Percussion Policy

All percussion students will play a jury examination in the semester they are enrolled, unless officially excused by their major teacher.

Normal jury presentations will be 20 minutes in length. Performance majors (graduate and undergraduate) and others who are registered for 4 hours of credit will register for a 30 minute jury

A minimum of two professors, including the student’s major teacher must be in attendance during juries. The percussion faculty is committed to hearing all juries; however in instances of medical or professional emergencies this may not be possible.

Written comments from all professors present at the jury will be submitted to the major teacher who will then distribute them to the student. Students who are not making satisfactory progress in their instrument by the end of the second year of study will be officially informed and counseled by the percussion faculty.

Faculty will seek to reach a consensus on a performance level for each student’s presentation. If no consensus can be reached through discussion, a vote will be taken with each faculty member receiving one vote. The majority vote will decide the level. In the event of a tie vote, the student’s major teacher will have the tie breaking vote. The Percussion Faculty will exercise its prerogative to raise, maintain or lower a student’s current level at the jury examination. A level may be lowered only after a student has failed to advance at the previous jury examination, as a probationary warning to the student. A cap of one whole level will be the maximum any level can be lowered in a given semester.

Students are responsible for obtaining a WVU Division of Music jury form from the music office. The form must be completed in ball point pen. The sections entitled “Technic and Etudes” and “Composer/Compositions” must be fully completed.

Any student failing to arrive and be ready to play at their assigned jury time may be punished with a lowering of the grade at the discretion of the percussion jury committee.

BA—level 7 . The student should be able to perform works from the basic repertoire for the instrument. The student should exhibit competence in all aspects of performance, including tone quality, rhythmic consistency, dynamic control, articulation, dexterity and musicality.

BM in Music Education—level 7 . In addition to the requirements listed above, each student should display a mature sound, maturity in musical interpretation, and the ability to interpret works and perform them with the appropriate stylistic characteristics. The student should be able to be “professional” in their approach and concept of their instrument.

BM in Composition—level 8. The student is expected to continue to improve in musical maturity, and expand beyond the “essential” repertoire for the instrument.

BM in Performance—level 10. A level 10 indicates a proficiency by which a performer could gain entry to a nationally recognized Masters Degree program in the United States.

MM in Performance—The student must establish a level 10 by audition, and must continue to exhibit performance skills in their jury presentations that are indicative of a professional level of competency. Performers must exhibit mastery of literature from all periods of music, as appropriate to their instrument’s repertoire, and competency on other related instruments, such different pitched trumpets, etc.

DMA in Performance—The student must demonstrate a level of performance necessary to gain an entry-level professional position (performance and teaching) in the United States.