Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1502512
MM: How have local percussion organizations established roots in Macon? MR: Mercer University was founded in 1833. Townsend School of Music wasn't established until 2006. Before 2006, music was part of the College of Liberal Arts. I was hired in 2006 to build a percussion studio. To be a part of the Mercer Percussion Studio, you must audition. Studio participants include percussion majors, percussion minors, and students just wanting to play in the ensembles, or who just want to keep playing music. Skill/proficiency levels vary greatly. I tailor lessons/ensembles to the skill level of the group, always striving to bring the level of percussion proficiency and ultimately musical expression, to the next level. PL: Hayiya, Inc., our performing ensemble, was founded as a dance club named Harambee African Tribal Sounds Unlimited on Wesleyan College's campus in August 1997. I was a freshman, missing my home African dance company, ABATSU, so together Yanira Chevere-Ralston and I started an African dance club on campus. Today, we are a non-profit, professional performing ensemble specializing in traditional West African dance, percussion and song. Our ensemble, now in its 26th season, is a service organization working as cultural ambassadors to provide exciting performances and performing arts training for children and adults. Our organization also sponsors free after-school services including tutoring, visual arts and theatre workshops, weekly STEAM Friday sessions and a leadership program - INfluence Leadership Institute for students ages nine to 18. We also offer reduced fee piano lessons and summer programming. Our group regularly performs a host of dance styles in liturgical, contemporary, jazz, and West African at schools, weddings, festivals, churches, and more, whose proceeds benefit our arts education programs. We lead preparatory groups Hayiya II and Hayiya Youth Ensemble. Our center offers ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, tumbling, line dance, skate dance, step, acting, liturgical, West African dance, West African percussion, contemporary and F8t Fit classes for children and adults. Hayiya Dance Theatre (our Cultural Arts Center) was founded out of a desire to continue doing what I loved. I opened Hayiya Dance Theatre in the spring semester of my senior year in college using facilities borrowed from Baba Raa and Aima Bey of Sanfoka Theatre on Cherry Street and the banquet hall of Dab's Restaurant. Today, our 4,800 sq. ft. space at 3378 Brookdale Avenue in Macon provides ample space. Fourteen awesome folks help to make all of this possible. SM: Macon Pops was born to change the landscape. We were focused on creating a unique experience, providing opportunities to dance, eat, drink, and essentially party with a 40-piece orchestra. All of our programs are "handcrafted," meaning we come up with a concept and Matt Catingub (co- founder, artistic Director and conductor) writes each one-of-a-kind arrangement for all of our shows. Being a nonprofit organization, we have a board. I am in charge of all the day-to-day operations, Matt and I collaborate on programming, and he takes care of the music side of things. We typically have 40 musicians for our larger shows, along with a full production crew. CW: Streetline Percussion, Inc. has been transforming young lives in Macon, one drumbeat at a time, since 2009. It started off when a group of individuals who were part of various Central Georgia drumlines – at Central and Northeast High School – wanted to do something a little different from the core-style drumline, something with a little more show style. Together with my friends Edwin Williams and Austin Sanderson, we co-founded Streetline Percussion. Our slogan is still "it began with three drums and a dream." After our initial three-drum performance, more friends joined and our group quickly grew from three to 15 members. Despite other bands backing out due to bad weather, we persevered and participated in the Macon Christmas Parade, earning front-page coverage in the newspaper. Some of us pursued music studies in college and returned to fulfill our dream. A member's mother transformed us into a non-profit organization (501c(3)) FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: MARCUS REDDICK AND MERCER PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE JUNE/JULY 2023 | maconmagazine.com 89