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Percussion Ensembles

Percussion Ensemble - MUO 120, 420

The Percussion Ensembles meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:25pm - 2:30pm in room 1230 (large rehearsal hall) of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center. The ensemble is open by audition to any percussionist at USA. Auditions will be held the first day of school at the regular Percussion Ensemble meeting time. The ensemble provides students with the opportunity to perform and become familiar with the ever-growing volume of percussion ensemble literature. The ensembles present public performances and clinic sessions each semester. Participation is expected for all percussion music majors.

USA Steel Band - MUO 136, 436

USA STEEL is dedicated to the preservation and expansion of the steel pan art form and offers students an opportunity to explore the steel band tradition originating in Trinidad and Tobago, the birthplace of pan. The band performs many styles of music including a variety of popular and music from the Caribbean including calypso, soca and raggae as well as American popular music, jazz and classical styles. Through the performance and instruction of the ensemble, students are immersed into the authentic culture and environment of pan, giving the students and the audience a deeper understanding of the music’s meaning and a greater personal enjoyment of the music played.


Entrance into the USA Steel Band is by audition only. Auditions are held at the first class meeting to assess the person's natural music ability. NO previous steel band experience is necessary. However, a good sense of rhythm, natural ability to groove, and lyrical flow are a necessity. A basic understanding of notes, scales, and chords will prove helpful in securing a position.This course is offered in the SPRING ONLY. Students wishing to participate in USA STEEL should register for MUO 136 (World Music Ensemble). The ensemble meets Monday nights at 7:30pm in room 1230 (large rehearsal hall) in the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center.


World Music Group - MUO 136, 436

The World Music Ensemble is a newly formed ensemble and focuses its repertoire on traditional music and dance from other cultures. The ensemble meets Monday nights at 7:30pm in room 1230 (large rehearsal hall) spring semesters ONLY. Participation is open to all interested students regardless of experience. While the focus of the ensemble is musical, cultural contexts relevant to the music studied are inherently stressed, giving the students and the audience a deeper understanding of the music’s meaning and a greater personal enjoyment of the music played. The ensemble is taught entirely through oral tradition with much of repertoire based on studies at the Dagara Music Center outside of Accra, Ghana with Bernard Woma (master drummer and xylophonist with the National Theatre of Ghana).

Marimba Band

The Marimba Band is a group of students within the Percussion Ensemble who perform select repertoire written entirely for marimbas. Selections include ragtime arrangements, classical and folk transcriptions, and original contemporary works for marimba and keyboard ensembles. Membership is determined through competitive auditions, and credit is granted through the Percussion Ensemble course.