Kerr Hall Compositions is Joshua Berlin and Sam Paniccia. We compose original works for percussion ensembles, percussion soloists, and pianists.
KHC was founded in the fall of 2016 when we met at the Northeastern University Wind Ensemble audition rehearsal. Our mutual love of music also independently led us to choose to live in the music dorm for freshman year (this dorm, named Kerr Hall, is the inspiration for our name). Between spending 3 hours together every Thursday evening for Wind Ensemble rehearsals and living just a few doors away from each other, we got to become very friendly. Before our first Wind Ensemble concert a few months later we had already started noodling around in composition together.
KHC truly came to life in the spring of the following semester. The Wind Ensemble had its annual chamber concert, where members of the ensemble could form small groups and perform a piece together. We really wanted to perform, but we just couldn't find the right piece.
So we decided to write one ourselves. Not a week later, Summerstorm, KHC's premier piece, was completed and performed at the concert.
Impressed with our collaborative abilities, we continued to write more and more music. Some pieces (like Summerstorm) stick to the traditional percussion ensemble roots, while others (such as Rhythm Creek) explore all sorts of creative instrumentations. We love to stray from the norm.
We try to release new music as often as possible- at least once per semester. Composing is one of the only ways to keep us sane (we're both studying engineering; school tends to drive us a little bit crazy!)