
Percussion (ages 12-18)
Summer School for Children and Young People
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Overview
Our Percussion summer school is an innovative and exciting international course, giving percussionists the opportunity to immerse themselves in an intensive week of study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
This course is for musicians who would like to improve their performance skills across solo, chamber and orchestral percussion playing. Participants will develop and refine their instrumental technique whilst working with our renowned teaching staff.
Join us at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and immerse yourself in percussion repertoire, meet new friends from all around the globe, play in our world-class venues and be in the heart of Scotland’s most musically-motivated city.
The course will be run by Tom Hunter, lecturer in Percussion and Coordinator of the RCS Timpani and Percussion department, percussionist for Red Note Ensemble and busy freelance percussionist and timpanist in Scotland with over 20 years experience performing in the UK and abroad.
Course Content:
- Receive 1:1 tuition on your principal instrument
- Have the opportunity to play in performance classes
- Participate in orchestral percussion repertoire classes
- Play in percussion ensemble
- Develop hand percussion and drum kit skills
- Receive audition preparation advice
- Have some time for personal practice
- Achieve a better understanding of yourself as a musician
If you have any questions in advance of booking, please contact us at summerschools@rcs.ac.uk.
The important details
Age:
12-18
Cost:
£350
Course Dates:
30 June - 4 July 2025
Time:
Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm
Venue:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Course Information
- How to Apply
- Course Outline
- Entry Requirements
- Course Preparation
- Term Dates
- Teaching Staff
- Summer Accommodation
There is no deadline to apply, however booking is first come, first serve – so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. We aim to review applications every two weeks, however this is subject to staff availability.
Please see Entry Requirements tab for further information about the supporting materials which are required for application.
Payment of the balance of the tuition fee is payable once applicants have been notified that they have been successful in their application to the course and completed their booking.
The summer school will consist of a mixture of individual lessons, ensemble and performance classes. Details of what you can expect in each of these sessions are listed below.
Individual Lessons – One to one coaching with expert tutors will develop your musical interpretation as well as helping with overall technical development. This will be an opportunity to work on prepared repertoire and also develop hand percussion and drum kit skills. You will be encouraged to observe one another’s lessons and learn from peer observation.
Chamber Music and Percussion Ensemble – All students will be assigned chamber music groups which will be coached throughout the course in preparation for an informal sharing at the end of the week.
Performance Class – This class gives you the chance to perform prepared repertoire to your peers and receive feedback on developing all aspects of performance.
Repertoire Class – Repertoire class will give percussion players the opportunity to work as a section and learn more about advanced orchestral percussion playing techniques.
This Summer School is for talented musicians playing at an intermediate/advanced level (minimum ABRSM Grade 5 or equivalent) on tuned and untuned percussion, who are looking for an inspiring and enriching experience.
You will be asked to submit 2 videos of the student performing, lasting no longer than 3 minutes each when booking onto the course
- 1 video should demonstrate your current ability on tuned percussion
- 1 video should demonstrate your current ability on untuned percussion
This course is open to young percussionists aged 12—18 years old, Grade 5+ (ABRSM or equivalent) who are looking for a fun, inspirational musical experience.
During the course you will:
- Achieve a greater awareness of the physical aspects of playing percussion.
- Learn techniques for tuned and un-tuned percussion
- Explore world percussion, hand drumming and drum kit playing
- Gain greater confidence in performing for an audience
- Meet like-minded percussionists and enhance your experience of ensemble skills
Students are asked to prepare at least one piece for any of the disciplines (timpani, snare drum or tuned percussion) so that they can be placed in an appropriate group.
Please bring along your sticks and mallets and wear loose comfortable clothing.
The course runs Monday, 30 June – Friday, 4 July, from 10am to 5pm.
There will be a short sharing of the work students have been engaging with on the Friday afternoon for invited family and friends.
Tom Hunter
Specialists (TBC)
Summer Accommodation
We are pleased to welcome students from across the world to our Summer Schools. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the student. Our campus is located in Glasgow city centre, and you can find the addresses below.
We recommend Base Glasgow, as purpose-built accommodation for Conservatoire students, with Rehearsal Rooms, Practice spaces and Dance Studios. Base Glasgow is perfectly suited for our summer school students; both safe and secure, with 24/7 staff presence and only 3 mins walk from our main Renfrew Street building, keeping travel costs to a minimum.
Classic En-Suite rooms come with a 3/4 bed, en-suite bathroom, ample storage, mirror, study desk and chair. The shared area includes a spacious lounge and kitchen area.
Please note that Short Courses staff are not affiliated with BASE or on site outwith the summer school teaching hours, and therefore cannot take responsibility for students outside of these hours.
For more information about booking accommodation at BASE Glasgow you can contact them directly via website BASE – Student Accommodation in Glasgow or email baseglasgow@herestudents.com.
Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and b’n’b options available. We are located close to transport links should you wish to stay outside the city centre. If you are travelling to Glasgow for a course, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers course fees, travel, accommodation, and cancellations due to COVID-19 – as RCS will not refund in this circumstance. You can view the Cancellations and Refund policy for full information.
For students under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Students are only monitored by staff during class times.
Renfrew Street Campus: 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Wallace Studios Campus: 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR
Further Information
We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:
Agnes Allan Bursary
Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.
The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.
Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.
James McAvoy Drama Scholarships
BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.
James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.
The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.
You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.
We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.
You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.
Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.
Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.
Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.
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Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk
Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk
Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk
Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk