An Overview
The very complex nature of the modern Timpani and Percussion environment demands an extensive and well-balanced curriculum so that students may experience and study as much related material as possible as well as to formulate a focused approach towards appropriate progress during the 1 or 2 year course.
The RCS is fortunate to have many of the very finest professional performers and very experienced educators to deliver this curriculum whilst inviting a number of professional visiting artists to insure an open-minded approach with regard to technique, style in performance and presentation.
The listed curriculum represents knowledge and skills that the future professional player needs to acquire hence its complexity. The Post Graduate Course will engage with the study of this Curriculum in considerable depth of advanced musical understanding and artistic integrity. At the outset of each postgraduate student’s course, varying requirements may be identified. These will be taken into consideration as much as possible in order that the course may be tailored accordingly whilst not compromising its purpose and integrity
It is the RCS’s aim to provide the fullest possible exposure to all Timpani/Percussion and related study components without compromising standards in order to equip students with the skills for a varied and rewarding career as well as the skills for further development
An end of year exam is designed to perform a comprehensive test of the student’s ability on all aspects of postgraduate studies undertaken and will be conducted in as professional audition like a manner as possible.
This practice intends to familiarise students with professional audition procedure. Pieces to be auditioned will be made known to the student 4 weeks prior to the exam.
Specialisation
Whilst having full regard to the declared aims of the programme, both in the departmental Handbook and the MMus Program Handbook, on rare occasions a student may express the wish to desire specialisation in either Timpani or Percussion only. This will require the agreement of both principal study tutors and the endorsement of the Head of Department before the request for such a course amendment can be forwarded to the Head of Postgraduate Programmes for consideration. If approved, the credit ratings and one-to-one lesson allocation previously attached to the discipline to be voided will then be added to the specialisation discipline(s) in direct consultation with the tutors concerned leaving the overall Principal Study Credits as before. The student should also be aware that his/her “Final Recitaland Exam will need to reflect such specialisation.
When specialising in Percussion only, a student may also choose to enhance Drum Set within the (Percussion only) discipline. The credits made available from the Timpani part of the principal study course element will then be proportionally distributed to reflect this as well as the contact time.