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 Programs

Percussion Faculty
John Beck

The undergraduate percussion program at the North Carolina School of the Arts is a comprehensive curriculum designed to provide maximum performance opportunities for the students. Areas of concentrated study include snare drum, keyboard instruments, timpani and drumset. Students meet with faculty member John R. Beck several times each week for private lessons, master class, percussion ensemble, marimba band, and sectional coaching for the larger ensembles. Additional performance in Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, the School of the Arts Contemporary Ensemble (SACE), and informal student-organized ensembles offers percussionists the breadth of experience necessary for success in the music business.

In addition to the guidelines above students working toward the Bachelor of Music in Percussion will be required to prepare and perform a recital program in their senior year.

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, 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.
  • 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
  • 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.