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Percussion Studies at Missouri State

The Percussion Studies program is designed to develop, through private instruction and ensemble participation, educators and performers who excel on a wide variety of percussion instruments, with the goal of developing the knowledge and versatility needed to be competitive in the music world.

Ensembles
Percussion Ensemble In the Missouri State Percussion Ensemble, percussionists explore new music for percussion, written by some of the best contemporary composers, while learning about a wide assortment of instruments from around the world. Rather than assuming their usual supporting roles, percussionists in the Percussion Ensemble are the featured players. The Percussion Ensemble is also the ideal place for students to apply new concepts and techniques developed during applied lessons. The Percussion Ensemble performs music that is an eclectic mix of musical styles, including contemporary pieces, classical transcriptions, world music, and ragtime. Island Breeze The Missouri State Island Breeze steel band was founded in 1986 and is the oldest collegiate steel band in the state of Missouri. Island Breeze offers performance opportunities for students interested in exploring a wide variety of popular musical styles. In addition to formal concerts on the Missouri State campus each semester, the ensemble performs for wedding receptions, parties, arts festivals, and corporate functions.

Additional Performance Opportunities


The Missouri State Music Department also offers four concert bands, orchestra, several jazz bands, two basketball bands, the Pride Marching Band, plus numerous small ensembles in which percussionists may participate.

Facilities
Located in the Wehr Band Hall, the percussion facility includes an 1100 square feet percussion studio, an adjacent faculty studio, a storage room, and practice rooms. Large ensemble rehearsals take place in one of Wehrs three band rehearsal rooms. Most ensembles perform in the world-class Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.

Dr. Scott Cameron, Percussion


Associate Professor Scott Cameron has been Director of Percussion Studies at Missouri State since 1985. Dr. Cameron received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Tulsa, his Master of Music degree from New Mexico State University, and completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Oklahoma. His teachers include Dr. Donald Keipp, Dr. Larry White, and Dr. Richard Gipson. At Missouri State, Dr. Cameron teaches applied lessons in all areas of percussion, conducts the Percussion Ensemble and the Island Breeze Steel Band, and teaches percussion methods and percussion pedagogy. Dr. Cameron is the principal percussionist with the Springfield Symphony and former timpanist with the Springfield Regional Opera. He is a member of MENC and the Percussive Arts Society, and is an active performer, adjudicator, and clinician. Prior to his job at Missouri State, Dr. Cameron was the percussion instructor at New

Mexico State University in Las Cruces. You may contact him via e-mail at scottcameron@missouristate.edu, or by phone at 417/836-2538.

The Department of Music


The Department of Music serves the university through the stimulation and motivation of creative and professional work in music. The music department is committed to the university mission by emphasizing professional education, the performing arts and public affairs through the highest standards in teaching, scholarship, live performance, media interaction and educational outreach programs, thereby raising the cultural awareness of the university and community at large. The music departments 28 full-time and 20 part-time faculty provide excellent instruction for more than 300 music majors. The departments facilities are among the best in the four-state region, and include a state-of-the-art Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) Classroom/Lab, a 300-seat recital hall, and a 2,200-seat performing arts center which hosts many professional companies each year, as well as the music department student ensembles. A myriad of performance opportunities are available to students through participation in Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Marching Band, Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Symposium, Clarinet Choir, Flute Choir, Saxophone Quartet, Woodwind Quintet, Double Reed Ensemble and Musical Theatre productions. In addition to the many ensembles available for students participation at Missouri State, faculty performers appear regularly in solo recital and chamber group concerts. Check out the MSU Music Department web site for more information.

Department of Music
Missouri State University 901 S. National Avenue, Springfield, MO 65897 417.836.5648 www.missourisate.edu/music

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