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"...smooth-running, well-organized, sonically and musically superior event, put on by some truly lovely people."

NEW: EMM 2012 Announced

Kansas City Kansas Community College and Lewis University are pleased to announce the dates for the 2012 Electronic Music Midwest Festival. EMM will be held October 11-13, 2012 at Lewis University. Acclaimed percussionist, Andrew Spencer has been chosen as guest artist for the 2012 EMM Festival.

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2012 EMM Guest Artist: Andrew Spencer

Andrew Spencer, currently holds the position of professor of percussion at Central Michigan University. An active recitalist and clinician, he has performed as a soloist in the United States, Poland, Japan, Canada, and Costa Rica. In 1999, he released "Slender Beams," a recording that features works by composer Dave Hollinden. Spencer has also premiered works by David Gillingham, Mark Polishook, Samuel Adler, Robert May and Henry Gwiazda among others. Equally experienced in orchestral performance, Dr. Spencer is timpanist with the West Michigan and Lansing Symphony Orchestras, and has acted as Visiting Principal Percussionist for the Midland and Saginaw Orchestras. Additional positions have included timpanist/principal percussionist with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, Cascade Festival Orchestra, Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra and Fargo-Moorhead Civic Opera Company. He has performed with the Oregon Symphony, Spokane Symphony, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. In addition, he has performed with numerous chamber ensembles throughout the United States, and plays drum set with the CMU Faculty Jazz Ensemble with whom he has recorded two CDs, "Caught In The Act" and "Conspiracy Theory". Dr. Spencer received his bachelor of music and master of music in performance (percussion) and studied with Dr. Terry Applebaum at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He earned his doctor of musical arts in performance and literature (percussion) from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York where he studied with John Beck. In addition, Eastman granted Dr. Spencer the coveted performer's certificate as a percussion soloist.

"Spencer's energy put the piece in overdrive."

"Spencer's command of the marimba was phenomenal..."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Spencer exhibited the technique and style of a music master, he was greeted with a standing ovation at the end of the concert."

"The energetic rhythms and elements of dissonance were masterly performed by Spencer whose [technique] was superb."
Andres Sanez, music critic
La Nacion (San Jose, Costa Rica)

"...Andrew Spencer...did a magnificent job with this new and unusal work."

"...Spencer brought them to life with great effect."
Floyd Famer, music critic
Muskegon Chronicle

"Spencer became focused and ferocious...having passed the secret onto the enraptured audience"
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

About EMM

Electronic Music Midwest is dedicated to programming of a wide variety of electroacoustic music and providing the highest quality performance of electronic media. This annual festival consists of approximately nine short concerts (about 1 hour in length) over the course of a weekend in Autumn. Our goal is to bring together vibrant and interesting artists of all forms, give them a vehicle for their expressions, and a place for them to share ideas with others.

EMM is the result of a consortium formed in 2002 between Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC), Lewis University, and the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Officially formed in 2002, this festival was founded by Mike McFerron, Connie Mayfield, and Paul Rudy in 2000 when it was presented at KCKCC under the name "Kansas City Electronic Music Festival." In 2001, the festival continued at Lewis University under the title, "Electronic Music at Lewis - 2001."

EMM has always featured an 8-speaker surround diffusion system under the guidance of Ian Corbett. The core of the system are eight Mackie 1521 bi-amped speakers, an EAW/QSC subwoofer system, and a Soundcraft MH3, 32+4 Channel mixer (named "Emily"). Due to Ian's expertise, many visiting composers comment that EMM is one of smoothest run festivals they have ever attended.

Since its beginning, EMM has programmed over 500 new electroacoustic compositions. Composers have traveled from around the world to graciously share their music with audiences in the Midwest. However, EMM is about more than just playing new music. We strive to create an environment conducive to building community interaction. Most concerts are approximately one hour long, and composers have plenty of time to "talk shop" with each other as well as interact socially with students and audience members.