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 Welcome to the MSU Percussion Studio website! Our goal is to offer a well-rounded percussion curriculum that will inspire and educate the next generation of young artists. There are approximately 25 students (including undergraduate education, performance and composition majors, masters and doctoral students) in the percussion studio at any given time. MSU has a wide variety of performing ensembles and there is never a shortage of playing opportunities. These ensembles include: orchestras, three bands, jazz bands and combos, percussion ensemble, Salsa Verde, Musique 21, and others. Please take a few minutes to look around and get to know us better! |
April 1 - Orchestra Honors Concert [East Lansing High School] April 1 - Percussion Outreach Concerts Apr 5 - Percussion Ensemble Concert, featuring works by Reich, Lang, Hollo, Zivkovic and more [7:30pm - Auditorium, MSU College of Music] April 13 - Percussion Outreach Concerts Apr 22 - MSU Wind Symphony and Spartan Youth Wind Symphony, Maslanka "Symphony No. 4" [3pm - Wharton Center] Apr 28 - MSU Symphony Orchestra performs Strauss's "Don Juan" and Beethoven's epic Symphony No. 9 [8pm - Wharton Center] April 29 - Alex Gusler [8pm - Auditorium, MSU College of Music] May 4 - Brian Christoffersen [8pm - Auditorium, MSU College of Music] For more concert information, and to see what else is happening at the College of Music, visit The College of Music website. |
Auditions
Please feel free to contact us at any time if you have any questions about the audition process.
To start your application for MSU please visit The College of Music website.
Undergraduate Auditions Requirements:
1) Concert Snare Drum Solo or Etude
2) Rudimental Snare Drum Solo or Etude
3) Timpani solo or etude
4) 2 mallet solo or etude
5) 4 mallet solo or etude
6) Major and minor scales, sight-reading on marimba and snare drum and timpani tuning exercises
Graduate Audition Requirements:
1) Concert snare drum solo or etude
2) Two contrasting orchestral excerpts for snare drum
3) Timpani solo or etude
4) Two contrasting orchestral excerpts for timpani
5) Two keyboard pieces (at least one must be for 4-mallets)
6) Two contrasting orchestral excerpts for xylophone
7) Sight-reading on marimba and snare drum and timpani tuning exercises
8) Short Interview
Commonly asked questions about the audition:
What specific repertoire would you like to hear? There is no specific repertoire that we expect to hear are your audition. You should pick pieces that you enjoy and feel the most comfortable performing. We would much prefer to hear you perform a piece that you have complete mastery of and can play very well. You do not need to try to choose the most difficult piece you can find.
Do you require anything else for the audition? (i.e. drumset? world percussion?) No, the only requirements for the audition are listed above. However, if there is anything else you would like to play, we would love to hear it! If there is a important part of your profile as a musician that you feel is not represented in the required repertoire, then please include it! If you love playing drumset then we would like to hear it. It helps us get to know you in the short 20 or 30 minute audition.
When will I hear about the audition results? We generally like to hear everyone audition before we make any decisions. There are 3 or 4 audition dates during the spring semester, so if you have an earlier audition date, then it may take a while for you to hear back from us. Usually we will make our decisions and send out letters within two weeks after the last audition date.
What about scholarship money? There is scholarship money available! We never know exactly how much we have to offer until March. If you are offered a scholarship, you will receive your letter with this information a few weeks after you get your acceptance letter. Usually, it is around the first week of April.
Are there any Teaching Assistantships or Fellowships available? As a prospective graduate student, there is usually a good chance to receive a teaching assistantship, fellowship or scholarship for MSU. Depending on the year, we may have more or less opportunities available. Please contact Professor Thrasher if you would like to find out more specific information about what is available for this coming year.
Faculty
Gwendolyn Burgett-Thrasher
Gwendolyn Burgett Thrasher is currently associate professor of percussion at the Michigan State University College of Music. Passionate about educating the next generation of young musicians, she regularly gives master classes at universities throughout the US and has been an instructor at the Interlochen Arts Camp since 2005.
Thrasher began her musical career very early, studying piano and violin at the age of two. As a percussionist, Thrasher maintains a full career as an active solo, chamber, and orchestral musician, having performed recitals throughout the United States, Asia and South America. Thrasher is a passionate advocate for new music and has participated in groups to commission new works from composers such as Alejandro Vinao, Peter Klatzow, Paul Lansky, Martin Bresnick, John Serry and Roshanne Etezady. Thrasher is currently principal percussionist with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Solisti New York Orchestra, the Grand Rapids Symphony and the Traverse Symphony Orchestra.
The winner of the Keiko Abe Prize at the Second World Marimba Competition in Okaya, Japan, Gwen Thrasher was also the top prize winner at the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts' ARTS competition. Additionally, she was awarded the performer's certificate from the Eastman School of Music and has also been the recipient of the Outstanding Young Musician award from the Peabody Conservatory and the Yale Alumni Award.
Thrasher released her first CD in October of 2007 entitled "Marimba Suites: Gwendolyn Burgett Thrasher plays her transcriptions of the six Bach Cello Suites" on the Blue Griffin Label and is anticipating the release of her second CD "New Works for Marimba" in the summer of 2011.
Thrasher has studied with world-renowned professors Robert van Sice, Keiko Abe, and John Beck. She holds degrees from the Interlochen Arts Academy, Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, and the Yale School of Music.
Jon Weber
Jon Weber received a Bachelor of Music Education from Oklahoma State University, and a Master of Music from MSU.
Weber has performed with the New York Solsti Orchestra, the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, the Brass Band of Battle Creek, and the Santa Clara Vanguard.
He has taught at Oklahoma State University and been involved with the award-winning Spartan Percussion Competition Line at the PAS International Convention, and the Black Gold and Northern Aurora drum and bugle corps.
He is a Vic Firth Education Clinician and Yamaha Artist, and a founding member of the percussion/clarinet duo Future Imperative.
Students
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Events
April 1 - Orchestra Honors Concert
[East Lansing High School]
April 1 - Percussion Outreach Concerts
Apr 5 - Percussion Ensemble Concert, featuring works by Reich, Lang, Hollo, Zivkovic and more
[7:30pm - Auditorium, MSU College of Music]
April 13 - Percussion Outreach Concerts
Apr 22 - MSU Wind Symphony and Spartan Youth Wind Symphony, Maslanka "Symphony No. 4"
[3pm - Wharton Center]
Apr 28 - MSU Symphony Orchestra performs Strauss's "Don Juan" and Beethoven's epic Symphony No. 9
[8pm - Wharton Center]
April 29 - Alex Gusler
[8pm - Auditorium, MSU College of Music]
May 4 - Brian Christoffersen
[8pm - Auditorium, MSU College of Music]
For more concert information, and to see what else is happening at the College of Music, visit The College of Music website.
Media
Links
Contact
Faculty:
Gwen Burgett-Thrasher: burgett@msu.edu
Jon Weber: weberjon@msu.edu
Website:
Zac Brunell: brunelld@msu.edu
Links Out:
MSU Percussion Studio on Facebook
MSU Percussion Studio's YouTube page
MSU College of Music website