Percussion
A broad-based percussion education
Our Percussion program is broad based, including studies in Western solo, chamber and orchestral repertoire, jazz performance on drum set and vibraphone, as well as study of non-Western percussive styles. The program supports the Chamber and World Percussion Ensembles, the Graduate Percussion Group as well as numerous other ad hoc chamber experiences. Courses in percussion repertoire and percussion pedagogy are offered on a regular basis for the graduate and upperclass undergraduate students.
The percussion studio is founded on a highly selective admission policy and is generally comprised of 14-16 undergraduate and 4-5 graduate students. All students study with faculty and have many opportunities to work with numerous guest percussion artists brought to campus each year. Percussion lesson curricula are individually designed for each student, creating a personalized education that emphasizes broad skills while allowing each student the creative room to pursue areas of personal interest.
Related Resources
Degrees offered
Click here for Undergraduate degree options (Bachelor of Arts/Music/Science)
Admission Requirements
Please see information on the School of Music Application Process.
Please click here for Percussion audition procedures for 2025-26 application cycle.
Admissions
Please see the Graduate Admissions page for detailed information on application requirements. Be sure to review the “Graduate Application Guide” as well as the additional information for the Percussion area.
Degree Requirements
For detailed information on coursework, exams, recitals, etc., please visit the Graduate Advising KnowledgeBase. Be sure to check out the Percussion degree worksheet for specifics.
Admissions
Please see the Graduate Admissions page for detailed information on application requirements. Be sure to review the “Graduate Application Guide” as well as the additional information for the Percussion area.
Degree Requirements
For detailed information on coursework, exams, recitals, etc., please visit the Graduate Advising KnowledgeBase. Be sure to check out the Percussion degree worksheet for specifics as well as a 3-year timeline and explanation of doctoral milestones.
Doctoral Minor
The purpose of the doctoral minor is to add breadth and depth to the D.M.A or Ph.D degree. To insure coherence a minor program must be approved by the appropriate department, a student’s advisor, and the Director of Graduate Studies, and must include courses at the 300-level or above. Typically, a minor requires 12 credits of work.
Students have a variety of options, including completing an internal minor within the School of Music (e.g., a D.M.A. conducting student who minors in ethnomusicology or a Ph.D. in music theory who minors in clarinet performance), completing a minor in a department outside the School of Music (e.g., a D.M.A. in horn performance who minors in Women’s Studies or a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology who minors in East Asian studies).
Students may, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, devise a distributed minor that brings together courses from a variety of departments around a particular topic or area of interest. For example, a D.M.A. student in voice devises a minor in vocal health that includes courses in communicative disorders, or a Ph.D. student in musicology devises a minor in Medieval History that includes courses in art history, history, and languages.
Faculty
Percussion ensembles and Performance Opportunities
Great care is given to maintaining a balanced and selective studio affording each student extensive and diverse performance opportunities. All of the undergraduate and masters students perform in one of the large ensembles (orchestras and/or bands) and also have opportunities to perform in the jazz program, the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble and other curricular and non-curricular chamber ensembles.
We offer multiple active percussion chamber ensembles that rehearse and perform regularly. The Chamber Percussion Ensemble is dedicated to the performance of significant and interesting works for the percussion ensemble. Repertoire from diverse trends in 20th and 21st century chamber composition is explored with an emphasis on new compositions for percussion.
The World Percussion Ensemble is dedicated to the performance of significant percussive styles from around the globe. Percussion traditions from various cultures, including Cuba, Brazil, India and the Middle East are explored through performance and cultural research and most of the music studied by the ensemble is done so in the oral tradition. The ensemble works diligently to present the music performed in its traditional folkloric settings. In 2010 the ensemble won the Percussive Arts Society International World Percussion Ensemble Competition, resulting in a feature performance at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.
The Graduate Percussion Group is uniquely autonomous allowing the members to have primary input in repertoire selection, musical decisions, etc. With timely coaching from the percussion faculty, this ensemble provides extensive experience in advanced chamber ensemble preparation and performance in a musically democratic environment.
Percussion facilities
The percussion department has nine dedicated practice rooms housing a large and diverse collection of high quality percussion instruments. The percussion studio is extensively equipped and large enough for chamber music rehearsals.
In addition, we have a large secondary studio that serves as storage space for university and student equipment and as a place for percussion students to congregate and relax. Each of the rehearsal halls is equipped with standard band and orchestral percussion instruments.
In October 2019, the School of Music opened the Hamel Music Center (HMC), which contains beautiful concert and recital halls as well as a terrific rehearsal space. HMC is stocked with $140,000 in new percussion equipment used regularly for rehearsals and concerts.