- Big Blue Band - Percussion FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions - Percussion

What is percussion?

The instruments in the Percussion family number in the thousands. Most anything you can strike which will make noise can be considered a percussion instrument. Academia classifies instruments into membranophones (skin or plastic head is struck to produce sound - snare drum, bass drum, tom-tom, etc.), Idiophones (setting a body in motion by striking to make a sound - keyboard percussion, woodblocks, gongs, etc.), Chordophones (playing a string makes sound - piano, violin, cello, etc.), Aerophones (putting air into the instrument makes sound - clarinet, trumpet, slide whistle, duck call, etc.), and Electrophones (electricity fed into instrument creates sound - guitar, synthesizer, etc.). As you can see, percussion fits into many of these categories.

I want to join percussion. What can I expect?

The student will be tested for basic coordination and rhythmic ability. It is always advisable to enroll students in piano lessons a year or so before taking percussion. Here a student can solidify some basic musical skills.

Students should exhibit above average grades and model good behavior. The ability to be organized is a plus since the percussionists are in charge of learning and playing a large number of instruments. Only 8-10 students are enrolled as percussionists in the beginning percussion class at McDonald or Vanston.

The beginning percussionist's instrument of choice is the practice pad (with a stand). The student must have ordered the instrument before our beginner camp starts. Please refer to the “Materials Progression 7-12” for further information. All incoming percussionists will be provided a list and a price quote from a highly recommended local dealer. Parents are encouraged to find the best price, but the items on the list MUST BE THE SAME MODELS! It is always easiest to order from the price quote as that equipment will be delivered directly to the camp in August.

All students are required to attend a Summer Percussion Camp in August for three days in the evenings. At this time we will check to make sure all equipment is correct and in working order. We will learn the basics of how to take care of the equipment and use it properly. Also, we will be forming our very first playing habits, so this is the first time that the students should be playing on their equipment. Taking drum lessons prior to our percussion class is not advised in any way.

What is the drumline?

The drumline includes all percussion in a marching band, and is comprised of both the batterie and the front ensemble.

The batterie (usually spelled battery) is comprised of snare drums (soprano voice, 4-8 players), quads (tenor voice, 3-5 players), bass drums (bass voice, 5 players), and cymbals (usually same number as snares).
Front Ensemble (also called pit) is comprised of all keyboard percussion (marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, chimes, bells, crotales), timpani, auxiliary percussion (tom-toms, gongs, cymbals [also marched on the field], etc.), and electronics (sythesizer, electronic drum pads, etc.). Typically every player plays more than one instrument. For example, a marimba player might also play two cymbals, a large tom-tom, and claves, all within reach of the marimba.

How can I be a part of the high school Cymbal Line?

The marching cymbal section of the drumline is called the Cymbal Line (or the Cymbal Ninjas, as Mr. Mathew calls them). Depending on the size of the drumline, we do not always use dedicated cymbal players. Interested candidates should look for flyers in April & May when drumline auditions occur.

What is the typical summer schedule for high school drumline?

The drumline will rehearse at consistent times throughout the summer.

In early summer we will have an intense drumline camp where clinicians from around the area will come in to help break down fundamental technique and teach new concepts. The camp dates will be announced at least six months ahead of time. The focus of this camp is devoted to fundamentals in both playing and marching. Students will begin working through music for the marching band show in the fall as well as cadences.

The last Monday and Tuesday in June is typically the Yamaha Sounds of Summer camp at Texas Christian University. The students have a chance to work with Brian West and Tom Float, two highly sought after percussion educators, as well as meeting teachers and other students from area schools. Many other camps are suggested also such as the ones hosted by UNT, Plano HS, etc. Look for a list of suggested summer camps in April/May.

Students in town during the summer should attend our Drumline Jams on a weekday for two or three hours. This will allow us to keep our skills at a high level as we prepare for the fall competition season.

Information for other summer camps is available and attendance is encouraged but not mandatory.

What kind of schedule can I expect for marching season in high school?

The marching band rehearses both during school and outside of school in the fall. Either in group rehearsal, sectionals, or individual playoffs the group will rehearse no more than 8 hours per week outside of school.

We typically will rehearse early in the mornings weekdays at 7:00 AM usually with a rehearsal at Memorial Stadium one day per week. Sometimes time will be made for afterschool sectionals (brass, woodwinds, colorguard, drumline) or individual playoffs of the marching band show music.

One day per week percussion students will meet afterschool in a Masterclass to work on the All-State music starting the first or second week of school. All students are expected to learn the All-State music at a high level in order to become a better player, so there must be ample time spent on this aspect of our program.

We attend every football game that is in the area, both regular season and playoff games!! We attend all pep rallies. We attend several marching contests each fall, and we attend between one and three separate drumline contests than the band.

What is percussion ensemble?

This is a group of all percussionists playing music written for or arranged for all percussion instruments. This ensemble provides a unique setting for a percussionist in that the music is generally much more challenging and intricate than band music. Plus, this provides a place where students utilize more advanced techniques such as four-mallet grips for the keyboard instruments.

Most high school groups start percussion ensemble as soon as marching season is over during mid-November. Venues for percussion ensemble performance include the Holiday concert in December, Ensemble contest in February, and the Percussion Concert in the Spring. For the highly successful percussion ensemble, there are prestigious performance opportunities available through the Percussive Arts Society and Bands of America. The PAS percussion ensemble contest winners are usually the best of the best in the country. Mr. Mathew has both played in and taught groups who were able to play a PASIC Showcase Concert as winners of the International Percussion Ensemble Contest.

There are now many professional percussion ensembles in the United States and abroad including Nexus, So Percussion, Tempus Fugit Percussion, Percussion Group Cincinnati, and Ethos Percussion Group among others. These groups are continually expanding the repertoire by commissioning new works from composers and making high-quality recordings. Visit the Percussion Links section for more info.

What is a steel band?

The Steel Band is comprised of instruments made out of 55 gallon oil barrels. The instruments have sections hammered out on the tops which create different pitches. These instruments originated in Trinidad during the British occupation of the country in the early 20th century. Instruments include Lead pan (also called Soprano or Tenor pan), Double Tenor pans, Double seconds pans, Guitar pans, Cello pans, Tenor Bass pans, and Bass Pans.

North Mesquite High School does not own any steel drums yet, but we would love to start up a band. Mr. Mathew has extensive experience in performing and teaching steel band, and he would love to get some pans and start a steel band. Corporate donors to our steel band program are always welcome!!