Frequently Asked Questions

Percussion Studio is a student organization at Texas A&M University which specializes in percussive ensemble performances.

We play a variety of musical pieces and styles including: classical percussive ensembles, jazz, rock, classical, winter drumline, and STOMP-esque or novelty type ensembles. We even offer our members the opportunity to perform the pieces they have written.

The number of people in Studio varies from semester to semeseter, but typically we have anywhere from 25 to 35 people.

Most ensembles rehearse for a minimum of 1 hour per week. We typically have 12 to 14 weeks of rehearsal before our big show each semester.

We rehearse nightly Sunday through Thursday at Bryan High School.

Since the creation of Texas A&M University in 1876, there hasn't been a percussion ensemble available to the student body. Many have probably thought about this idea, but two young men were determined to do something about it. In the spring of 1999, Jef Schmulen and Kevin Grubbs decided that it was time to take action. They started by platering 500 fliers all over campus in regards to an informational meeting about a group called tamudrums. Much to their delight, about 30 people showed up to this meeting and the group finally took shape. The members put together an ensemble and decided to audition for the MSC Town Hall Variety Show. The audition went well and the group was invited to perform in the show. About a month later, tamudrums competed in the Variety Show and received 2nd place!

After a long summer, the students returned and regrouped even stronger than before under a new name, Percussion Studio. Our premier concert was on November 20, 1999 and was a great success! And as they say...the rest is history!

Anyone wanting to join Percussion Studio will have to try out at the beginning of a semester. Information about tryouts for a given semester can be found here.

The latest tryout information can be found by clicking here. Tryouts are typically during the first 3 weeks of school on a weekend.

Tryouts are open to anyone enrolled in Texas A&M University. People of all skill levels are welcome to try out.

We encourage people who really want to join Percussion Studio to try out. Obviously, a formal percussion experience helps but is not required. The only true musical requirements are having a good sense of rhythm and being able to read and understand standard musical notation.

We look at a number of qualities of each person trying out. Our final decision is based upon the following qualities:

• Attitude
• Time committment
• Experience
• Desire to play and have fun

Each person trying out typically has a 10 to 15 minute time span to use. That said, it all depends on the number of people actually trying out for a given semester.

The sightreading evaluation part of tryouts is meant to see how quickly you are able to pick up and read a piece of music you have never seen before. Since our rehearsals are short and we don't have many weeks to put a show together, being able to pick up and read a piece of music quickly is helpful although not required. Recently, we have added different portions to the tryouts that allow a person to practice a piece beforehand and then come in and play it the day of the tryouts. If you have doubts about that too, send an email to tryouts{at}percussionstudio(dot)org

Sure. Just post on the discussion forum and ask for a ride.

Send an email to tryouts{at}percussionstudio(dot)org and explain the siutation. An officer will get in contact with you shortly to make arrangements.

Notifications of tryout results are typically sent out either the day of or the day following tryouts via email unless otherwise indicated.

Yes. We encourage people who really want to be in Percussion Studio to try as hard as possible to join. Since the number of people we accept each semester for tryouts varies based upon the current membership, it may be possible for someone to make it into Studio at a later semester.

All members must:

• Pay semester dues.
• Be in at least 2 enesembles.
• Attend all rehearsals unless excused in advance by lead of the particular ensemble that will be missed.
• Perform in the end-of-the-semester show.
• Come to all required meetings and run-throughs; usually 2 or 3 per semester.
• Attend all mandatory events, including retreats and publicity events.

This is by far one of the questions we get asked the most, and the answer is: it depends. It is up to the member to decide how many ensembles to be in, what voluntary events to participate in, and how much additional work to take on. The minimum amount of time is 2 hours per week (1 hour for each required ensemble).

Please check the gigs page for the latest gig information.

Generally speaking, half of the pieces we play are bought and simply rehearsed. The other half comes from one person usually having an idea, telling it to the group, and then a smaller group will sign up to work on it and go from there.

Depending on what we need will depend on who does what. Typically though, members of Studio contribute their time and ideas for all parts of the show.

We have thought about this many times and it always boils down to copyright issues. To try and avoid any red tape or possible loss of money for Studio functionality, we usually avoid sales of this nature. That said, we do, however, make videos for members and their respective families. If you would really like a video, contact a Studio member to see if he or she can get you one.

We request that all requests for planning gigs be made through our online gig request page.

Please fill everything out to the best of your ability. If the section must be filled out, give an estimate or best guess and let us know.

We generally get several requests for us to play at various events each semester. The form on the online gig request page automatically assures that we have the necessary information required to evaluate the request, that it reaches the appropriate people, and that it is in a format which can be easily and quickly understood. If you feel for some reason that your reason for contacting PS does not necessitate filling out the form, you may send an email to gigs{at}percussionstudio(dot)org.

Generally speaking, at least a month's notice is preferred if requesting a gig, but the earlier the better. Exceptions can be made if given a short timespan but the likelihood of us accepting the gig decreases greatly.

As soon as the request has been made, the vice-presidents and the president will receive an email outlining the information for the gig. We generally try to answer gig requests within a one week time span, but if you haven't heard from us in two weeks either via email or a phone call please contact our Vice-President of Gigs.

Please refer to the contacts page and send an email to the appropriate officer. If you are unsure about which officer to contact, just send an email to the president at president{at}percussionstudio(dot)org.

Sunday evenings are typically the best times. However, please send an email to the Vice-President of Operations to verify when a good time is and where a good location would be.

Contact the webmaster by sending an email to webmaster{at}percussionstudio(dot)org.