ABOUT THE ARTIST
Eric Rodgers, Percussion
Eric Rodgers is a senior percussion performance major at West Chester University, originally from Perkasie, Pa, and attended Pennridge High School. Throughout his time at WCU, he has been an active part of the Swope community, performing with a wide range of ensembles including the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Concert Band, Latin Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Steel Drum Ensemble, Snare Ensemble, and the WCU Marching Band. Eric has enjoyed the opportunity to explore different musical styles through these groups, building his experience in both traditional concert and contemporary performance settings. During his junior year, he discovered a strong passion for hand drumming, joining the Latin Jazz Ensemble and later competing in the university’s concerto competition with a six-drum conga concerto.
One of Eric’s most meaningful projects during his time at West Chester was helping to create the West Chester University Snare Drum Ensemble. With the help and instruction of Ben Baggerly, the group spent a full year preparing to compete and perform at PASIC 2023 (Percussive Arts Society International Convention), making history as the first ensemble from WCU to ever perform at the event. This project put WCU on a much larger scale within the marching arts community.
Eric has also been heavily involved in the marching arts throughout his college career. He spent four years performing with the West Chester University Marching Band and marched snare drum with the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps during the summers of 2022, 2023, and 2024. Most recently, he performed with United Percussion during the 2025 WGI season. Being part of these groups gave Eric the chance to perform at the highest level, travel, and connect with musicians from across the country, all while continuing to challenge himself as a player.
In addition to his performance experience, Eric has enjoyed working as a percussion instructor, teaching marching percussion to students across the Greater Philadelphia area. Teaching has allowed him to share his passion for drumming with younger performers and stay involved in the local music community.
Andrew Baldridge (B.M. ’26) is a music education major at West Chester University. Andrew Baldridge is a Percussionist who performs and teaches around the Philadelphia area. He has performed with the WCU Wind Ensemble, WCU Percussion Ensemble, WCU Orpheus Signers, and WCU Symphony Orchestra. His teaching experiences include private percussion lessons, CLIP staff for Vivace Productions, and teaching the drumline and front ensemble at Council Rock High School South.
Jordan Colucci (M.A. ’25) is a first-year master’s student in Psychology at West Chester University. Originally from Malvern, PA, he is an active drummer and private drum instructor based in the West Chester area. He currently performs with West Chester’s Criterions Jazz Ensemble and enjoys taking on freelance work as a drummer for a variety of musical projects and performances
Sam Cundiff (B.M. ’28) is a double major in Music therapy and percussion performance. Sam serves as the historian for both West Chester University’s Music Therapy Club, as well as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Association for Music Therapy Students (MARAMTS). She is a recipient for both the SURF and SURI research grant, which is advocating for the standardization of percussion music therapy education across universities and why percussive elements are important in clinical practice.
Craig DiGiamarino (B.M. ’25) is a Music Performance major at West Chester University. Craig regularly performs with the WCU Wind Ensemble and WCU Percussion Ensemble. He has a deep passion for chamber music and has spent multiple summers at the Sandbox Percussion Seminar studying and performing chamber music. Craig is in his fourth year at WCU and plans to continue his musical education at grad school. He primarily studies with Dr. Ralph Sorrentino and Professor Chandler Beaugrand.
Alexander Fry (B.M. ’27) is currently in his second year at West Chester University pursuing a BM in Music Education. He is from North Huntingdon, PA, and a graduate of Norwin High School, where he participated in several curricular, extracurricular, and honors ensembles. He has performed at Heinz Hall with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, is a recipient of the John Phillip Sousa Band Award, and currently holds positions as a private lesson teacher and marching band instructor. Alex is extremely passionate about music education and is greatly looking forward to his career and impacting the lives of his future students. Additionally, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, riding his motorcycle during the summer, and is an advocate for the Deaf community and American Sign Language.
Mason Stroop (B.M. ’25) is a senior percussion performance major. He is currently involved heavily in the Swope community through various ensembles and organizations. Throughout his time at West Chester, Mason has played with the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Latin Jazz Ensemble, WCU Percussion Ensemble, and many more. During the summers, he played drums at Kings Dominion and Dorney Park amusement parks. Mason is the current President of the Rho Sigma Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Fraternity and the treasurer of the WCU Percussion club. Alongside his musical career, Mason has been running with the West Chester Fire Department for 2 years and is a live-in firefighter for the Good Will Fire Department of West Chester.
Abby Walton (B.M. ’26) is an active student, percussionist, and researcher in the Chester County area. She enjoys her time as a member of various West Chester University ensembles, including Percussion Ensemble and Wind Ensemble. Outside of WCU, she can be spotted teaching at Mosaic Music Lessons in her hometown of Phoenixville or performing with community groups such as the Chester County Pops Orchestra. Abby is currently in her third year of undergraduate studies at WCU, where she presently studies with Dr. Ralph Sorrentino and Professor Chandler Beaugrand.
PROGRAM NOTES
MARIMBADANCES, MVMT. 1(1982)
Marimba Dances was written by Australian composer Ross Edwards (b. 1943) for a 4 1/3 octave marimba. Edwards is known for blending Western classical traditions with influences from nature and indigenous music. The piece consists of two energetic dances surrounding a slow, recitative-like interlude, and reflects Edwards's goal of reintroducing levity, joy, and exuberance into serious music.
The first movement of Marimba Dances is a celebration of lightness and motion. Written for two mallets, it requires swift, agile movement across the keyboard, with lively melodies that capture the spirit of dance. The marimba writing draws influence from Edwards’ earlier transcription of African harp music and a Madagascan folk song. Marimba Dances was first performed by Michael Askill at the Wollongong City Art Gallery in 1983 and remains one of Edwards’ most widely performed works.
CONSTRUCTIVEINTERFERENCE(2012)
Constructive Interference is a two-movement multi-percussion piece written by Alan Keown for his son, Matt. Inspired by the physics concept of constructive interference (where two waves meet and amplify each other) the piece mirrors this idea through the clever pairing of instruments such as brake drums, cymbals, toms, bass drums, bongos, and congas.
The first movement introduces a steady, heartbeat-like motive, setting the foundation for free exploration across the percussion setup. The second movement reintroduces this motive with a faster, more energetic feel, showcasing a dense, driving rhythm. Constructive Interference taps into elements of marching percussion, bringing a sense of sharpness and momentum to the performance. Alan Keown’s work reflects his background as a teacher, performer, and arranger in the Pacific Northwest, and highlights his passion for creating engaging, challenging music that celebrates connection through performance.
SOULFOOD(2022)
Soul Food was originally composed for the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff marching band. Composed originally by Jlin, it was then arranged into a percussion quartet by Sean Connors for Third Coast Percussion. Sean Connors' version premiered in 2023 at the Birds of Paradise Festival in Antwerp, Belgium. There are opportunities in this piece for improvisation for each player indicated in their parts. Connor states in the performance notes, “The performer should utilize the indicated rhythmic language to create variations on the notated motives.” This piece incorporates unique instruments and found objects, such as slap tubes, devil chaser, and cricket caller.
EVERYTHINGITHOUGHTIWANTED, MVMT. 6(2023)
Everything I Thought I Wanted is a percussion quartet composed by Dr. Robert Maggio, Professor of Music Theory and Composition at West Chester University. The piece was inspired by Maggio’s reflections on childhood dreams and wishes. This influence shaped the unique instrumentation, which includes toy piano, kalimba, glockenspiel, crotales, vibraphone, marimba, and other percussion instruments.
“The Chuckle Chime Collective” (Andrew Baldridge, Eric Rodgers, Mason Stroop, and Abby Walton) gave the Pennsylvania premiere of the full 25-minute work last spring. The piece is organized into six contrasting movements that vary in key, mode, tempo, and meter, allowing performers flexibility in programming. For this recital, only the sixth movement, Endless Possibilities, will be performed. With Dr. Maggio’s permission, this performance features additional instrumentation, including a cajon and synthesizer, to enhance the texture of the movement.
MISTY(1954,ARR.2025)
Originally composed by jazz pianist Erroll Garner in 1954, Misty has become a standard in the American jazz repertoire, known for its smooth, lyrical melody and rich harmonic language. This arrangement for solo marimba with piano accompaniment was created by Eric Rodgers during the spring of 2025, with guidance and input from Chandler Beaugrand.
The 4-mallet marimba adaptation draws inspiration from the original style of Erroll Garner, as well as interpretations by Gregory McKenzie and Justin Lamb. The arrangement is designed to capture the distinct character of jazz piano on the marimba, blending melodic expressiveness with subtle rhythmic drive, while the piano accompaniment supports and enhances the overall texture.
CHOPLIFECRISIS(2025)
Chop Life Crisis is an original duet for marching snare drum and drum set, composed by Nate Gittleman and Eric Rodgers. The piece explores a variety of styles, including Latin, shuffle, funk, and swing, while maintaining a lively and energetic spirit throughout. Inspired primarily by Latin music and artists like Tito Puente, the piece features a recurring rhythmic motif that weaves through the different stylistic sections.
The duet includes frequent trade-offs between the two players, along with unison phrases that showcase the combined skills of both instruments. Nate and Eric created Chop Life Crisis as a way to collaborate and blend their individual strengths in drum set and snare drum performance. Eric would like to thank Nate for partnering with him on this project and also thank Jordan Colucci for performing the piece with him on this recital.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Eric would like to thank his parents for their endless support throughout all his musical endeavors, starting from his very first experiences with music at 5 years old. Their encouragement has been a constant source of strength, and he is incredibly grateful for how they got him through this journey. He would also like to thank his private lesson professors/teachers, David Nelson, Dr. Marc Jacoby, Brent Behrenshausen, Chandler Beaugrand, and Gene Lazowicki, for their guidance, encouragement, and commitment to their craft. Additionally, he thanks Dr. Ralph Sorrentino for his support and influence during his time at West Chester.
Eric extends heartfelt thanks to the entire West Chester University Percussion Studio, which has felt like a second family throughout his time here and has fueled his motivation to get through school. He is especially grateful for the friendships and experiences he’s had through the West Chester University Drumline. The people he met in that ensemble have become some of his closest friends and greatest supporters. Lastly, Eric would like to thank his mentors and friends from the Reading Buccaneers and United Percussion for challenging him, inspiring him, and helping him grow into the musician and person he is today.