Phantom Regiment snare drummer Mickey Burmer won the college division individual snare drum championship at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention on Thursday in Louisville, Ky.
He scored a 94.65. Only one other competitor scored higher than a 90.5.
Mickey is a student at East Tennessee State University in Kingsport. His school’s percussion ensemble competed in the college division marching event Friday afternoon.
Among the other competitors in the individual competitions were Nick Werth, a graduate student at Texas Christian University (PR tenors instructor) took third in the college tenors division, Richard Salazar of University of North Texas (PR snare 2003) took sixth in the college snare division and Brad Hart of Arlington, Texas (PR front ensemble 2003) was fifth in the high school keyboard division. Annie Pelka of University of North Texas (PR color guard 2002-03) performed as a dancer in a modern percussion and dance ensemble.
Congratulations to these excellent musicians.
Among the other Phantom Regiment alumni at PASIC were half of the judges for the marching competition:
— Paul Rennick, currently percussion arranger for the Regiment and director of the University of North Texas percussion ensemble.
— Jeff Prosperie, currently a DCI judge who is a former member, instructor and arranger for the Regiment. He won DCI individuals in 1988.
— John Wooton, percussion professor at University of Southern Mississippi and a former member and instructor of the Regiment.
— Troy Breaux, a band director at Auburn University and a former member of the Regiment. Troy was a judge for the high school snares competition.
— Brian Mason, currently percussion director at Morehead State University and a former percussion arranger for the Regiment.
(FYI: The other marching percussion judges were Tad Carpenter, Scott Johnson, Jeff Moore, Matt Savage and Brian West.)
