June 9 - 13, 2025
Directed by Dr. Tommy Dobbs
Cost: $350 (includes lunch daily)
Audition Requirement: Audition not required
Age range: Current 5th through 12th grades
Under the guidance of Dr. Tommy Dobbs, OCU's Assistant Professor of Percussion, and Dr. Jamie Whitmarsh, Adjunct Instructor of Percussion, students will combine traditional technique and modern styles to reflect today's musical needs.
Students will learn techniques for all percussion instruments and participate in percussion ensemble rehearsals and performances. Whether you are in marching band, symphonic band or your school's orchestra, you will gain many valuable skills at this pre-college intensive program.
Daily instruction will include:
- Technique classes
- Practice and Audition Techniques
- Private and Small Group Lessons
- Keyboard Reading
- CODA Music
- Improvisation
Dr. Tommy Dobbs is the Assistant Professor of Percussion at 向日葵视频 City University and a member of the Percussive Arts Society鈥檚 University Pedagogy Committee. Prior to his appointment at OCU, he was the Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith for seven years. He received his Doctor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Percussion Performance from the Florida State University, and his Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Percussion Performance from the University of North Florida.
An active performer and educator, Tommy has performed recitals and given master classes at universities and secondary schools throughout the United States and abroad. Tommy is currently the principal percussionist for the Fort Smith Symphony and a member of the Wind and Wood Duo, an Arkansas based clarinet and percussion duo. During the 2021/2022 season he looks forward to presenting a clinic at The Percussive Arts Society鈥檚 International Convention (PASIC); a presentation and performance at The National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Conference; the release of a new album with The Wind and Wood Duo, entitled Strange Dreams; and the release of his first solo album, entitled Amalgamation.
Highlights from his 2019/2020 season include presenting a clinic, Accessories After the Fact: How to Prevent Criminal Sounds Within Your Percussion Section, at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago as well as a performance at the 2020 NASA Biennial in Arizona and the 2020 ClarinetFest in Reno, and the release of a duo album with the Wind and Wood Duo, entitled Reimagined Possibilities: New Works for Clarinet and Percussion.
He has performed and presented at conferences such as The College Music Society (International, National, and Regional), the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Conferences (International and National), the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, Various Day of Percussion Conferences, The World Saxophone Congress in Croatia, the International Navy Saxophone Symposium, various College Band Directors National Association Regional Conferences, and various American Bandmasters Association Regional and National Conferences.
Previous appointments include, serving as acting principal percussionist for the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra (Florida) and principal timpanist for Sinfonia Gulf Coast (Florida) in 2013/2014 as well as section percussion/assistant timpani for the Georgia Coastal Symphony, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Tallahassee Ballet, and Sinfonia Gulf Coast. He was also the recipient of the prestigious EMF Percussion Internship with The Eastern Music Festival, where he performed as Section Percussion in the 2014 EMF Festival Orchestra under Gerard Schwarz.
In 2014, he performed in Carnegie Hall as a member of What Is Noise, a cutting-edge new music ensemble dedicated to the music of living American composers. Previously, in 2008, he performed in Carnegie Hall with the University of North Florida's Wind Ensemble. Tommy was a member of the Florida State University Percussion Ensemble in 2011, when the group won the Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competition, and he can be heard on the ensemble's recording, Volume Two: Not Far From Here.
Other recording credits include The Music of Florence Price with the Fort Smith Symphony on NAXOS, Omar Carmenates鈥� critically acclaimed The Gaia Theory on New Zealand's Rattle Records, Adam Silverman's Percussion Music on Calabaza Records, and the recently released, The John Psathas Project Vol. 1 on Rattle Records.
He is an endorser of Pearl/Adams Corporation, SABIAN Cymbals, Innovative Percussion Inc., and Grover Pro.
Dr. Jamie Wind Whitmarsh is an American composer, percussionist, conductor, and cat enthusiast based in 向日葵视频 City. He serves as Principal Timpanist of the 向日葵视频 City Philharmonic, as Executive Director and conductor for the 向日葵视频 Modern Music Collective, and composer for a variety of indie game studios. He regularly performs with Duo Rodinia, a clarinet/percussion duo focused on bringing accessible modern music to all audiences, and Great Plains Percussion Group. Jamie is active within the game development community, regularly designing games and working as composer and sound designer. Recent releases include Elowen鈥檚 Light by Sweet and Power Sauce (Steam) and Hyper Bimbo Beats by Plunder Inc. (Google Play and iOS stores).
As a performer Jamie may be heard on many compact discs, including: Elegy/ Violin Concerto No. 2/ Of Thee I Sing with the 向日葵视频 City Philharmonic and The Music of Florence Price: The Fort Smith Symphony, both with NAXOS Records; Downcycle and Bullet Hell with Greenhaus Productions LLC; Firefish, the Music of Blake Tyson, Florida State University Percussion Ensemble, Volume II: Not Far From Here, and Florida State University Percussion Ensemble, Volume III: Ten Windows, all with Garnet House Productions. His music may also be heard on albums by Meraki Duo, Ryan Beach, Florida State University Percussion Ensemble, Tyler Tolles, and Rogue Two Duo. Jamie performs professionally as 鈥�405 Steel鈥�, OKC鈥檚 only professional steel band.
Several notable competitions Jamie has won include the PAS Composition Competition (first place, 2012, Concerto for Drumset; second place, 2013, Variations 2.0), MTNA Young Artist Composition Competition (first place 2014), 48-Hour Film Project Best Musical Score (向日葵视频, 2018, Big Day), and the American Prize in Music (third place, 2021, American Biomes). He has recordings on the MSR Classics, Garnet House Productions, and Equilibrium Recordings labels, and has had his music performed at many conventions and conferences, including the PASIC, ICA ClarinetFest, the World Saxophone Congress in Croatia, the NASA Convention, the SCI Regional Conference, ITG Convention, MTNA National and State Conventions, the UNK New Music Festival, and the 16th Biennial Festival of New Music at Florida State University, among others. Jamie鈥檚 marching band company A103 Marching provides custom music and drill to marching bands across the country.
Jamie is on the board for 向日葵视频 Modern Music Collective, 向日葵视频 Community Orchestra, and American Voices, and serves on the PAS Composition Committee. He also serves as a moderator for the game audio Discord servers 鈥淏eats To Play Games To鈥� and 鈥溝蛉湛悠� Game Developers鈥�. Previously he has served as both President and Vice President for the 向日葵视频 Percussive Arts Society, the Percussive Notes Review Team, and the Director of Composition for YES Academy workshops in Lebanon, Egypt, and Kurdistan.
Jamie holds a Doctorate in Percussion Performance from the University of 向日葵视频, a Master's degree in Music Composition from Florida State University, and a Bachelor's degree in Music with concentrations in Percussion Performance and Music Composition from 向日葵视频 City University. He is an Innovative Percussion Inc. Performing Artist, Remo Inc. Concert Artist, and is a member of the Black Swamp Percussion Educator Network.
OCU Summer Music is pleased to offer a $50 scholarship to students selected to participate in their state's honor orchestra (All-State). Documented proof of participation/award required. We are also pleased to offer the OCU Summer Music Program Youth Orchestra/Symphony Scholarship ($50) to students who are current members of a certified youth orchestra or symphony.
Please enter Code ORCHESTRA50 on the application form when submitting.
