Instructor: John Hanks., Staff Associate, Duke University Department of Music
Course syllabus is available here
(Notice to Duke students not enrolled in lessons: University owned percussion equipment and practice rooms are not available or accessible for your use.)
You will be considered for lessons if you meet some of these criteria:
1. At least 2 years experience on a percussion instrument (snare drum, drumset, etc).
2. Ability to read music/percussion notation.
3. Previous history of studies with an instructor, or experience in a school ensemble such as wind ensemble or jazz ensemble.
Briefly, I can only take on students with drumming/percussion experience. If you have any questions regarding this, please email me.
Course audition requirements and description: Lessons are through audition only. Auditions are held during the first week of classes in the Fall. Please contact me directly (by email) about auditions. Do not sign up in the music office to audition. If you are a returning student, you do not need to audition again but please contact me when you arrive on campus to schedule your lesson time. If, in the future, you would like to pre-register for an upcoming semester (Spring or Fall), please contact me during pre-registration. There is generally a limited number of openings so pre-registration is recommended.
Audition requirements: Concert percussionists should have a solo or etude prepared featuring each instrument you can play: snare drum, timpani, xylophone, etc. These instruments will be provided. You might also be asked to demonstrate basic rudiments or scales and sight read percussion music. Drumset students should be able to read music, demonstrate a variety of drumset styles (jazz (swing, be-bop), Afro-Carribean styles, rock/funk, etc.) and/or have a good understanding of snare drum technique. A 4-piece drumset will be provided for the audition. An audition is required by all new students.
Experience: Due to limited course space, I only accept students who have previously taken lessons with another instructor, can read music, and/or are in an ensemble (jazz ensemble, wind symphony, orchestra). Access to the practice drumset and concert percussion instruments is available to enrolled, qualified students only.
Lesson times are TBA, but usually on a weekday between 9AM-4:30PM. We will compare our calendars and come up with a suitable time.
Drumset lesson goals: I want to help you become a better musician and, hopefully, you will also become a better drummer. I prefer combining exercises from method books, Modern Drummer magazine, impromtu studies for drumset, transcription, etc, so good reading skills are a must. Listening to CDs, especially for Jazz studies, will be emphasized, too. Snare drum technique will also be emphasized. I am open to teaching or coaching you in any style(s) you are interested in, but I will also ask you to learn styles you might not be familiar with. Again: good reading skills are a must!
Concert percussion study goals will be determined after the audition but will usually involve a mixture of technical exercises and repertoire. Students should consider a more focused direction for study: snare drum, mallets, timpani, multi-percussion solo, etc., especially for half-hour (MUS 84) lessons which are very short. This can be determined at the first lesson.
IMPORTANT: This is a graded course, not pass/fail. If you have a particularly heavy course load and/or are a first year student, consider whether you can (or want to) practice at least 6 hours a week (recommended for Music 84) in addition to attending your lesson. The ability to play (or not) previously assigned material will directly affect your grade. For example: an A student attends all scheduled lessons, performs assignments with little or no hesitancy, and attains noticeable improvment over the course of a semester. Absence from more than 2 lessons (out of 14 for the semester) will negatively affect your grade. If you miss a lesson, I am not required to rescedule it. I will, when possible, reschedule your lesson if you know you will be absent at certain times, or for religious holidays. Occasionally, I will also need to rescedule some lessons due to a conflicting performance schedule on my part. These will be made up as necessary.
As an applied percussion student, you might be issued some keys for access to practice rooms in Baldwin Auditorium. The rules include:
These rules are in accordance with Duke Music Dept. policy.
For more info about me, check out my home page.
Sincerely,
John Hanks
last modified 11/08/07