Ksenija Komljenović is a percussionist, educator and composer who gained international recognition winning the International Percussion Competition Luxembourg. The first Serbian woman to earn a doctorate in percussion, she serves as faculty and Head of Department at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

In 2024, she made her Carnegie Hall debut and premiered Episodes for Marimba and Orchestra, written for her by Oscar nominee and six-time Emmy winner Chris Boardman. Her concerto appearances include works by Viet Cuong, Mason Bates, and Emmanuel Séjourné.

She co-founded Vesna Duo with pianist Liana Harron; their debut album featuring her marimba and piano arrangement of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" was praised by The Wall Street Journal as "smashingly effective." Her compositions draw on her Slavic and Balkan heritage. Ksenija is a Marimba One artist.

Justin Johnson is an accomplished performer, clinician, adjudicator, and composer specializing in concert and marching percussion. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Percussion Performance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he studies under Dr. Eric Willie. Justin is currently the Adjunct Professor of Percussion at Catawba College and Livingstone College, as well as Adjunct Music Lecturer at North Carolina A&T State University. He serves as President of the North Carolina Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society and is a member of the Marching and Rudimental Percussion Committee.

Alex Richard is a percussion teacher and freelance artist based in Winston-Salem, NC. She currently serves as a Percussion Instructor for the Elon Marching Band, and serves as an Adjunct Instructor teaching drumset, American music history, and musical communication at High Point University. Alex has a vested interest in new and popular music, and how those intersect to inform contemporary performance. As an advocate for new music, Alex regularly commissions and joins consortium efforts for new and exciting percussion works. In the Fall of 2025, she performed Thierry De Mey’s Silence Must Be! as a part of the PASIC New Music Focus Day, and in Fall of 2024, she performed alongside several PAS North Carolina members, presenting accessible modern percussion ensemble works at the North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference. Alex received her M.M. in Percussion Performance from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying with Dr. Dave Hall, and her B.M. in Music Education from The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, studying with Dr. Andrew Bliss and Keith Brown. She currently serves as the Secretary for the North Carolina Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society, and spends her free time baking and hanging out with her small gray cat, Bubbles.

Brady Spitz is a percussionist, timpanist, and educator based in Boone, North Carolina where he is Coordinator of Percussion at Appalachian State University. He is also the Principal Percussionist of the Western Piedmont Symphony. He has extensive performance experience with classical, contemporary, and world percussion in a diverse group of musical environments. He has performed with the Houston Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Hawaii Symphony, and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestras among many others. Dr. Spitz maintains an active freelance percussion schedule and has appeared on stage alongside artists such as Idina Menzel, Weird Al Yankovic, and The Who. As a chamber musician, he has worked with a diverse group of artists, including Claire Chase and Mario Davidovsky. He holds degrees from Rice University, Louisiana State University, and the University of North Texas.

Dave Hall is Associate Professor of Percussion at the University of North Texas College of Music. Under his direction, the UNT Percussion Ensemble won the 2025 PAS International Percussion Ensemble Competition.

Dave performs extensively as a keyboard and multi-percussion soloist, chamber musician, jazz drummer, timpanist, and steel pan player. He commissions and records works for solo and chamber percussion while producing collaborative projects with his students.

An active composer published by C. Alan Publications, his works have been commissioned and performed worldwide. He serves as adjudicator and clinician for concert and marching percussion nationally and internationally. Since 2019, he has been Associate Music Ensemble Coordinator and Music Design Consultant for the DCI World Champion Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps.

Dave is an endorsing artist for Pearl/Adams, Remo, Innovative Percussion, and Sabian.

"It's Never Just ___"

Ethan Strickland challenges the habit of minimizing musical tasks with the word “just.” Whether subdividing, listening across the ensemble, or refining technique, foundational skills deserve thoughtful explanation and intention. Emphasizing an empathetic teaching approach, he encourages educators to clarify purpose, ask open-ended questions, and connect fundamentals to broader musicianship - reminding us that small details shape artistry, collaboration, and long-term growth.

Strickland is an educator, performer, and collaborator currently serving as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Percussion at Virginia State University.

Ethan has presented clinics nationally at institutions including Vanderbilt University, Arkansas State University, Fort Hays State University, and Shenandoah Conservatory. He has performed with artists from Bang on a Can All-Stars, Heartland Marimba, Sō Percussion, New Morse Code, and Arx Duo. As a collaborator, he has worked directly with composers including Daijana Wallace, Keaton Garrett, Ancel Neely, and Nate Heyder.

Ethan earned his Doctor of Musical Arts from Michigan State University, Master of Music Performance from the University of Kansas, and Bachelor of Music from Reinhardt University.

He serves on the Percussive Arts Society's Education Committee and the advisory board for the International Foundation for Contemporary Music. Ethan is an endorsee of Black Swamp Percussion, Vic Firth, and Zildjian.

"100 Years in Black American Rhythm"

Percussionist, educator, and curriculum designer Larry Q. Draughn Jr. traces the evolution of Black American rhythmic language from West African traditions through the Middle Passage to modern digital groove culture. Through live demonstrations on body percussion, tambourine, and drumset, he explores rhythmic frameworks such as tresillo, swing-based pocket, and grid-based phrasing, connecting them to gospel, jazz, rock, hip-hop, and contemporary production. Designed for performers and educators, this session bridges history, technique, and culturally responsive pedagogy while offering practical strategies for teaching groove lineage.

"Techniques and Sound Concepts for Core Symphonic Instruments"

Drawing on 43 years with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Douglas Howard focuses on five essential battery instruments: bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, and castanets. This fast-paced session examines sound production, mallet choice, muffling, and performance techniques, highlighting instruments that often receive less attention in training. Participants will gain practical insights to strengthen clarity, consistency, and musical intention in orchestral playing.

"Use of Rhythm and World Drums to Build Community"

Drummer, facilitator, and psychotherapist Cynthia Jones shares tools for using rhythm as a pathway to wellness and connection. Drawing on her work with the Drum Circle Facilitator’s Guild, she demonstrates how world drumming can serve diverse communities, including schools, senior homes, and healthcare settings. This interactive clinic explores how rhythm can extend beyond performance into service, healing, and community-building.

"Composition for Percussionists"

Composer and percussionist Louis Raymond-Kolker explores how composing and performing can fuel one another within a creative practice. Geared toward performers who may not yet identify as composers, this session provides practical strategies for starting and developing a new work. Through live demonstrations and score examples from his own music, he shows how composition can deepen artistic voice and strengthen connections between composers, performers, and audiences.