Frequently Asked
Questions
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.
Also, the evaluator will need to see the last three
report cards. 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 about 8-10 students are enrolled
as percussionists in each beginning percussion class.
The beginning percussionist's instrument of choice is the
percussion kit. Available from local music dealers
(McKay Music, Lone Star Percussion) this kit is comprised
of a practice pad and a set of bells and a single stand
that fits either instrument. Recommended brands
include Innovative Percussion, Vic Firth, and
Pearl. Other brands are not well made and will not
last the school year. Please refer to the
Stick-Mallet progression 6-12 for further
information.
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 (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 Cymbal Line?
The marching cymbal section (or as Mr. Mathew calls them,
the Cymbal Ninjas) of the drumline usually contains the
double reed players (oboe & bassoon) of the band
program since we do not march those instruments on the
field. 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
drumline?
The drumline will rehearse at consistent times throughout
the summer.
One of the two weeks following the end of the school year
(1st or 2nd week in June) is always reserved for drumline
camp. The camp dates will be announced at least six
months ahead of time. This is where clinicians from
around the state will provide instruction for each
section. 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.
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?
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 on "A"
days. 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.
We attend every football game that is in the area, both
regular season and playoff games!! We attend all
pep rallies. We attend two marching contests each
fall, and we attend at least two separate drumline
contests.
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 Jam 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.
There are now many professional percussion ensembles in
North America 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 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.
Crandall High School has recently purchased their first
set of pans. The Cellos are here, and the rest are coming
very soon! Stay tuned for more updates.