Air Force percussionist holds workshop for high schoolers, GU band members

Published: December 13, 2023

Author: Dave Bell

A percussionist with the Band of Mid-America at Scott Air Force Base near Belleville recently conducted a percussion workshop for students from Greenville University and two area high schools.

Brian Ellerman, who holds music degrees from Ohio State University and Wright State University, was here at the invitation of Nicholas Pyles, director of the GU band and assistant professor of music. Ellerman did two percussion-related workshops, and also worked with the GU Jazz Band during his visit.

“I hope the students were inspired by what they heard,” Pyles said. “We want to expose them to the best musicians who can not only improve their musical skills but also show them potential career options in the music field.

“We had high school students from Bond County High School and Breeze Mater Dei High School, and we hope activities like this show them some of the exciting things we have going on here in our music department. These workshops make them better musicians, but they also serve as a good recruiting tool for us.”

Though Ellerman has also played with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, he said that the past two years with the Band of Mid-America have been very enjoyable because of the extensive contact with the public.

“We practice every day, and once a month we will travel for a week to locations in the 10-state area we serve,” Ellerman said. “We give performances, but we also do clinics for young musicians. I enjoy giving those students an idea of what is available to them in the field of music – performing and teaching, of course, but there are many other options in the field.”

Pyles said that bringing a percussionist like Ellerman here was timely because GU is in the process of forming a drumline. “That group will be part of the marching and pep bands,” he said, “but we plan to have the drumline perform on its own at athletic contests and other events on campus, starting in February.”

“We hope Ellerman is the first of many musicians we will bring to campus. We want to expose our students to many different genrés of music. Some may present concerts; others will do educational workshops.”