Among the eight Academic Music ensembles at Moraine Valley Community College, not many have used old soup cans, wooden poles or desk bells during their concerts. The Moraine Valley Percussion Ensemble has encouraged laughter and curiosity with surprises like these during their stellar performances for the last 20 years.
The 2024-25 academic year marks the ensemble’s 20th anniversary, having grown from just five original members to 15 this semester. Doug Bratt, professor of music and Percussion Ensemble founder, was asked to start a unique group in the first few years of his tenure at Moraine Valley. He also was creating the college concert band around the same time and requested quality percussion equipment to use for both groups.
“Back then, we owned very little percussion equipment; we didn’t even have a marimba. I’d been involved with the percussion ensemble at Northern Illinois University as a grad assistant and knew it could be fun and unique to start a percussion ensemble at Moraine Valley,” Bratt explained.
The ensemble started as a noncredit class in August 2005 with five members and Bratt filling in on pieces where needed. The group’s first concert, scheduled in December that year, was stalled by an incoming blizzard, which caused one of the musicians to arrive late, resulting in a small audience.
After that first memorable performance, the ensemble has grown not only in membership and skill level but also in equipment (it now has four marimbas).
“Even by the second semester we were growing. Two years later, we offered it as a credit class,” Bratt said. “Our ability level collectively has improved. We can attack complex pieces at advanced collegiate levels.”
Over the years, the group has had a number of talented, professional musicians join concerts as guest artists and also has performed at the Illinois Music Education Convention, the Illinois Percussive Arts Society (PAS) Day of Percussion, Chicago’s Millennium Park and Chicago Arts in the Dark Parade.
There are many ways to measure the success of a music group, Bratt said, one of which is the people who stick around and are excited about the music or make suggestions on what pieces to tackle. Several long-time members return every year, but only one from that original crew of five is still in the ensemble today.
“When I started in 2005, I was really a flautist just learning how to play percussion because I had a piano background as well. Doug gave me a chance, and over the years I developed my skills and grew to love all things percussion,” said Maura Vizza, original member of the ensemble and Moraine Valley communications specialist and sports information coordinator. “I’ve had so many amazing musical experiences I never would have had if I wasn’t in the Percussion Ensemble, and for that I am beyond grateful. One of my favorite days of the week is when we rehearse on Wednesday nights.”
The ensemble began its 20th anniversary celebration in the fall and will continue with one more show on May 8, where they will perform a piece (“Sextet for Disappointed Puppets”) commissioned just for the ensemble’s milestone by Ben Wahlund, friend to the ensemble and a Chicago-based Grammy-nominated music educator, composer and performer.
Bratt is excited to perform the commissioned piece and hopes to do another one. Looking ahead, he wants to continue expanding the group’s music repertoire and perform on a bigger stage, such as the PAS International Convention. Most of all, he wants the ensemble to keep making good music and bringing people together.
“I’d love to know it continues on after I retire because it’s such an engaging ensemble. Just look at Blue Man Group and Stomp. It’s an engaging form of music auditorily and visually,” Bratt explained. “There are not a lot of places for people who played percussion in middle or high school to go play marimba or something else as adults. Ensembles like this are wonderful places for students and the community to gather and play with other percussionists.”
For more information, or to purchase tickets to other Moraine Valley Fine and Performing Arts Center shows, visit morainevalley.edu/fpac/tickets or call (708) 974-5500.
For news media inquiries, contact Maura Vizza, Moraine Valley communications specialist and sports information coordinator, at (708) 974-5742 or Vizzam@morainevalley.edu.
