American percussionist Jade Hails is a dynamic presence on and offstage. Combining theatrics and technical performance in a musical amalgamation, Hails has committed his career to bridging the gap between the arts. Offering his skill set to other artists in ways that utilize their work, curating collaborations based on poetry and literature as well as visual art and dance. Currently based in Vancouver, Jade is a faculty member of Lane Community College as well as various private lessons schools throughout Vancouver where he provides instruction for percussion technique, performance, and entrepreneurship for his schools.
As a former member of Left Edge Percussion, resident chamber percussion ensemble for the Oregon Center for the Arts and directed by Dr. Terry Longshore, Hails was invited to New York for the 2020 Bang on a Can LONGPLAY Festival. He was also a judge in the 2020 Left Edge Percussion Composition Competition selecting a work from over 80 submissions to be performed by the ensemble. These and many other collaborations paved the way for Hails’ passion for expanding art and branching out to cooperate with different disciplines of artists.
In his pursuit of interdisciplinary cohesion, Hails has joined forces with Letizia Pent, Italian born pianist, to form Pas de Duo. A melding of the traditional and the contemporary, Pas de Duo arranges, adapts, and commissions works with the intent to accompany classical and modern dance performers, further bridging the gap between the arts. This combined with Hails’ compositions and commissioning efforts display his true creative outlet and passions.
Jade Hails graduated from Southern Oregon University with his Masters in Music degree studying with Dr. Terry Longshore. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Oregon State University and has studied with Bob Brudvig, Alan Keown, and Matthew Keown.
Long Bio
Jade A. Hails | Performer | Composer | Collaborator
“...a graceful, corporeal severity…”
“... [a] melding of technical gesture with idiomatic choreography.” OregonArtsWatch.org
American percussionist Jade Hails is a dynamic presence on and offstage. Combining theatrics and technical performance in a musical amalgamation, Hails has committed his career to bridging the gap between the arts. By offering his skill set to other artists, Hails continues to curate collaborations based on poetry and literature as well as visual art and dance. An avid promoter of new music, Hails has made it a goal to commission composers for works that he believes will push the boundaries of timbre, gesture, and aesthetic. He has so far commissioned or been a part of consortiums for works by Matthew Keown, Vera Stranojevic, Emmanuel Sejourne, Steven Snowden, James Boznos, and Menelaos Peistikos, Bryan Jeffs, Molly Joyce, Steven Snowden, among others. Currently based in Vancouver BC, Jade strives to elevate the arts on the west coast by engaging with the arts communities there by curating a mix of purely musical and interdisciplinary performances and projects.
Most recently, Hails was offered the Artist in Residence position at St. John’s School for the 2022-2023 school year and has been curating recitals, performing in concerts, and educating the arts students as part of his residency.
As a former member of Left Edge Percussion, resident chamber percussion ensemble for the Oregon Center for the Arts directed by Dr. Terry Longshore, Hails was invited to New York for the 2020 Bang on a Can LONGPLAY Festival. He was also adjudicated the 2020 Left Edge Percussion Composition Competition selecting a work from over 80 submissions to be performed by the ensemble.
In his pursuit of interdisciplinary cohesion, Hails has joined forces with Letizia Pent, Italian born pianist, to form Pas de Duo. A melding of the traditional and the contemporary, Pas de Duo arranges, adapts, and commissions works to accompany classical and modern dance performers as well as perform full chamber concerts, further bridging the gap between the arts. This combined with Hails’ compositions and commissioning efforts display his true creative outlet and passions.
As a part of the Oregon State University Wind Ensemble, Hails has performed, recorded, and toured many new works for Wind Ensemble including compositions by: David Maslanka, Alex Shapiro, and Patrick Lenz, Paul Dooley, and Kevin Putz, to name a few. Hails has recorded three albums with OSUWE with two of them prominently featuring the music of the late David Maslanka. A dear project for Jade was the week of performances and recordings dedicated to Maslanka’s Mass, in which Hails was a featured soloist, where David shared his story with the ensemble just months before his passing. With OSUWE, Hails toured the West Coast U.S. as well as Oahu, Hawaii, and Taipei City, Taiwan. These tours were made up of concerts as well as educational clinics for the local student musicians. After graduating from OSU, Hails was invited to be a featured performer for Emmanuel Sejourne’s Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra arranged for wind ensemble.
Jade is currently a faculty member of Bao Bao Arts Centre, Pleasant Mountain Music School, and continues to teach privately; providing instruction in percussion technique, performance, and musicality. As an educator, Hails has spent the majority of his time instructing marching ensembles. He has spent 10 years teaching drumlines and front ensembles across Oregon creating growth in every program he has been in front of. Jade continues to adjudicate on the football field and in the concert hall alike.
Under the tutelage of Justin Preece and Bob Brudvig, Hails has also been a key contributor in the growth of the drumline and percussion ensembles at Oregon State University, even taking a position as the assistant drumline coordinator for the Oregon State University Marching Band. He has earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Oregon State University and has studied with Bob Brudvig, Alan Keown, Matthew Keown, and Eriko Daimo. Hails recently graduated from Southern Oregon University with his Masters in Music studying with Dr. Terry Longshore.
To keep up to date with Jade's music and future projects. Subscribe to his YouTube channel or follow him on Instagram @jade_hails_music