Friday 9 November 2012

PASIC 2012 - Austin, Texas

What a great PASIC this year!

It was almost non-stop on my booth. I sold every last triangle and - as you can see - I had a few! Interest in them was already pretty high, but it was boosted further by the use of my triangles by Nicholas Ormrod of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, London in his Symphonic Accessories masterclass and also by Keith Aleo of Zildjian in his clinic.

I had visits from players with all the local symphony orchestras - Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, plus the Florida Orchestra, the Bergen Philharmonic and others. There was a lot of interest also in the 100% reliable bowing capabilities of the Bat-Wing gongs. I was told to rename them "Lord of the Rings" gongs!

So, besides the triangles, I also sold a bunch of cymbals, hi-hats and smaller gongs. A very successful show.

I had the pleasure of meeting with old friends, plus making a whole load of new ones including Johnny Rabb, Ari Hoenig, Todd Sucherman, Luis Conte, Richie Garcia and Ralph Humphrey.

PASIC has a lovely relaxed atmosphere. It's all about the art and about percussion education. This show, more than others, is much more about cameraderie than competition. The setting too - Austin in Autumn - was a lot of fun. Great people, great vibe, great food.

I believe PASIC is back in Indianapolis next year - which is nice enough, especially the selection of "brewpubs". But, I'm looking forwards more to a return to Texas at some point.