Percussion

The study of percussion is comprehensive, covering various disciplines such as orchestral and ensemble playing, playing chamber music and solo repertoire. You also learn how to teach at schools and associations and how to start your own teaching practice.

There are three majors (snare drum, mallets, timpani) and a minor (drums), with a separate teacher for each subject.

You collaborate intensively with other percussion students, but also with students from other majors. You rehearse together and organise concerts with various ensembles.
Playing together is one of the core activities for percussion students.
In the link below you can see how the ArtEZ Percussion Ensemble Suolpercussion presents itself during an internationally visited online workshop, given by the American percussionist Michael Burrit during the Focus Day 2021 organized by the Jan Pustjens Foundation.

Specific admission criteria for Percussion

In addition to the general admission criteria, there are also specific instrumental requirements. During the audition, you will perform at least one étude and a recital piece, unless indicated otherwise. The pieces mentioned are merely examples. You can also opt for other works of a similar level.

Your performing skills will be tested on the basis of:

Kettle drums

• mastery of rolls with various dynamic nuances;
• mastery of all possible basic elements and compound times;
• two études such as Whaley’s The Intermediate Timpanist (up to page 15), Keune’s Paukenschule or Delecluse’ Part 1.

Snare drum

• mastery of all closed rolls with various dynamic nuances;
• mastery of all possible basic elements and compound times;
• Hawley ‘s Musical Studies for the Intermediate Snare Drummer (nos.1 to 25) Whaley/Mooney ‘s Rhythmic Patterns of Contemporary Music (nos.1 to 25) or Bomhof’s 21 Solos for Snare Drum (nos. 11 to 21).

Xylophone/marimba

• ajomr and minor scales and the accompanying triads and seventh chords;
• Green’s Instruction Course for Xylophone, McMillan’s Masterpieces for Marimba (nos. 3, 5, 6, 10 &11) or Goldberg’s Method for Vibraphone, Xylophone and Marimba (nos. 2,4, & 7);

Vibraphone

• Friedman’s Dampening and Pedalling.