Steve Houghton Teams Up With Vic Firth!

Dedham, MA January, 2006 - Vic Firth Inc., the world's largest and leading manufacturer of drumsticks and mallets, is proud to announce that internationally renowned jazz drummer, percussionist, clinician, author, and educator, Steve Houghton has signed on with Vic Firth as an endorser and Special Educational Consultant. In this new role, Steve will perform exclusively with Vic Firth sticks and mallets and will direct some very unique and exciting new educational initiatives.

“While we are very early in the development of the new educational projects with Steve, I can tell you that all of us at Vic Firth are excited about what we are creating together,” states Director of Education, Neil Larrivee.  “Steve is the perfect fit with us for the educational thought process we have here at Vic Firth. He is a first rate performing artist and an exceptional educational mind.”

Steve commented, “I'm very pleased to be back on the Vic Firth team!  Knowing Vic for all these years and seeing how the company has evolved product-wise and educationally is inspirational.  The quality and consistency of the products are only matched by their dedication to educating future percussionists.  I look forward to an exciting future with Vic and his great team.”

Steve Houghton initially received acclaim at age twenty as the drummer with Woody Herman's Young Thundering Herd. Since then he has shared stage and studio with luminaries Gary Burton, Clay Jenkins, Shelly Berg, Toots Thielemans, Christian McBride, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Bob Florence, Freddie Hubbard, Lyle Mays, Dianne Reeves, Billy Childs, Rosemary Clooney, Pat LaBarbara, Arturo Sandoval, Joe Henderson, Bob Sheppard, Karrin Allyson and Maureen McGovern, to name a few.

As band leader, Houghton's discography includes: The Manne We Love: Gershwin Revisited (TNC), All Things New (Summit), the Steve Houghton Quintet Live @ the Senator (Jazz Compass), Windsong (SHPERC Records), Remembrances (Warner Bros.), and Steve Houghton Signature (Mesa-Bluemoon). In total, Houghton attributes more than one hundred recordings to his credit as a participating artist.

As a classical percussionist, Houghton has performed with the Boston and Philadelphia Pops orchestras, as well as with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. He frequently appears as a soloist with numerous orchestras and wind ensembles throughout the world.

As an author, Houghton's publications boast more than thirty educational books, videos and DVDs including Kid's Drumset Course, Essential Styles- books 1 & 2 (Alfred), The Ultimate Drumset Chart Reading Anthology, Play and Teach Percussion (GIA) and The Drumset Soloist. His latest project, Rhythm Section Workshop for Jazz Directors is a DVD-book series that addresses the entire rhythm section.

Houghton is currently Associate Professor of Percussion and Jazz at Indiana University-Bloomington, and is on faculty at the Henry Mancini Institute. In addition to his academic duties, he presents yearly clinics and masterclasses to students around the world.

Click here to check out Steve's new artist page here on vicfirth.com!

Click here to visit Steve's web site - houghtonmusic.com!

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