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Percussion Residency at University of Lethbridge I had the good fortune to spend three intensive days with the percussion students and faculty at this fantastic school, presenting recitals and masterclasses, lessons, workshops at the conservatory, and a concert with the Lethbridge Jazz Society. It was a very busy, very rewarding trip, and I'm very excited for the next one. Thanks to Yamaha, Zildjian, Vic Firth, and Remo for your support! |
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Hartwick Jazz Trio After quite a COVID delay, we've recorded our debut record, and it is now available on all digital platforms. Featuring original tunes from each of us as well as standards and some fun arrangements, we're thrilled to have it finished! Check it out here. |
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Stick Control with Vic Firth
My videos of variations on George Lawrence Stone's "Stick Control for the Snare Drummer" are now released on VicFirth.com. There are ten lessons total, featuring practice pad exercises as well as applications of these workouts on the drum set. One will be released each week through the fall semester of 2018. Check the videos and pdf explanations out here. Many thanks to everyone at Vic Firth and Zildjian for supporting my educational projects! |
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High Standards: Popular Music Gets Jazzed I'm thrilled with this new project! Featuring bassist Evan Jagels, pianist John Colonna, and myself on drums and speaking duties, we've worked hard to put together a one-hour program spanning 87 years of music, showcasing and discussing the jazz tradition of interpreting popular songs as platforms for creativity and improvisation. This will be an ongoing and constantly developing show, and some of our selections may come as a pleasant surprise. Click here if you'd like to learn more or to book this fun, engaging, and educational show! |
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Hot off the press - new Revel recording
Following the world premiere of Stephen Barber's "Taliesin", Revel headed to Wimberley, TX's famed Blue Rock Studio to record, and now it's ready for release. Huge thanks to Carla McElhaney for including me in this project, and to Stephen Barber and the rest of the Revel chamber group folks for working so hard on this project! Get your copy by visiting Revel's website here. |
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Celebrating Joan Tower's 80th Birthday
In 2007, I had the pleasure of playing Joan Tower’s “DNA” with the UT Austin Percussion Group as a doctoral student. On June 3, 2018, I helped celebrate this incredible composer’s birthday by performing it again with great players from the Albany Symphony Orchestra and Empire State Youth Orchestra percussion ensemble. The bottom left photo is from today's performance, bottom right is the performance at the University of Texas, under the direction of Thomas Burritt. |
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Pop Music Showcase at the Centre for Musical Minds
Huge thanks to Kristin Yost, director of the Center for Musical Minds in Frisco, TX, for inviting me to play six pop music showcases with CMM's talented students this past March. It was a pleasure to work with them, and especially great to perform with the incredible bassist Nigel Rivers! For some thoughts on the value of getting young students into a performing situation like these showcases, check out the quick video we shot during the weekend's performances. |
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Percussion FUNdamentals clinic
Thanks very much to Canajoharie High School for hosting my region-wide clinic, where a number of local schools brought their students to work on all thing percussive. Special thanks to the Josh Thomas at the Courier-Standard-Enterprise for the photos and article, which you can check out here. As always, shout out to Vic Firth, Yamaha, Remo, and Zildjian for supporting my educational projects! |
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New position in upstate New York
I recently moved to upstate New York! This fall I will be joining the music faculty at The College of St. Rose, where l'll be teaching percussion lessons, drum set lessons, and directing the percussion ensemble. I'm thrilled about this new position, and can't wait to dig into a new scene! |
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Trio record released
The new Doc Watkins Trio album is now available on Google Play, iTunes, and other online retailers. Featuring Doc Watkins on piano, myself on drums, and Brandon Rivas on bass, this set is based on our Carnegie Hall date from January 2014. Check it out here! |
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New Endorsements
I'm excited to announce that I'm now a Yamaha Percussion, Zildjian Cymbals, and Remo Drum heads artist and education team member! Many thanks to these companies, in addition to Vic Firth, for their continuing support of my performances and clinic work around the US and Canada. |
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Revel's World Premiere of Taliesin
Under the direction of Carla McElhaney, Revel ATX performed the world premiere of Stephen Barber's beautiful new work for chamber ensemble, Taliesin. We also recorded it the following day at the beautiful Blue Rock Studios in Wimberley. Look for its release in the near future! Thanks to Nathan Russell for the incredible photos! |
Line Upon Line with Kathy Dunne Hamrick Dance Co.
A huge thanks to Matt, Adam, and Cullen at Line Upon Line Percussion for the opportunity to play Steve Reich's complete "Drumming" with the amazing dancers from KDH's company! Check out some highlights here.
A huge thanks to Matt, Adam, and Cullen at Line Upon Line Percussion for the opportunity to play Steve Reich's complete "Drumming" with the amazing dancers from KDH's company! Check out some highlights here.
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Crash Percussion Festival
It was a huge pleasure working with students from across south Texas at the festival, and I was very proud of our crew from The University of Texas at San Antonio for their professionalism and leadership as we closed the final concert. What a great way to end the school year! Thanks to Yamaha, Remo, Zildjian, and Vic Firth for supporting this event. |
UTSA Wind Ensemble featuring the UTSA Faculty Jazz Combo
What a thrill it was to play my final concert as faculty at The University of Texas at San Antonio with my colleagues in the Faculty Jazz Combo, supported by our fantastic Wind Ensemble, directed by Ron Ellis! It was a exciting evening of great playing, and a great way to wrap up ten years of teaching at this fine school. Check out the videos here.
What a thrill it was to play my final concert as faculty at The University of Texas at San Antonio with my colleagues in the Faculty Jazz Combo, supported by our fantastic Wind Ensemble, directed by Ron Ellis! It was a exciting evening of great playing, and a great way to wrap up ten years of teaching at this fine school. Check out the videos here.
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GF Quartet @ Fast Forward Austin Music Festival
We're thrilled to be part of the FFA's upcoming event, "Charting Influences", on February 6. We'll be swinging out alongside new-music heavyweights Sarah Silver, Peter Bay, and Kathryn Findlen. Click here for more information, and here for the super hip vimeo they knocked together. |
GF Trio with Vibraphone virtuoso Ed Smith
I was honored to be invited to perform at the National Conference of Percussion Pedagogy in May of 2015. My jazz trio was asked to share the stage with my former teacher and good friend Ed Smith. Click here for links to this concert's selections.
I was honored to be invited to perform at the National Conference of Percussion Pedagogy in May of 2015. My jazz trio was asked to share the stage with my former teacher and good friend Ed Smith. Click here for links to this concert's selections.
Doc Watkins' plays jazz organ at ArtPace
Love Jimmy Smith and Brother Jack McDuff? Check out these great arrangements from South Texas Jazz's Doc Watkins and the Disease live in performance on the rooftop at ArtPace San Antonio. "Hot Nights, Cool Jazz, Fresh Art" is presented by KRTU Jazz. March 13, 2015. For videos from the show, browse the Media page here.
Love Jimmy Smith and Brother Jack McDuff? Check out these great arrangements from South Texas Jazz's Doc Watkins and the Disease live in performance on the rooftop at ArtPace San Antonio. "Hot Nights, Cool Jazz, Fresh Art" is presented by KRTU Jazz. March 13, 2015. For videos from the show, browse the Media page here.
Schumann-Francis duo returns to ACMC
The Schumann-Francis Duo was back fro another series of performance with the Austin Chamber Music Center this past February 6 7, and 8, 2015. Entitled "North Star", the program featured works by J.S. Bach, John Luther Adams, Phillip Glass, Arvo Part, and Keith Jarrett. As always, this was a seamless concert, with Francis and Schumann improvising the connections between each selection. Check out the Media page for more information and interviews.
World Premiere at the Tobin Center
The San Antonio Children's Chorus' inaugural concert at the newly opened Tobin Center for the Performing Arts was a huge success! What a pleasure it was to be the featured soloist in the world premiere of Wayland Rogers' "Homesteaders", for marimba and children's chorus. Here we are, post-concert - composer Wayland Rogers, choir director Doreen Rao, and executive director Anne Schelleng. Click here for a video of the performance.
The San Antonio Children's Chorus' inaugural concert at the newly opened Tobin Center for the Performing Arts was a huge success! What a pleasure it was to be the featured soloist in the world premiere of Wayland Rogers' "Homesteaders", for marimba and children's chorus. Here we are, post-concert - composer Wayland Rogers, choir director Doreen Rao, and executive director Anne Schelleng. Click here for a video of the performance.
Stolzman Duo with Graeme Francis at ACMC
The Austin Chamber Music Center Summer Festival presents clarinet and percussion virtuosi John and Mika Stolzman at the UT Butler School of Music' Bates Recital Hall, featuring Graeme Francis on drum set. June 29, 2014, 7:30pm. Tickets are available through the ACMC website. Check out the Festival Focus interview with Artistic Director Michelle Schumann here.
The Austin Chamber Music Center Summer Festival presents clarinet and percussion virtuosi John and Mika Stolzman at the UT Butler School of Music' Bates Recital Hall, featuring Graeme Francis on drum set. June 29, 2014, 7:30pm. Tickets are available through the ACMC website. Check out the Festival Focus interview with Artistic Director Michelle Schumann here.
Brent Watkins Trio at the Empire
Presale tickets are now on sale for the South Texas Jazz concert at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, February 4 2014. It will be an encore presentation of our Carnegie Hall debut from last week, and we are thrilled to present this to our hometown fans. Click here for tickets and information.
Presale tickets are now on sale for the South Texas Jazz concert at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, February 4 2014. It will be an encore presentation of our Carnegie Hall debut from last week, and we are thrilled to present this to our hometown fans. Click here for tickets and information.
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The Guardian publishes article about Graeme Francis
It's always nice to be celebrated by your home town, and I was honored to be featured in Prince Edward Island's provincial newspaper. Thanks for the interview and article, Margaret Magner! For the full article, check out the media page. |
Carnegie, here we come!
Happy New Year, and great news....Tickets are now on sale for our Carnegie Hall show, January 29, 2014! Click here to get yours. Brent, Brandon, I are looking forward to seeing you there. For those of you unable to join us in New York, we'll be performing again in San Antonio at the Empire Theatre on February 4. More details about the Empire gig to follow shortly.
Happy New Year, and great news....Tickets are now on sale for our Carnegie Hall show, January 29, 2014! Click here to get yours. Brent, Brandon, I are looking forward to seeing you there. For those of you unable to join us in New York, we'll be performing again in San Antonio at the Empire Theatre on February 4. More details about the Empire gig to follow shortly.
WindSync with Percussion
Graeme Francis continues his work with Houston-based WindSync at 5pm on October 5, 2013. The performance will feature arrangements of music inspired by Broadway, ballet and jazz in the Big Apple, and an array of steamy tango selections! Click here to order your tickets.
Graeme Francis continues his work with Houston-based WindSync at 5pm on October 5, 2013. The performance will feature arrangements of music inspired by Broadway, ballet and jazz in the Big Apple, and an array of steamy tango selections! Click here to order your tickets.
The UTSA Faculty Jazz Combo, under the direction of Graeme Francis, will be performing a concert featuring special guest Dr. Pete Rodriguez on September 17, 2013. This free concert will be at the University of Texas at San Antonio's Arts Recital Hall at 7:30pm. Pete is an acclaimed composer and trumpeter, and has performed on Grammy-winning recordings both as a vocalist and percussionist. He has performed and recorded with Latin music royalty such as Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz and Bebo Valdez. His own music has been described as “blend[ing] his style of Latin music with a modern jazz sound, forging an impressive musical statement….” (Edward Blanco, All About Jazz). To hear Pete’s music, click here.
For more information about the concert, visit the UTSA Music Department Events page.
For more information about the concert, visit the UTSA Music Department Events page.
South Texas Jazz at Carnegie Hall
Brent Watkins, Brandon Rivas, and Graeme Francis will make their Carnegie debuts in January 2014. More information about tickets coming soon - in the meantime, check out South Texas Jazz on Facebook.
Performance with WindSync on KUHA Houston
On May 24, Graeme performed with WindSync on KUHA's The Front Row. Click here to hear the performance and full interview with host St. John Flynn. For more information about WindSync, check out their site here.
Schumann-Francis Duo on Performance Today
Selections from the duo's Bach Blend performance at the 2011 Victoria Bach Festival, broadcast nationally on APM's Performance Today, February 28, 2012. We are featured at the 13:32 mark, performing J. S. Bach and Arvo Part. Click here to listen to the performance.