We’re excited to announce a new, three-way partnership with acclaimed percussionist and composer, Michael McIntosh, and The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps!

Michael, one of two percussion designers for The Cavaliers, has agreed to share his percussion arrangements for the 2012 Cavaliers performance season—in SmartMusic!

“There’s been some buzz about the fact that we’re doing this,” says Michael. “Our goal was to share the music in a way that’s fun and educational. We want fans to come along for the ride this summer, and see what it’s like to be a Cavalier!”

(The first and second movements for the Cavaliers’ 2012 percussion music are now available in SmartMusic. Note that you’ll need SmartMusic 2012 to download.)

We had Michael in the studio last week, recording video lessons for both beginner and intermediate-level percussionists (“Mike’s Epic Stick Tricks”). While we had him pinned under those hot lights, we asked how the Cavaliers percussion section planned to use SmartMusic down the road.

“Our goal is to get the guys practicing along with the Cavaliers’ percussion arrangements in SmartMusic,” says Michael, noting that the Cavaliers hoped to help members practice efficiently between camps, and track their progress via audio assessment.

“The cool thing is that they can slow down the tempo to practice the more challenging parts, and record and listen to their own practice sessions,” says Michael.

While we’ll let you know as soon as the video lessons are available, I thought I’d share some home video I shot of Michael warming up in the studio. Check out the video above and let us know what you think!