Percussion Studio

BGSU PERCUSSION STUDIO

The Bowling Green State University Percussion Studio is structured to provide students with a comprehensive musical foundation as percussionists.  We embrace an inclusive, integrated approach to musical studies that remains strongly rooted in the Western classical tradition, but also embraces jazz, popular musics, and non-Western musical traditions.  The studio serves students at the undergraduate and graduate levels majoring in music performance and education, as well as jazz and “world music.”  While the goals of each of these fields of study—and of each individual student—are considered uniquely, all percussion students at BGSU will be held to the same standard of excellence in performance, scholarship, and citizenship, regardless of major or class level.  

The number one goal of the percussion faculty at BGSU is student success at all levels: musical, academic, and personal.  Today’s percussionist must have a strong foundation in the major areas of Western percussion, but is often expected to be comfortable with drum set and a variety of non-Western percussion instruments.  Our aim is to provide BGSU percussion students with the tools they need in order to succeed in this challenging and ever-shifting professional landscape—to help each of our students become a “total percussionist.”

Our undergraduate percussion curriculum focuses on building a strong foundation of technical and musical skills, and then builds on that foundation to meet students’ individual goals.  From a technical bedrock formed using snare drum technique as a proving ground for grip, stroke, rebound and tone production, students will learn to produce quality musical sounds on a wide range of percussion instruments.  These private studies will be reinforced in large ensembles as well as chamber ensembles, including the BGSU Percussion Ensemble.

Faculty and students in the BGSU Percussion Studio work to create a strong sense of community that fosters strong relationships and individual growth.  We build these relationships through polite, positive, and productive interactions both musically and socially.  One of the advantages to studying in a studio as diverse as BGSU’s is for each of us to learn from one another, embracing our own strengths while feeling comfortable stretching outside our individual comfort zones to learn new skills.  Students are encouraged to think of the CMA as an experimental laboratory for their own musical and personal growth, and to challenge themselves.

We hope you will consider becoming a part of our team.  Thank you for visiting us, and welcome to BGSU!

Daniel C. Piccolo
Director of Percussion Activities