A. Course Outline: Open through audition to interested percussion students, the Percussion Ensemble is a small musical ensemble consisting of only percussion instruments. Students study a wide variety of music literature and perform on a wide range of percussion instruments. They increase their individual sticking technique along with learning complex rhythms and ensemble balance. It is expected that students will practice on a daily basis. Performing usually without a conductor, each member of the ensemble is responsible for maintaining the steady flow of the music. As members of the Percussion Ensemble, Students play with the Percussion Ensemble and Symphonic Band for concerts, assemblies, and other community and school events. Please place all rehearsals and concerts on your home calendar. All performances are mandatory and required concert attire must be worn.
B. Prerequisites: Students must provide their own medium general timpani mallets, concert snare drum sticks with round – wooden tips, hard yarn wrapped marimba mallets, hard rubber xylophone mallets, timpani pitch pipe, stick bag, and drum pad. All sticks and mallets are available in The Innovative Percussion FP2 Intermediate Mallet Pack, Model INN-FP2 available through Steve Weiss Music. They can be reached online at www.steveweissmusic.com or by phone at 1-877-582-2494. (Please keep in mind, though the mallet purchase might appear expensive, all other band members are require to rent or buy their musical instruments at a greater cost). All percussion instruments are available for use during class. Students will provide a 2 inch – 3 ringed binder with plastic sheets to hold concert music. A pencil and small metronome are required for class. ALL STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO CARRY AND STORE THEIR MALLETS IN A SAFE LOCATION, AS THERE IS NO ROOM IN THE BAND ROOM TO SAFELY STORE THESE ITEMS.