The Mid Atlantic Percussion Society exists to foster ongoing education and enjoyment in the area of percussion performance. Through dedication and training we intend to set new standards in percussion education for the Mid-Atlantic region. We further intend to be the example by which other organizations will benchmark their successes and to which the music educators of our area may look for guidance in teaching their young performers the percussive arts.
Mid Atlantic Percussion Society is a 501(c)3 Nonprofit Corporation.
Board of Directors:
Tom Kelly (f) - President/Treasurer - (Email)
Bobby Molloy - Vice President - (Email)
Sarah Goslin - Secretary - (Email)
Faith Gonet
Mike Lalli
Administration:
Marty Griffin - Judging Coordinator - (Email) - (Bio)
Jim Dwyer (f) - Operations Coordinator - (Email) - (Bio)
Natalie Torchia - Communication & Social Media Coordinator - (Email)
2023 Steering committee: Marty Griffin, Mark Metz, Chris Thatcher, Dan Herbein, Matt Hahn
"(f)" signifies founding member.
The Mid Atlantic Percussion Society (MAPS) was formed in 1999 by several percussion educators in the southeastern PA region. We were all competing in our local circuits and feeling like we needed to stretch our legs, to have better venues, provide the best adjudicators, raise the bar for designers and performers, and to remove the center bars from the doors! In addition, we wanted to create a circuit that would align with and prepare our local ensembles for national level competition.
MAPS started with two shows in 1999 at Central Bucks West HS and North Penn HS. We have also provided clinics from the likes of Thom Hannum, Mark Thurston, Dennis DeLucia and more. From there we have built 20 full seasons that include an individual and ensemble competition, and have had more than 75 different ensembles pass through MAPS over the years. Along the way we have helped many groups to succeed at the national level. We are excited to have had many WGI finalist ensembles "grow up" in MAPS, including several World Champions.
In 1999 very few local ensembles were traveling to WGI regionals and/or championships in Dayton, OH. Mostly because few were prepared for that level of competition. We set out to build relationships with the best of the best in terms of adjudicators, corporate sponsors, and other "drumline only" circuits. We intended to bring the best experience to our local groups that we could muster. We wanted to improve the percussion performers and designers in our area through competition, state of the art feedback from nationally known adjudicators, and cutting edge practices.
One of our additonal crowning achievements is a championship event that is rivaled by no other circuit in our region. Where else can you get an evaluation of your program or play your individual solo in front of the likes of Scott Johnson, Dennis DeLucia, Mark Thurston, Dave Marvin, Matt Savage, Giff Howarth, Ed Argenziano, Ralph Hardimon and many other world class percussion specialists.
We are looking forward to a long history here at MAPS. We hope you will be part of it.