TEACHING TONE: SNARE DRUM with Brandon Kunka (Hosted by Tyler S. Grant)

TEACHING TONE: Successful Sounds from the Start Produced by Tyler S. Grant Music Works, LLC (www.tylersgrant.com) Like, Comment, Subscribe! CLINICIAN: Brandon Kunka, discussing characteristic tone on Snare Drum www.backbeatatl.com, www.atlantapercussiongroup.com CLINICIAN BIO: Mr. Brandon Kunka a private teacher, educator, performer, and composer based out of Roswell, GA. He currently has a private studio comprised of students from all over the Atlanta area who consistently earn membership in the Georgia All-State Band, All-State Jazz Band, District Honor Band, and audition-based groups such as the Atlanta Youth Percussion Ensemble, Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, and Rialto Jazz. at the middle and high school levels. Many of his students have been accepted to music programs at universities which include The University of North Texas, Indiana University, Columbus State University, Florida State University, the University of Georgia, the University of Miami, Georgia Southern University, Georgia State University, Georgia College and State University, Kennesaw State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Vanderbilt University, and Belmont University. Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Mr. Kunka holds degrees in Percussion Performance and Music Composition from Georgia Southern University, and a Master's Degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Miami. He has studied with Ney Rosauro, Annie Allman, Matt Fallin, Bill Schmid, Michael Braz, Shannon Wood, and Wan-Chun Liao. Mr. Kunka is an active clinician, giving master classes for middle and high school students throughout the state of Georgia. He has performed with such artists as Evanescence, Lindsey Stirling, Sarah McLachlan, Red Holloway, Tom “Bones” Malone, and Paul Oakenfold, and toured China as the timpanist with the Hollywood Concert Orchestra. He has performed at the 2010 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) and was a member of the Cobb Wind Symphony from 2008-2012. Mr. Kunka is also a drummer, bassist, guitarist, and vocalist for various live and studio projects in Atlanta. As a composer, he has been commissioned by Dr. Daniel Pittman and the Georgia Southern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, as well as Dr. Ney Rosauro and the University of Miami Percussion Ensemble. He has also written percussion arrangements, indoor percussion, and full marching band arrangements for various high school programs. Mr. Kunka is the founder and director of the Atlanta Youth Percussion Ensemble, a non-profit honors ensemble that is comprised of students from the metro-Atlanta area. In 2021 they were selected as one of eleven performing ensembles ranging from middle school, high school, college, and professional band, chorus, orchestra, jazz, and percussion ensembles to perform at the 2022 Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference. From 2017-2019, Mr. Kunka was the Director of Percussion at Cambridge High School. During his time at Cambridge, he led the marching percussion section to five first in class finishes at various local and regional marching band competitions, as well as a gold division champion in 2018. He also directed three percussion ensembles who gave multiple concerts a year. From 2009-2017, he was the Director of Percussion at Roswell High School, where his responsibilities included instructing the percussion ensembles and marching percussion program. He also directed the Roswell Indoor Drumline which, in its second year of existence, was the 2013 SAPA A Class Champions. The percussion ensembles have performed multiple times at the Lassiter Percussion Ensemble Symposium, and have also been a featured guest ensemble with the Kennesaw State University Percussion Ensemble. In 2016, they were selected to perform at the 2017 Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in Athens, GA. He was the Director of Jazz at Milton High School from 2012-2015, where he conducted the jazz ensemble and three jazz combos. Under his direction, the Milton Jazz Ensemble opened for the Joe Gransden Big Band on three occasions, and was a featured performing ensemble at the 2014 Atlanta Jazz Festival. From 2010-2012, Mr. Kunka was the front ensemble director for the award-winning Milton Indoor Drumline, who were World Class finalists in the 2011 and 2012 WGI World Championships, and Open Class finalists in the 2010 WGI World Championships. Mr. Kunka is a member of the Percussive Arts Society, the National Association for Music Education, and the Georgia Music Educators Association. He is endorsed by Vic Firth, Incorporated. INTRO MUSIC: "Fanfare for the Gold" by Tyler S. Grant