loff. With the latter, his co-authored book, All-Inclusive Audition Etudes, has been adopted for use by various music educator associations. He recently contributed a chapter to Rehearsing the Concert and Marching Percussion Ensemble (GIA Publications), and has additionally authored articles for Percussive Notes, Rhythm! Scene, TAMA/Bergerault, Innovative Percussion, and Music and Arts.

Currently, Eric is Professor of Percussion Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where his percussion ensembles were named winners of the 2015 and 2021 PAS International Percussion Ensemble Competition (IPEC). He and his wife, Rebecca, reside in Greensboro with their two children.

Lauren Teel is the Visiting Professor of Percussion for Jacksonville State University and Percussion Caption Head for the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps, a position she has held since the 2013 season, being inducted into the Troopers Hall of Fame in 2023. 

She is actively involved in the percussive arts community as a performer, educator, and composer. Notable engagements include conducting the Texas A&M Commerces’s Percussion Ensemble performance of Aggression, by Yo Goto, as part of their 2023 IPEC performance and serving as a marching panelist for the 2023 and 2025 PASIC events. Lauren is a member of the PAS marching committee and has served as a PAS chamber ensemble judges for several Percussive Arts Society International Conventions. She has also served as a judge for the 2019, 2020, & 2022 Percussive Arts Society International Solo Marimba Competition. Lauren frequently composes for the percussion medium, with notable works including her marimba solo ..Just the Light We See (2020 ) and percussion ensemble, embedded siGnals ( 2023 ), both of which are included on the Texas PML list. Her newest work, She Took a Wrong Turn, premiered April 15th 2024, at Texas A&M Commerce University.

Lauren joined the official roster of adjudicators for Winter Guard International for the 2024 season. She has also served as a yearly clinician and judge for the HEB Drum Line Invitational since 2021. In 2022, Lauren was invited to serve as a judge for the Texas UIL 6A State Marching Band Contest. She routinely appears at days of percussion across the country as a guest clinician.

Prior appointments include Director of Marching Percussion, Acting Assistant Director of Bands and Assistant Director of Percussion at East Texas University ( formally Texas A&M Commerce). Lauren served the 2018/2019 academic year as the Interim Instructor of Percussion for The University of Alabama, and Adjunct Instructor for the Million Dollar Band Front Ensemble. Prior to this appointment, she was an Adjunct Instructor of Percussion at several universities, including The University of North Alabama, University of Alabama- Birmingham, and The University of Montevallo

Between 2016 - 2019, Lauren was a member of the percussion educational team “Double Stop Percussion” based out of Birmingham, AL. This position allowed her to work with several high school percussion programs including Thompson HS, Spain Park HS, and Mountain Brook HS. Lauren also served as traveling instructor of percussion for Center Grove HS in Greenwood, IN and Mililani HS in Mililani, HI. Prior to graduate school, she held the position of Director of Percussion at Allatoona High School in Cobb County, Georgia.

In 2012, Lauren had the privilege of traveling to Chennai, India to perform for an audience of over 75,000 people with Oscar winning composer, A. R. Rahman. Lauren also appeared in the 2013 blockbuster, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, as a timpanist. While living in Atlanta, Lauren performed as a member of the NFL Atlanta Falcons Drum Line.

Lauren earned her M.M. in Percussion Performance at Indiana University in the spring of 2016. She earned a B.M. in Percussion Performance from the University of North Texas in the spring of 2012. Her studies have allowed her to train with renowned percussionists including Kevin Bobo, Steve Houghton, Michael Spiro, Paul Rennick, John Tafoya, Mark Ford, Christopher Deane, Robert Schietroma, and Ed Smith. 

Lauren proudly endorses Innovative Percussion, Zildjian, Marimba One, and Remo.

Austin Keck is an accomplished American percussionist and composer based in Los Angeles, CA, specializing in contemporary solo and chamber music. With a deep passion for pushing the boundaries of classical percussion, Keck’s musical journey has been marked by notable achievements and a commitment to innovation.

As a dedicated performer, Keck has had the privilege of performing worldwide. He has been invited to perform as a soloist in esteemed events, including the IPEA International Percussion Competition 2023 in Shanghai, China, as well as the Music for All Summer Symposium  and the National Percussion Festival, both held in Indianapolis

Keck’s creative spirit extends to his role as a composer, where he strives to expand the horizons of classical percussion and explore the integration of electronic elements into his works. In November 2022, his groundbreaking composition, Passage to an Uncharted World, premiered at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, performed by the Eastman Percussion Ensemble. Similarly, his recent composition, Evanescence, commissioned by 3D Percussion, made its debut in October 2023 at the IPEA International Percussion Competition in Shanghai, China. Additionally, Keck’s composition Confero, commissioned by the World Percussion Group, was first performed at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2024, highlighting his commitment to contemporary musical expression.

In November 2024, Keck further solidified his reputation as an innovator in percussion and composition by presenting his groundbreaking clinic, Texture Over Melody: Creating Sonic Landscapes, at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. This presentation showcased his innovative approach to music-making, emphasizing the power of textural exploration in creating immersive sonic experiences.

Austin Keck's journey in the world of music has been marked by several accolades, including first prizes at the Great Plains International Marimba Competition in 2019 and 2016, and the top spot in the 2019 Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition. He also holds the esteemed Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. Beyond his classical pursuits, Keck has contributed his talents to the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, earning recognition in the form of two Fred Sanford percussion caption awards and winning gold and silver medals at the Drum Corps International World Championships in 2017 and 2018.

Keck earned his Bachelor of Music with a minor in Audio and Music Engineering and a Master of Music in Contemporary Media and Film Composition from the prestigious Eastman School of Music. His aspiration is to bridge the worlds of concert music and visual compositions through his work.

Austin Keck is a Malletech Performing Artist.

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.

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.