PSU Percussion Ensemble performing at Viking Pavilion for the Tapspace video in September 2025.
Basketball and percussion came together in the spring of 2025, when the PSU Percussion Ensemble took to Viking Pavilion to record their fifth music video, featuring Luis Rivera’s Aprés Rebonds (After Rebounds in French). Released in September 2025, the video feels especially timely now, as PSU basketball teams take the court for more than a dozen home games this Winter term. Packed with three-pointers, steals and rebounds, the season provides the perfect backdrop to spotlight this high-energy percussion take on “rebounds,” driven by propulsive, galvanizing sound.
The title “Aprés Rebonds” references a landmark work for solo percussion entitled Rebonds, composed in 1987-89 by Greek mathematician and architect Iannis Xenakis, widely considered one of the most important composers of the mid-20th century. Rivera’s quintet captures much of the energy of the original solo piece, now standard repertoire for percussionists, through the use of its iconic rhythmic themes.
Music composition major Ian Sage (’25) reflected on performing in the video during his final term before graduation. “It’s not every day you get to play percussion music on a basketball court, especially one as large as the Viking Pavilion,” Sage shared. “Acoustically, it was a bit challenging, as every sound had such a long decay. We recorded the audio you hear in the video a few weeks earlier, and when it came time to film, Dr. Whyte played that recording through a speaker just out of view of the cameras. We were tasked with ‘lip syncing,’ or stick syncing, with our earlier performance, which was tricky in that environment. It was a very fun and rewarding experience. I feel honored to be part of the growing collection of online percussion performances, which have been and continue to be, inspirations for me.”
The project is part of an ongoing collaboration with Tapspace Publications, a leading publisher of percussion sheet music and educational materials. When Tapspace sought high-quality recordings to demonstrate how their works sound when expertly performed, they turned to Portland State’s Percussion Ensemble, led by Chris Whyte. Through this partnership, PSU percussion students have recorded professional-quality performances of works such as James Vilseck’s magical Starfall and Darrien Spicak’s percussion quartet False Impressions. These captivating recordings appear alongside the sheet music on Tapspace’s website, allowing musicians and educators to preview each piece, and are also shared across Tapspace’s social media platforms, garnering hundreds—and in some cases thousands—of views.
“The great performance and polished production quality expose chamber music to a much wider audience,” said Jim Casella, Co-founder of Tapspace, when asked about the Aprés Rebonds video, “and the PSU percussion ensemble helped us make that happen.”
Chris Whyte, PSU Percussion Professor and Area Coordinator, noted, "Our collaboration with Portland’s Tapspace Publications over the past four years has created distinctive opportunities for PSU percussion students. We love championing and performing new works, and recording these pieces allows students to develop practical, real-world skills while strengthening their portfolios. This process helps launch them confidently into contemporary music making as performers, composers and teachers."
Audiences can hear more of this percussion artistry and technical mastery at the PSU Percussion Ensemble Winter Concert on Sunday, March 1, at 3:00 p.m. in Lincoln Recital Hall. Tickets are free with a student ID and $10 for general admission.