Music department to host Bob Becker

The Ohio Northern University Department of Music will present Bob Becker in Presser Hall on Tuesday, April 3, at 8 p.m.

A master of African percussion tradition, Becker is a disciple of Pandit Sharda Sahai, one of the most respected musicians of the Benares tabla style. Becker is considered to be one of the world’s prodigy performers on the xylophone and marimba. This talent led him to create the Bob Becker Concert Xylophone line of mallets.

Through his work for Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians,” Becker was the recipient of a Grammy award. In 2005, he received Sabian Cymbals’ Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented to a person who has enriched the field of percussion. Becker was named “Master Drummer” by the International Association of Traditional Drummers in 2006.

Becker is a founding member of the percussion ensemble NEXUS. NEXUS is dedicated to music education, and a steady output of quality CD recordings and compositions by its members continues to enhance the role of percussion in the 21st century. Becker has toured extensively with the group, traveling throughout North America, Europe and Asia. In 1999, Becker and the other members of NEXUS were inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.

This event is free and open to the public.

Published: Wed, 03/28/2012 - 4:18pm