John Beck
Comprehensive performance experience
Intensive personalized instruction - Preparation for career success
The graduate percussion program at the North Carolina School of the Arts enables students to refine technical skills and develop advanced interpretive techniques through the study and performance of significant works from the percussion literature. Areas of concentrated work include, snare drum, keyboard instruments, timpani, and drum set, with a concentration on the student's particular area of interest. This program is designed to help percussionists focus on performance of specific styles of music and refine their skills for auditions and interviews.
Other Program Features:
- Opportunities to perform outside the school
- Graduate students may be assigned teaching, conducting and special performance duties
- Perform two recitals
- Perform in Symphony Orchestra, Opera Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Contemporary Ensemble
As a conservatory, the School’s focus is on preparing students to begin their careers as performing artists; yet at the same time, the School actively involves the student with the practical aspects of earning a living as a musician. A combination of professional opportunities outside the School, along with specially designed courses within the curriculum, widens the scope of the student’s business experience and constitutes a more contemporary, market-sensitive approach to educating musicians.
New Curriculum
PERCUSSION
Year One Course Credits
MUS 600 Lessons
MUS 601 Masterclass
MUS 610 Recital
MUS 637 Percussions Pedagogy
MUS 638 Ensembles for Percussionists
MUS 645 Career Strategies: Portfolio
MUS 646, 647, 648, 649 Career Strategies
(a minimum of two courses are required):
Outreach, Entrepreneurship, Auditions and Recording
MUS 691, 692 Library and Internet Research Lab
MUS 599 Intensive Arts Workshops
Year Two
MUS 600 Lessons
MUS 601 Masterclass
MUS 610 Recital
MUS 637 Percussions Pedagogy
MUS 638 Ensembles for Percussionists
MUS 661, 662, 663 Research Topics in Analysis
or
MUS 681, 682, 683 Research Topics in Musicology
MUS 599 Intensive Arts Workshops
The repertoire listed below is an indication of the range and difficulty of works typically studied by a percussion student in the graduate program. It does not necessarily indicate required repertoire.
Concertos
Joseph Schwantner, Ney Rosauro, Paul Creston, Robert Kurka, James Basta, Darius Milhaud, Werner Thärichen, among others
Orchestral
Timpani Literature: Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Bartók, Stravinsky; Xylophone and Bell Literature: Gershwin, Dukas
Solo and Chamber Music Literature
Works by Elliott Carter, George Crumb, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók and others
The inventory of percussion equipment includes:
Marimbas - Yamaha 5.0, Marimba One 5.0, Musser 4.5, Musser 4.3 (2), Musser 4.0 (2)
Xylophones - Yamaha, Adams, Deagan, Musser (2)
Vibes – Yamaha, Musser (3)
Bells - Fall Creek (2), Musser, Deagan
Chimes - Musser (2), Yamaha/Deagan
Timpani - Yamaha 9000 series, Yamaha 7000 series , Ludwig Ringer, Ludwig Universal, Premier
Concert Bass Drums - Ludwig (40”, 36”, 32”), Yamaha (28”) Ludwig (28”) all with calfskin or Renaissance heads
Snare and Field Drums - Black Swamp-multi timbre 6.5x14 (2), 10x14, Yamaha 6.5 x14, Ludwig 6.5 x14 (4), Ludwig piccolo (2), Slingerland 6.5 x14, Grover 6.5x14. Cymbals (all cymbals hand selected by J. R. Beck) Zildjian K Constantinople (18”), Classic Orchestral (17-20”) Sabian 18” Viennese, a large selection of suspended cymbals from 15-18” plus splash and Chinese cymbals
Yamaha Drum sets (2) with complete sets of Zildjian cymbals
Gretch Drum Set with complete set of Zildjian cymbals
Latin/Afro Cuban Percussion - Conga drums (6), Bongos (2), Timbales (3), Jembe, Dun Dun, Steel drums.
For more contemporary music, NCSA owns two octaves of crotales and tuned gongs, 3.5 octaves of almglocken, eight tam tams, Chinese opera gongs, 18 graduated tom toms, and 7 roto toms, in addition to all the standard small hand percussion instruments
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