Dirkjan van Groningen leads percussion workshops and clinic at prestigious music conference.
From May 12–18, Dutch percussionist, composer, and educator Dirkjan van Groningen visited the U.S. state of Iowa. Invited by his American colleague Shawn Sandersfeld, he led several percussion workshops for middle school students and co-hosted a clinic at the annual Iowa Bandmasters Association Convention.
During his stay, Dirkjan taught students at Linn-Mar Excelsior Middle School in Marion and Mid-Prairie Middle School in Kalona. He also worked closely with the Mid-Prairie Homeschool percussion ensemble, rehearsing his own compositions for percussion ensemble with the group. The highlight of the trip was a joint clinic with this ensemble and Sandersfeld at the prestigious convention in Cedar Rapids.
In addition to his educational work, Dirkjan had time to explore the local culture. He visited a bakery run by the Amish community, toured the impressive music building at the University of Iowa, and discovered the Dutch heritage of the town of Pella, where traditional Dutch elements such as a windmill and canal are part of the cityscape.
“I’m genuinely impressed by the level of the American students,” said Dirkjan. “Many of them have been playing in bands and ensembles since the start of middle school. You can really hear it in their sound and ensemble playing.”
The collaboration came about when Sandersfeld discovered Dirkjan’s percussion ensemble compositions online. Inspired by the music, he began working with it in his own teaching practice.
A full travel report is available on Dirkjan’s personal Facebook page under the hashtag #djgoesiowa.
Interested in a percussion workshop for your ensemble or school? A few spots are still available before the summer holiday. For more information, contact us, or visit our workshop page.