<p>Has anyone heard any updates recently regarding the new percussion program at Bard?</p>
<p>The program hasn’t started yet. The first students were accepted for this coming fall.</p>
<p>This is from the conservatory website:</p>
<p>Eric Beach, Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, Jason Treuting
Teaching Roster:
Dan Druckman - Associate Principal Percussionist of the New York Philharmonic, chair of the Juilliard percussion program
Greg Zuber - Principal Percussionist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, artist-faculty of the Verbier Music Festival
Jonathan Haas - Principal Percussionist of the American Symphony Orchestra, artist-faculty at the Aspen Music Festival
Program Advisors:
Garry Kvistad - member of Nexus Percussion , Steve Reich and Musicians
Jan Williams - Professor Emeritus of Percussion at SUNY Buffalo
Tzong-Ching Ju - Artistic Director of Ju Percussion Group of Taiwan</p>
<p>Contact: <a href="mailto:so@sopercussion.com">so@sopercussion.com</a></p>
<p>The members of Sō Percussion are thrilled to be starting a new undergraduate percussion program at the Bard College Conservatory of Music. Our course of study places emphasis on chamber music, in both all-percussion and mixed ensembles, as a tool for creating thoughtful, well-rounded musicians.</p>
<p>Students will study with the members of Sō Percussion, with an exciting roster of additional teachers drawn from the professional music world, and, in a masterclass setting, with Program Advisors Jan Williams and Garry Kvistad. In addition, students will have opportunities to explore music outside of the western tradition - most notably Gamelan - and to work closely with the John Cage Trust, located on the Bard campus.</p>
<p>All of this takes place within the framework of a 5-year double-degree program at one of the finest liberal arts institutions in the world. The 21st century musician requires both strong musical skills as well as the skills and intellectual perspective that are developed in a broad liberal arts curriculum. Percussion students, like all conservatory students, receive degrees both in music and in another chosen academic discipline.</p>
<p>Details of the Program:</p>
<p>Private Instruction: All percussion students study privately with the members of Sō Percussion and the teaching roster. In the first 2 years, students will spend one semester with each of the members of Sō Percussion on fundamental skills. In addition to lessons with their primary teacher, students will study 1-3 times each semester with a teacher from our excellent roster, covering topics to be determined by their primary teacher and the roster teacher. During the last 3 years, students and faculty will collaborate on a course of study geared toward the students interests.
Percussion Ensemble: All percussion majors study and perform chamber music together as part of Bards resident student percussion ensemble. </p>
<p>Orchestral Experience: All percussion students perform in the Bard Conservatory Orchestra, which meets twice a week and performs both on and off campus throughout the year.</p>
<p>Solo Performance Requirements: Students will perform in public frequently, programming full recitals in at least 2 out of their last 3 years.</p>
<p>Academic Music Requirements: The core music curriculum includes four semesters of music theory and two semesters of music history.</p>
<p>Does anyone have information about the undergraduate percussion program at Temple in Philadelphia?</p>
<p>I have read very little about music performance at Vanderbilt in these discussion threads. Is anyone familiar with the percussion program at Vanderbilt?</p>
<p>I looked at the Vanderbilt site and can honestly say I don’t know the percussion staff. They could be really good. I’m in the same situation. My son will audition in 2 years for programs. The programs on the list as of right now that he and his teacher(college professor of a 2 yr program) have selected are Eastman, Manhattan, Cleveland Institute, Curtis (if a spot is available) and Ithaca. My son is also interested in Illinois Champaign-Urbana, and Kent State.</p>
<p>I just happened on this paragraph about University of Kentucky on a composer’s blog I was reading:</p>
<p>…turns out that UK is one of the countrys leading, if not the leading, percussion schools, due to the presence of percussion guru James Campbell. Who knew? Theyve got 30 percussion majors here, 24 undergrad and 6 grad…</p>
<p>So add Univ. of Kentucky to the list of percussion programs to investigate.</p>
<p>For N8Ma:</p>
<p>I read with great interest your post about the new percussion program at Bard.</p>
<p>My son is a rising junior and is considering EA in the fall for Bard. He’s interested in the BA Music program (non conservatory) and creative writing.</p>
<p>He has studied drums - rock/jazz/world for 4 years and classical piano for 10 years.</p>
<p>We’re doing a self-guided tour in 2 weeks and a guided information session in the summer.</p>
<p>In the meantime - could you tell me if this new percussion program would be open to non-conservatory students?</p>
<p>Thank you in advance,</p>
<p>Worldrummer - N8Ma is no longer associated with Bard - he’s getting his doctorate in conducting in Texas right now! However, I have a son in his third year at Bard Conservatory (as a composer) and I’m always happy to answer questions about the program - and about the college itself. Margun’s son just decided this week to attend the conservatory for percussion - so she has a lot of recent knowledge gathered from her son researching and auditioning at a number of great percussion programs.</p>
<p>I can tell you that the percussion department in the conservatory is not open to the regular college students. They can attend concerts, of course, and possibly master classes, if there are some - but the So Percussion led program is exclusive to the conservatory students.</p>
<p>There are lots of opportunities outside of the conservatory for percussion, however - music is everywhere at Bard. All kinds, which I know your son is interested in. There is jazz drumming, world drumming, and bands of every sort and flavor. There is also the New Music ensemble, Contemporaneous which is formed of musicians both in and out of the conservatory, as well as outside of the college itself.</p>
<p>I would recommend writing to James Bagwell, who is the head of the college music program and ask about percussion opportunities outside of the conservatory.</p>
<p>As for creative writing, Bard is one of the best choices out there.</p>
<p>What about Florida State? I rarely see it mentioned at all as a top music school yet I think it is? Not sure about the percussion staff though. Any input?
Same thing applies for the University of Illinois. Any input?</p>
<p>Anyone have any input on Florida State or University of Illinois?</p>
<p>Drumdad, my daughter recently auditioned for three percussion programs in Florida with FSU and UCF (University of Central Florida) running neck to neck. Dr. Parks, head of the FSU percussion program is highly regarded. It was interesting to see how many out-of-state students were auditioning on the same day as my daughter. UCF is building its program and boasts a number of percussion professors available through each year of study. It was quite impressive to see professor-to-student ratio and again, all are well regarded.</p>