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MATT BRUSCA
DIRECTOR OF PERCUSSION
Matt Brusca is the Director of Percussion for Fayetteville Public Schools. He holds a Specialist in Education degree from Arkansas State University, Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance from Illinois State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Missouri Southern State University.
Matt’s percussion students have been selected for All-State Honor Bands 35 times, and for the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain 4 times. His ensembles have performed at the MFA Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival (2023), and the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy (2018), Arkansas PAS Virtual Day of Percussion (2024), University of Arkansas Day of Percussion (2017-2023), Oklahoma PAS Day of Percussion, University of Oklahoma Steel Drum Festival, and the MSSU World Music and Cuisine Festival.
Matt has been on staff with Resistance Indoor Percussion (2013, 2015), Gateway Indoor (2011-12), and the Colt Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps (2010-12). He has also been on staff with the University of Arkansas Marimba Camp, University of Arkansas Summer Band Camp, Yamaha Sounds of Summer Camp, and MSSU Jazz Camp in addition to instructing and arranging for high school and collegiate drum lines throughout the Midwest. He was the Co-Founder/Director of the U.S.-Serbian Drum Line Exchange which presented clinics and performances on U.S. marching percussion in Novi Sad and Belgrade, Serbia during the summers of 2011 and 2012.
Matt’s performing experiences include playing with the Kansas City Royal Thunder Drum Line at the 2014 MLB World Series, Chicago Bulls Stampede Drum Line, Chicago Bears Drum Line, and as a WGI Independent World Class Finalist with Gateway Indoor in 2008 and 2009. He has performed with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, Signature Symphony, Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Musicworks Brass Band, and the University of Arkansas Alumni Percusion Ensemble. He has also performed for the Grumo Festival (Tesero and Cavalese, Italy), Exit Festival (Novi Sad, Serbia), BELEF Festival (Belgrade, Serbia), OK Mozart Festival, Marian Days Festival, International Double Reed Society Conference, and the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy.
Matt is a performing artist/clinician for Mapex drums, Majestic percussion, Sabian cymbals, Remo drumheads, and Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets.
Nick soderquist
Nick soderquist
Adjunct PERCUSSION instructor
Adjunct PERCUSSION instructor
Nicholas Soderquist is an Adjunct Percussion Instructor at Fayetteville Public Schools. He holds a Bachelor degree in Music Education from the University of Arkansas where he studied with Chal Ragsdale and Fernando Valencia.
Nick previously worked as the Assistant Percussion Director for Marshall ISD in Marshall, TX. He has also been on staff at a variety of schools in Northwest Arkansas including Har-Ber High School and Siloam Springs High School. His professional affiliations include the Percussive Arts Society and Kappa Kappa Psi.
Nick's performing experiences include playing with Music City Drum Corps, Razorback Marching Band, the University of Arkansas Wind Symphony, and the University of Arkansas Percussion Ensemble. He also performed as a member of the Fayetteville Percussion Ensemble at the 2018 National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy.
A Fayetteville native, Nick is excited to return to Northwest Arkansas with his wife Maddie and teach at his alma mater!
Jacob Werfelmann
Jacob Werfelmann
Adjunct PERCUSSION instructor
Adjunct PERCUSSION instructor
Jacob Werfelmann is an Adjunct Percussion Instructor at Fayetteville Public Schools. He is currently a student at the University of Arkansas, studying with Chal Ragsdale and Fernando Valencia while pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Music Education.
Jacob has worked as percussion staff at Lakeside High School and Nashville High School, as well as the percussion arranger for Nashville High School. He is also President of the University of Arkansas Collegiate Percussion Arts Society.
Jacob’s performing experience includes playing with Resistance Indoor Percussion, the Razorback Marching Band, the University of Arkansas Wind Ensemble, the University of Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Arkansas Percussion Ensemble.
ALLISON YOUNG
ALLISON YOUNG
Adjunct PERCUSSION instructor
Adjunct PERCUSSION instructor
Allison is an Adjunct Percussion Instructor at Fayetteville Schools. She previously attended the University of Arkansas, where she studied Music Education under Chal Ragsdale and Fernando Valencia.
Allison previously taught as a student conductor at the Arkansas Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, where she co-taught and conducted an elective percussion ensemble program.
Allison’s performing experiences include playing with the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps, The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, the Memphis Blues Drum and Bugle Corps, as well as two years with Resistance Indoor Percussion. She has also played in many collegiate ensembles, including the University of Arkansas Marching Band, the University of Arkansas Percussion Ensemble, the University of Arkansas Schola Cantorum, and the University of Arkansas Wind Symphony.
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