Whether you are new to the world of percussion or a player looking for new ideas; whether you are a hand percussionist, a drum set specialist, a marimbist, a vibraphonist, a total percussionist, or an educator, the Berklee Percussion Festival will give you a new edge on rhythm, improvisation, percussion craft, effects, sound, and performance skills.
The Berklee Percussion Festival emphasizes practical playing experience through a variety of performance activities, in-class performances, ensembles, and master classes for percussionists and educators interested in all aspects of percussion in a variety of styles.
You may concentrate on one of the following styles: Afro-Cuban drum set or hand percussion, Brazilian drum set or hand percussion, West African percussion, fusion drum set, funk drum set, jazz drum set, rock drum set, marimba, vibraphone, total percussion, or steelpan.
For students who are also interested in enrolling at Berklee full-time, there are several benefits to attending the Percussion Festival:
- Find out what it takes to succeed in music and at Berklee.
- Study with Berklee faculty.
- Learn about admission, audition, and scholarship requirements.
- Get a head start on your full-time studies.
- Get to know Boston, New England's hub of culture and academia.
Who are the instructors?
All classes and ensembles will be taught by members of Berklee's internationally renowned percussion faculty, as well as by visiting artists.
Berklee faculty
Percussion Department chair: John Ramsay
Assistant chair: Yoron Israel
- Sergio Bellotti
- Mohamad Camara
- Terri Lyne Carrington
- Eguie Castrillo
- Kenwood Dennard
- Ernesto Diaz
- Larry Finn
- Richard Flanagan
- Victor Mendoza
- Ricardo Monzon
- Ralph Peterson
- Kim Plainfield
- Ron Reid
- Mike Ringquist
- Ed Saindon
- Dave Samuels
- Jackie Santos
- Joe Galeota
- Skip Hadden
- Robert Kaufman
- Bertram Lehmann
- Casey Scheuerell
- Tony "Thunder" Smith
- Bob Tamagni
- Mark Walker
- Dave Weigert
- Steve Wilkes
- Nancy Zeltsman
Visiting artists
Notable artists who have recently visited the Percussion Festival include Will Calhoun, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, Giovanni Hidalgo, Trichy Sankaran, Steve Smith, and Dafnis Prieto, Pete Locket, Francisco Mela, and Pedro Martinez.
What's the schedule?
The festival begins Monday, June 18, with registration and auditions in the morning, master classes/concerts throughout the day, and a special evening concert. Tuesday through Thursday will feature the following:
- Two hours of class on your principal instrument
- A one-hour styles class on instruments related to your principal instrument (including a rhythm section in each class)
- Nightly jam sessions and repertoire classes in all styles
Other highlights include a rhythm class, a steelpan concert, classes on drum set through the '60s and on drum set since the '60s, an Afro-Cuban music clinic and/or concert percussion clinic, a hip-hop ensemble workshop, faculty concerts, and visiting artist performances. There will be ongoing percussion industry exhibits each day where you can see the latest instruments and educational materials.
The final day of the festival will include a rhythm class, a faculty jam session, and the closing ceremony including the Faculty Blowout Concert. Parents are encouraged to attend the last day's activities by requesting free tickets from the Percussion Department.
Do I need to bring an instrument?
All percussion instruments will be available for class use, but you may bring your own if you wish. Do not bring drum sets, though you may want to bring a cymbal bag, including a hi-hat clutch. There will be 18 drum sets available for practice from 10:00 a.m. to midnight each day as well as a limited amount of percussion instruments. All percussion instruments are provided by Alternate Mode, Drum Workshop, Evans, Gretsch, Grover Pro Percussion, JAG Drums, Kaman (Toca), Latin Percussion Music Group, Ludwig/Musser, Mapex, Marimba One, Mike Balter, Paiste, Pearl Corporation, Premier, Regal Tip, Remo, Sabian, Shure, Sonor, Taos Drums, Vic Firth, Yamaha, and Zildjian.
Where will I eat and sleep?
Applicants will be sent information and an application for residence hall housing once accepted to the program. Most program participants elect to stay in the Berklee residence halls; however, space is limited. To optimize your chances for on-campus housing, you must return the housing application immediately upon receiving it.
To be eligible to live in the residence hall, you must be 15 years of age by the start of the program. If you apply to the program after mid-May, please call the Housing Office at 617 747-2292 to find out if residence hall space is still available.
