Percussion Studies

Percussion Studies at Eastern Connecticut State University provides the opportunity to explore all facets of percussion performance and education within an individualized studio environment. The curriculum is designed to develop a high level of musicianship and performance, and give the student a variety of enriching musical opportunities in a well-rounded total percussion education of snare drum, timpani, and mallets along with the study of multi-percussion, drum set, and world percussion.

Students who study percussion at Eastern, regardless of major or minor, have the opportunity to perform in Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Chamber Ensembles, Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo as well as Percussion Ensemble (large ensemble works), Percussion Group (chamber repertoire), and World Percussion Ensemble.

In addition to several concerts each semester, Eastern percussionists perform at the Percussive Arts Society Connecticut Chapter Day of Percussion and for various campus functions such as recruitment concerts at area public schools. They are also given frequent opportunities to play with other ensembles on pieces that require percussion such as Concert Chorale, Chamber Singers, and Opera Workshop.

As of January 2016, the percussion studio occupies a state-of-the-art building located at the heart of the Eastern campus. Along with several rehearsal and practice facilities, the Fine Arts Instructional Center boasts one of the finest collections of percussion instruments in the New England region.

For more information on Percussion Studies at Eastern, please contact Jeff Calissi.

For more information on the Eastern Percussion Ensemble, visit the Eastern Percussion Ensembles page.

Applied Percussion Faculty

Jeff Calissi (Percussion/Percussion Ensemble/Class Percussion)

Matthew Bronson (Percussion/World Percussion/Class Percussion)