Graduate Percussion Group
The award winning
Graduate Percussion Group is a fully funded fellowship program. Each
member is awarded a fellowship for their studies at UD by co-directing
and performing in this ensemble. Coached and mentored by the faculty
ensemble in residence (Quey Percussion Duo),
the Graduate Percussion Group is actively engaged in artistic
creativity on a daily basis through rehearsing, performing, and
administration of a self-sustaining ensemble that straddles the line
between collegiate and professional performing experiences.
The
Graduate Percussion Group presents regular programs throughout the year
in addition to numerous projects related to audio recording, video
production, outreach, recruiting, competitions, and composer-performer
experiences. Graduate Percussion Group members also often perform
side-by-side with guest and faculty artists.In addition to
performances, as a self-sustaining ensemble, each student will assume
administrative roles to guarantee the success of the ensemble such as
scheduling, programming, recruiting, outreach, marketing and promotion,
and social media management to name a few.
Practical Studies in World Percussion
The
UD Practical Studies in World Percussion Ensemble/Course is open to all
UD students and focuses on introducing students to instruments and
music from around the world that have a heavy emphasis on percussion.
Students will receive hands-on training, allowing them to create and
develop a basic technical facility on each instrument and musical style
studied in the course. They will then apply these techniques to help
understand traditional music of various cultures including West Africa,
Brazil, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean (topics rotate
each semester).
Taught through oral tradition, students are
required to use their memory to recall songs, rhythms, and other
information presented in the course. In addition to hands-on experiences
and a performance on the “World Ensembles" concert each semester,
students will gain insight into the cultures and ethnic groups studied
through faculty/guest lectures and student presentations.
Steelbands
Composed
of undergraduate and graduate students, the UD Steelbands are designed
to explore the steelband repertoire from Trinidad and Tobago, as well as
classical, jazz and pop genres arranged for steelband. The group
performs concerts on campus as well as in the community. There are two
steelbands: one beginning band (for those new to the instrument) and
Delaware Steel, a performance-centric group. The UD Steelbands are open
to all UD students.
Duos Concert
Each spring, the
percussion studio presents a “Duos" concert where every studio member
chooses a performance partner, selects repertoire, rehearses throughout
the semester, and receives coaching from the faculty ensemble in
residence (Quey Percussion Duo).
In addition to the musical preparation, the students work together to
create the concert from the ground up (and all of the involved
logistics), offering critical experiences presenting musical events
alongside a direct focus on enhancing chamber music skills.
