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Schwob Percussion Studio and Ensemble - Columbus State University

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The Joyce and Henry Schwob School of Music

Schwob Percussion Studio and Ensemble

Welcome to Columbus State University’s Schwob Percussion Studio and Ensemble website.

I would like to invite you to come visit the school, tour the facilities and residences, get a free lesson and sit in on classes and rehearsals. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly with any questions:

Office: 706-649-1235
Email: vaillancourt_paul@columbusstate.edu
Connect: Facebook, SoundCloud and YouTube

The Schwob Percussion Ensemble is directed by Schwob School of Music faculty artist Dr. Paul Vaillancourt. Year after year the ensemble continues to perform at the highest artistic level, dazzling audiences with their subtlety, precision, and remarkable communication.

It has collaborated on several occasions with the Columbus Ballet and performed regularly at the Coca-Cola Space Science Center as part of the Music Under The Dome series. The ensemble has been invited to perform several times at Spivey Hall as part of their Young Persons' Concert Series. In addition to the list of works premiered—by composers James M. David, Matthew Welch, Eric Moe, John Parcell, Brian Cherney, and Nico Muhly—the group performs and records music from the traditional percussion ensemble repertory, including works by Davidovsky, Varèse, Jolivet, Cage, and Reich. The ensemble’s performances have been released on NAXOS, ALBANY RECORDS,  John Zorn’s TZADIK label in NYC, and most recently Matthew Welch’s concerto for Scottish bagpipes and percussion ensemble entitled The Favrile Opalescence on KOTEKAN Records. The ensemble will soon release its second disc featuring premiere recordings of new works commissioned for the group by composers Dan Trueman (Princeton Univ.) Fred Cohen (San Jose State Univ.), Sergio Assad (World renowned performer/composer, Grammy award-winner), James David (Univ. of Colorado) and Pulitzer prize recipient Wayne Peterson.

People playing Percussion Instruments
People playing Percussion Instruments
People playing Percussion Instruments

Want to apply to the Schwob School of Music and audition?

Here's how:

For undergraduate degrees, learn how to apply.

After reading that page and completing the Undergraduate Audition Application, follow the Audition Dates and Reservations link on that same page and schedule an audition. If you cannot come on a scheduled audition date contact me directly to set up a time that's convenient for you.

You don't need to be accepted to the university before setting up an audition.

The University requires its own separate application, which can be found on the CSU Admissions website.

Scholarships

Several scholarships have been put aside specifically for percussion students. There is no separate application process for music scholarships. A student is automatically considered for scholarship when auditioning.

The only exception to this is the Woodruff Scholarship, which has very specific application criteria, see the Woodruff Awards page.

Audition Requirements

One concert snare drum solo from:

  1. Cirone: Portraits in Rhythm (#s 4, 10, 11 appropriate)
  2. Delécluse: Douze Etudes (any)
  3. Rudimental solo from one of the following collections:
    • Charley Wilcoxon: The All-American Drummer
    • John S. Pratt: 14 Modern Concert Solos

One two-mallet solo from:

  1. G. H. Green: Xylophone Rags
  2. Morris Goldenberg: Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone
  3. A movement of a Bach Cello Suite or Flute Partita

One four-mallet solo (optional, but recommended)

  1. A work by one of the following composers, or any piece demonstrating basic four-mallet technique:
    • Clair Omar Musser
    • Mitchell Peters
    • Paul Smadbeck
    • Eric Sammut
    • Blake Tyson
    • Ivan Trevino
    • Michael Burritt

One timpani solo from:

  1. Mitchell Peters: Fundamental Method for Timpani (#s 45, 47 appropriate)
  2. Saul Goodman: Modern Method for Timpani (3 or 4 drum etudes)
  3. Richard Hochrainer: Etuden for Timpani (volume 1 or 2, 3 or 4 drum etudes)

All the methods books and pieces listed above can be purchased at: http://www.steveweissmusic.com/

  1. One concert snare drum solo: Delécluse: Douze Etudes (any)
  2. One rudimental snare drum solo: Pratt, Wilcoxon, Tompkins, etc.
  3. One advanced four-mallet marimba work
  4. One solo timpani work:
    1. Etude from Carter's Eight Pieces for Four Timpani
    2. Etude from Delécluse's Vingt études 
    3. Etude from Hochrainer's collection
  5. One two-mallet solo: G.H. Green Xylophone Rag or a movement from a Bach Cello Suite
  6. Excerpts:
    1. Snare Drum: 
      1. Movements 3 & 4 from Rimsky Korsakov's Scheherazade
      2. Prokofiev's Lt. Kije
      3. Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra
    2. Keyboard
      1. Gershwin's Porgy and Bess
      2. One other xylophone excerpt of your choice
      3. Sorcerer's Apprentice, Pine of Rome, or Magic Flute
    3. Timpani
      1. Movement 1 of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 (4 before T to 2 before V)
      2. One other Timpani excerpt of your choice
  7. Multi-Percussion (optional): Solo or chamber performance, video performance may be sent in ahead of audition
  8. Drum set (optional): Show various styles, sight read chart with play-along

Ask Cody

Ask Cody