Apocalypso!
all about Apocalypso
a brief history of apoc
Apocalypso grew out of a group of musicians who found each other in the University of Arizona steel band program. Originally the brainchild of Ross McGinnis, at our biggest, we had 2 tenors (Ross & Holly Schurr), a double second (Don), 2 cellos (Thom & Dana Morris), bass (Cy), and drumset (Jeff Friedl). We operate now primarily as a quartet (tenor, seconds, cello, drumset), though we're always game to grow when the gig needs a bigger group.
We've had the honor of working with some extremely talented Tucson drummers over the years: Jeff Friedl, Jack Sterbis, Dan Samson, Dave Rodenkirch, and Tina Walton.
Our collective pan pedigree includes several trips to Trinidad (Ross and Holly have played in a bunch of Panorama groups, including Holly's turn as a tenor player in 2005 when Phase II had their dramatic win; Thom, Cy, Kali, Jeff, Don, and Dana have all played in Carnival road marches with Phase II and Invaders), and we all enjoy finding as many ways as schedules will allow to keep playing, teaching, listening to, and writing and arranging for pan and steel bands.
Apocalypso plays pans built by Lloyd Gay, Federico Gay, and Cliff Alexis. We're tuned by Alan Coyle.
pankids
what's in a name?
The name Pankids and Pankids.com comes from the passion Apocalypso has for spreading the music of the Caribbean and the joy of pan playing to kids. While we don't put any age limits on the definition of "kid" (for that matter, it's a rare day when more than one of us acts our age for more than half an hour straight), each of us is very involved in working with younger generations.
Don started a steel band program at Canyon View Elementary School ("CVSteel"), allowing fifth graders the opportunity to learn the art of pan and the fun of playing in a steel band. His program also allows them to continue playing through their middle school years until they reach high school, where they have the opportunity to join the Catalina Foothills High School Steel Band under Dr. Tina Walton (where Kali got her start).
Thom and Kali are coaches with the Canyon View program, coming to rehearsals several nights a week to offer their expertise and help in developing the talents of the CVSteel groups. Cy joins the coaching as she can, as well, and helps with behind-the-scenes graphic design for the program.
Cy is a perennial fixture of the Univeristy of Arizona's UASteel program, having been a member for over a decade as she works on graduate degrees while on staff at the College of Fine Arts. She acts as a mentor to younger players and provides arrangements and arranging workshops to the university program. She also acted as the director of the beginning UASteel group in 1999-2000.
Thom also offers private lessons in pan to kids around the Tucson area, providing students with individual instruction in order to help them reach their full musical potential. Dan has given generously of his time and talent to act as a recording engineer for Don's CVSteel CD projects.
Collectively, the gang has started preliminary work on some instructional materials for beginning and intermediate steel bands. Keep an eye out for Pankids Productions' first pedagogical publication (Let's Play...) in the not-too-distant future!