Burkhalter, Lamar
Biography
Born: October 14, 1963
Country: USA
Studies:
Teachers:
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Lamar Burkhalter has over twenty eight years of experience as a percussion educator, clinician, arranger, and performer. He currently serves as the Music Director for the NFL Houston Texans and as a Committee Chairman for the Texas Bowl, Houston Texas. Mr. Burkhalter is also the Founder/Executive Director of the Percussion One Foundation, a 501c3, nonprofit organization based in Houston, which performs at various venues in the Houston area including the NFL Houston Texans, Texas Bowl, NBA Houston Rockets, IHL Aeros, MLB Astros, Six Flags Astroworld, and, corporate and city wide community events. Mr. Burkhalter has also served as a writer/producer for both Six Flags Astroworld and Sea World in San Antonio, Texas.
Mr. Burkhalter's previous experience includes serving as the Percussion Director of the award winning Westfield HS Band. Under his direction, the Westfield percussion program received numerous honors which included the national high school division winner of PASIC's "Call for Tapes," in 1989 and 1994, resulting in performances at the Percussive Art's Society International Conventions in San Antonio, Texas in 1989, and Atlanta, Georgia in 1994. During his tenure, Westfield High School Marching Band won five Texas State Marching Band Championships.
In 1994 through 1997, Mr. Burkhalter served as the percussion coordinator for the Coronado High School Band in El Paso, Texas. He accompanied this group to Russia resulting in his conducting of performances at Tchaikovsky Hall, the Poklanna Gora World War II War Memorial, parades and ensemble conducting in Red Square and performing masterclass/clinics at The Moscow Conservatory of Music.
As a result of this trip, Mr. Burkhalter was invited to return to Moscow by the Russian Minister of Culture to perform with his own ensemble, Percussion One. This ensemble conducted a ten day concert tour of Moscow, Russia in March of '97. The Ensemble performed concerts, clinics and master classes throughout the city. Performances included a master class at the distinguished Gnessin School of Music and a Gala concert at Gnessin's Grand Hall. This concert featured Percussion One for the first half of the program and combined performances with the Red Army Band, Russia's top military concert band, following intermission. Other performances were given at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, (the Russian equivalent to NASA), the Moscow Palace of Youth, and at two different military compounds for the musicians of the Russian military. The Gala concert and interviews with Mr. Burkhalter and members of the ensemble were also broadcast over the entire world in 72 different languages by Moscow Radio International.
Percussion One was also named the winner of the 1997 Percussive Arts Society's "Call for Tapes" contest and performed at the international convention in Anaheim, California in November of '97. This was the third time Mr. Burkhalter has won this award and been asked to conduct a concert for the PAS "Call for Tapes" Contest at PASIC. He has also served as an adjudicator for the Percussive Arts Society "Call for Tapes" contest for three years.
Another Percussion One honor includes an invitation to perform at the World Expo in Hanover, Germany, in the summer of 2000 with such artists as Nexus, Kromata, Synergy, Trichy Sankaran, Glen Velez, and 150 other percussionists from around the world.
Other Percussion One performances include performances with Keith Urban, Shania Twain, NASA "Russian Festival" in Nassau Bay, Opening Ceremonies for the Texas Special Olympics, Sysco Foods National Summer Conference, Pennzoil-Quaker State, United Way, Verizon Wireless and Hilton Hotel Management Conference.
In addition to his work in public education, Mr. Burkhalter has extensive teaching and arranging experience with numerous Drum and Bugle Corps including the Troopers, Sky Ryders, and Blue Knights. Mr. Burkhalter has served as percussion instructor for the Stephen F. Austin State University and the University of Houston marching bands. He also served as Director of Events at the NCAA Ev1.net Houston Bowl in 2003. He serves as an adjudicator for numerous marching band and percussion festivals around the country.
In addition, Mr. Burkhalter is the founder and director of N8RHYTHM, an independent percussion consulting and teaching organization that has helped establish many successful high school and junior high percussion programs in Texas.
He has served as a clinician/performer for the Texas Bandmasters' Association, Texas Music Educator's Association, Midwest Clinic, and at the Percussive Arts' Society International Convention in Phoenix in November of 1995 as a member of the Percussive Arts Society's Fundamentals Team.
Mr. Burkhalter is endorsed by the Yamaha Corporation of America, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Latin Percussion Music Group, Evans Drumheads, and Zildjian Cymbals.[1]
Works for Percussion
Novelty Jamz - Percussion Ensemble
Novelty Jamz TOO! - Percussion Ensemble
Talkin' Trash - Percussion Ensemble (10-40)
References