About us
Percussion Studies at Messiah University are designed to provide Percussion students with a high quality, well-rounded musical education, developing skills as performers and educators. Considering the expansiveness of the Percussion idiom, it is the goal of Percussion Studies to educate students to be as competent and fluent on as many areas of Percussion as possible, all while tailoring the Course of Study to each student’s particular needs. Areas to be studied include:
- Snare Drum (Orchestral/rudimental)
- Mallets (two and four mallets)
- Timpani
- Orchestral Accessories
- Drum Set
- World Percussion
Through the study of the above areas, the following skills and understandings will be acquired:
- Mastery of sound production concepts on all instruments, including acoustical properties of the instruments and implements required to play them.
- Mastery of the technical facility required to adequately achieve the desirable sound.
- The ability to apply the above concepts in performance with a high degree of musicianship, including expression, phrasing, accuracy, and maturity.
- Experience in both solo and various ensemble performances.
- Mastery of the verbiage and educational techniques required to convey the above concepts to another student.
- An understanding of the history of percussion instruments and how it relates to the modern-day percussion idiom.
- The ability to become an engaged and active listener of music, both by cultivating a wide range of musical tastes through listening assignments and by developing a healthy appreciation for live musical performance.
