Ensemble Biography

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Metaphor Percussion is a contemporary percussion duo founded in 2023 in Oklahoma by Dr. Jordan Shippy and Dr. Vivienne Shippy. Now based in Sacramento, California, Metaphor Percussion is dedicated to expanding the artistic limits of percussion performance and multi-media through engaging concert experiences centered on both new music and education.

Metaphor Percussion has performed on a variety of national stages, including appearances as featured artists for the 47th Annual Festival of New American Music in Sacramento, California, the Ethos New Music Society in Fredonia, New York, and as part of the 2026 Percussive Arts Society International Convention. At the 47th Annual Festival of New American Music, the duo premiered their popular multimedia program SHADES. Since its debut, SHADES has been presented at institutions nationwide, contributing to the duo’s growing reputation for thoughtful and imaginative programming. In 2025, Metaphor Percussion was invited to return to the Festival of New American Music to perform alongside internationally acclaimed composer Clarice Assad, presenting her percussion quartet concerto PLAY!, a work originally premiered by Third Coast Percussion.

Metaphor Percussion has toured across the United States, performing over ten states and collaborating with a wide range of artists and composers. In 2025, the duo was awarded a university-funded grant for their initiative Sounding Out, a commissioning project that produced four new percussion works for young percussionists in underfunded music programs. Through projects like Sounding Out, Metaphor continues its commitment to cultivating the next generation of percussion artists and expanding access to contemporary percussion repertoire.

Metaphor proudly endorses Salyers Percussion and Black Swamp Percussion.

Meet the Members

Jordan Shippy

Dr. Jordan Shippy currently serves as the percussion faculty at Sacramento State, and has played in numerous settings including the Festival of New American Music, the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, and the Northwest Percussion Festival.

Vivienne Shippy

Dr. Vivienne Shippy currently serves as the President for California PAS as well as the Adjunct Professor of Percussion at Cosumnes River College. She has performed and presented research in a variety of settings including the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, and the Midwest Conference.