bamboo
PASIC ’12 – A SMASH!
We just returned from the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), held this year in Austin, TX. During the 3-day event over 3,000 percussionists gathered for clinics, masterclasses, performances and a exhibits filled with the world’s top percussion products.
This year we celebrated our 30th consecutive appearance at the PASIC show, that’s three decades of showing the world’s finest percussion products! The focus this year was on our new Pro Concert Castanets which feature a micro-tension adjustment and solid granadillo wood castanets. In addition, we unveiled our new line of Grover Custom snare drums, including models with solid rosewood,maple and bubinga wood shells. One of the hot items at the show was our 5.5″x14″ 10-ply maple shell drum with our “toaster” style lugs and wooden hoops.
Percussionists crammed our booths, including top pros from orchestras like Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, Boston,Paris, London, Cleveland and many others. Alan Abel from the Philadelphia Orchestra used our tambourine in his clinics and Will James from the St. Louis Philharmonic, used our new G2 and G3 snare drums in his lab. We also met with top studio percussionists who told us that our products are used on top rated tv shows like Dancing With The Stars and American Idol. Taylor Swift’s drummer stopped by to tell us that our tambourines can be heard on all of her top hit records! He said that one of Nashville’s most successful producers requires insists that our tambourines be used in the studio!
Here is a glimpse of the action:
John Tafoya Signature Mallets Available for Preorder!
Our new John Tafoya Signature Mallets are now available for preorder in the Grover Pro Shop! These new models will start to ship in early November. Based on advance interest, we expect these to sell quickly!be top sellers.
If you’d rather hand select your own mallets, visit us this November in Indianapolis at PASIC 2011, booths #843-#847.
Coming Soon…John Tafoya Signature Mallets!
We’ve teamed up with professional timpanist and renowned educator John Tafoya to create a new line of professional level bamboo timpani mallets!
Formerly Principal Timpanist of the National Symphony in Washington, D.C., John left the orchestra to accept the prestigious position of Chair of the Percussion Program at Indiana University.
The Tafoya Signature Mallets will be unveiled at PASIC ’11. If you’re coming to the show be sure to stop by our display in booths #843, 845 & 847, and check them out for yourself. Do it early in the show, timpanists are sure to be fighting over these wonderful new mallets!
Bamboo Aids Haitian Earthquake Victims
We are picky about the quality of bamboo that we use for our TMB Series Timpani Mallets. VERY PICKY!
We start with the highest quality bamboo available and then hand select only straight bamboo lengths that are consistent in diameter and have very few nodes. In order to get lengths high enough in quality for our mallet handles, we have to go through lots of bamboo poles. LOTS! We actually reject over twice as much bamboo as we accept . “What do you do with all the rejected bamboo?” you might ask. Good question… In the past, we have sold rejected bamboo to be used as everything from bamboo fencing to bicycle frames!
Recently, we have begun a partnership with Architecture For Humanity. We donate the rejected bamboo to AFH, who uses bamboo for the construction of geodesic domes in Haiti. Bamboo is a good material to use in the superstructure of a geodesic dome due to its strength and flexibility. The finished domes will provide critical housing and shelter for victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti.
We take so much for granted on a daily basis. All of us at Grover Pro are honored to be able to play a very small part in helping those less fortunate than we are.
