Tiger Bill’s  Halloween DrumBeat Festival 2009 and Auction to Drum Out Parkinson’s Disease

PRESS RELEASE

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Bill Meligari
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NJ, October, 2009 – Each year New Jersey native drummer, educator, author, publisher, and producer Bill Meligari, known in the music industry as Tiger Bill, brings together the world’s finest drum talent in a show designed to educate and entertain drummers of all ages and experience levels while raising funds for Parkinson’s Disease research. This year it is being distributed as a four and one half hour online Webcast, which can be viewed around the globe by anyone with a computer, internet connection, and a ticket.

Featured artists performing at the DrumBeat Fest this year include Zoro, one of funkiest drummers on the planet who has worked with the world’s leading artists; award-winning drummer for Shadows Fall, Jason Bittner; leader, composer, producer, arranger, drummer, author and educator Terry Silverlight who has played on dozens of gold and platinum recordings and composed music for hundreds of major network TV shows; jazz artist, composer, teacher, and music director Sherrie Maricle who leads her own big band, quintet, and trio; noted educator, composer, Southland New Zealand Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, founder of the Cape Breton International Drum Festival, and winner of the Music Nova Scotia Canada Musician of the Year Award, Bruce Aitken; educator and recording artist Wes Crawford; educator, percussionist, and drum instrumentalist Scott Pellegrom; incredible 8-year-old drum phenom Michael Manasseh; and Tiger Bill Meligari, recognized as one of world’s fastest drummers and developer of the concepts of Tension Free Drumming.

In addition to DrumBeat Fest, Tiger Bill invites you to take part in an Online Auction where you’ll have the chance to bid on some once-in-a-lifetime bargains on drum products that have been donated by generous sponsors of the event, including items signed by the original artists. All proceeds from ticket and auction sales benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in memory of Bill’s father, who lost his battle with the disease.

Parkinson’s Disease affects more than six million people worldwide with 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States alone and there is currently no cure. According to Tiger Bill “My dad was strong, healthy, and active all his life and had never even seen the inside of a hospital until he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. A mere eight years later, he found himself confined to a wheelchair. Although his mind was still sharp, the disease had taken away his ability to physically move his own body. The last thing he struggled to say to me, before passing away in his sleep, was ‘I can’t move anything anymore.’ What do you say to someone you love in response to that? This is why I’m donating all proceeds to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Michael also has the disease and I feel there’s no one on the planet who wants to see a cure more than he does. I know the funds we raise will go to the aggressive research necessary to find a cure for this disease in our lifetime, which is the goal of the Michael J. Fox Foundation.”

Tiger Bill’s Halloween DrumBeat Fest Webcast will be online October 31st, 2009 and ticket purchasers will be able to view it as many times as they like during the month of November. Bidding for the Online Auction is open now. Major sponsors include DRUM! Magazine, Alfred Publishing, Aquarian Drumheads, Audix Microphones, Axis Percussion, Beatnik Rhythmic Analyzers, Dream Cymbals, DrumFun, DW Drums, Evans Drumheads, Hudson Music, ProLogix Percussion, Pro-Mark Drumsticks, Sabian Cymbals, Sonor Drums, and Zildjian Cymbals.

Experience some of the world’s greatest drummers and educators in performance and clinic while contributing what you can to help rid the world of Parkinson’s Disease. For the latest artist lineup, ticket sales, and further information visit TigerMix Support Desk.