Each summer, Alma College hosts a number of music-related camps and workshops, such as the Percussion Workshop. This camp brings students from across the Midwest and internationally renowned guest clinicians to campus. Yamaha Corporation of America graciously sponsors our camp each year and our marching week is part of the Yamaha Sounds Of Summer program.
Conducting Camp
This 4-day summer camp is intended for high school juniors and seniors who are student leaders in their high school ensembles, and who may be considering a career as a choir, band or orchestra conductor. Students will work closely with Dr. Nichols (Conductor of the Alma Choirs) and Alma College music education majors.
Alma College Percussion Workshop 2020
This year’s workshop will feature hands-on classes on all facets of contemporary percussion.
The first week of our camp will feature topics such as orchestral percussion, solo percussion repertoire, timpani, keyboards, steel pans, Latin percussion and drum set.
The second week of camp will be devoted to marching percussion. Each student will perform as a member of a drumline or sideline ensemble, and will get hands-on experience and instruction learning necessary techniques and concepts on each instrument in the full ensemble.
Students of both weeks also attend a concert by the Alma College Percussion Ensemble. The workshop is taught by current and former members of the Alma College Percussion Studio and is under the direction of Dave Zerbe, the Paul Cameron Russell Associate Professor of Music and director of bands and percussion studies at Alma College. Hands-on participation is a vital part of the daily schedule and all participants perform in variety of settings, such as:
Percussion Ensemble
Steel Drum Band
Marimba Ensemble
This year’s workshop takes place from July 5th-18th. Students may either stay on campus or commute. On-campus participants are given three meals per day and are housed in an Alma College residence hall under the supervision of staff and chaperones. Commuters are given two meals per day: lunch and dinner. For information on the percussion workshop, please contact the Alma College Percussion Studio for more information: zerbe@alma.edu
