UNC Brass & Percussion Day
Saturday, November 1, 2025 | UNC Campus Commons
Brass and percussion players of all levels are invited to the UNC campus for this free event! The day will include master classes, All-State audition prep sessions, student and faculty performances and more. See the schedule and guest artist info below, and register to let us know you'll be attending.
Schedule
8:30 a.m.
Check In
9 a.m.
Workshops
Brass Warmup Class
Percussion Class/Clinic
10 a.m.
Large Ensemble Rehearsal
11 a.m.
Clinics
Jazz Trombone
Performance Anxiety
Classical Trumpet
12 p.m.
Lunch & Visit Exhibits
1:30 p.m.
Clinics
Euphonium/Tuba Clinic
Improv Clinic
2:30 p.m.
Clinics
Jazz Trumpet All-State Clinic
Classical Trombone Clinic
Horn Clinic
Practice Techniques Clinic
3:30 p.m.
Student Groups Dress Rehearsal
4:30 p.m.
Break
5-7 p.m.
Final Concert
Guest Artists
Lantana Trio
Formed in 2018, Lantana Trio consists of current and past faculty members from the University of North Texas: Raquel Samayoa on trumpet, Stacie Mickens on horn, and Natalie Mannix (retired) on trombone. Lantana Trio has presented recitals at the 2025 Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention, 2022 International Trombone Festival, the 2022 and 2019 International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC), the 2021 National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Conference (NACWPI), and the 2020 Big XII Trombone Conference. They were featured soloists with the UNT Wind Symphony, Lone Star Wind Orchestra, 2023 PRIZM Music Camp & International Chamber Music Festival, and performed and served as faculty at the first brass festival for women in Mexico, the 2023 Festival Internacional De Mujeres Instrumentistas de Metal (FIMIM).
Advocates for diversity in the arts, Lantana Trio’s new album, Crossing Barriers, features pieces by underrepresented composers, including five new commissions. The album has garnered awards including the Silver Medal for the 2023 Global Music Award, 3rd place in the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music (professional chamber ensembles division) of the 2024 American Prize, and a Special Judges’ Citation for Outstanding album of new music for brass trio (Chamber Ensembles category) of the 2024 American Prize.
Members of Lantana Trio were the co-hosts of the International Women’s Brass Conference hosted at the University of North Texas in May of 2022.
Caleb Pickering
Dr. Caleb Pickering (1990) is an accomplished percussionist, composer, and educator, currently serving as Assistant Professor of Percussion at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. An active performer, Caleb has presented his original works at international venues, including a featured solo recital at the Taipei National Bioinnovation Park Concert Hall in Taiwan (2024), and performances at the American Percussion Symposium (2021) and Birmingham Symphony Hall (2019).
Caleb is a highly sought-after clinician, providing masterclasses, clinics, adjudication, and guest lectures at numerous national and international institutions and events such as the American Percussion Symposium, Phonon Percussion Festival, Australian Percussion Eisteddfod Competition, and World Percussion Group.
As a composer, Caleb regularly receives commissions from universities, professional ensembles, and soloists worldwide. His works are performed internationally, have become staples in percussion repertoire, and are available through major music retailers.
His contributions to percussion have earned him recognition, including being a finalist for the American Prize in Composition for his works *An Assembly of Outrage* and *Beneath*. Caleb was composer-in-residence for the World Percussion Group International Tour (2019) and a semi-finalist in the Italy Percussive Arts Society International Competition (2018). He has been featured in numerous interviews and scholarly publications.
Caleb is also known as a co-host of the @percussion podcast, which has garnered over 150,000 listens and 25,000 hours of listening time, alongside colleagues Casey Cangelosi, Ksenija Komljenović, Ben Charles, and Karli Viña.
He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance from James Madison University (2020), a Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (2015), and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Texas A&M University-Commerce (2012).
Caleb holds artist sponsorships with Tama|Bergerault Instruments, Innovative Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, Gon Bops Percussion, Heritage Musical Spoons, and Beetle Percussion.
