The Drums, the drums, the drums! Do you hear the Drums!

Percussion... What to do with them? This is a common question for all band directors. How should we teach them or at least give them a chance to become musicians? Well one thing is for sure, we can't just leave them in the back of the room to do as they please until we need them. These are things I have heard about "drummers":

"If they don't bother me while I am rehearsing the band, they are ok."

"If they don't test well on any other instruments, they can always play drums."

"I only use my drummers for marching band in the fall semester. They take study hall in the spring."

Wow!!! Here are some suggestions. First, they just about have to have their own class to become musicians and true percussionists rather than "drummers". If you don't have a percussion class, get one or at least offer them an outlet after school to perform in a true percussion ensemble. A percussion ensemble is not just taking out the marching drums and playing on them during the spring either. There is a vast and ever growing body of true percussion ensemble literature out there. You just have to take time to find it. If you have the means to do so, hire a specialist to help you not only find the literature but also help you teach. There is no fowl in this act! As a band director, you don't have to know how to do it all. I have to say that I have been in situations where this was not possible. What did I do? I took lessons from a qualified percussionist. I still learn a great deal from my percussion director today. Keep learning! But that is a whole other post or dozen, but any way...

As for the class set up, I have heard of making your percussion class the fall semester to facilitate marching band. Is this correct? Perhaps not. During marching band every percussionist has a task. They are constantly moving and working. How about concert season? Not so much so. Even the staple of concert band literature First Suite in Eb by Gustav Holst can be easily covered by 3 or 4 percussionists. A suggestion would be to have the true percussion class during concert season. Expose them to percussion ensembles and let them know they can be musicians, not just drummers.

If all these ideas are to have validity, one thing is for sure. Don't let them be drummers. Teach them mallets! I will leave it at that for now but please...Teach them mallets!

P.S. Please remember, an older and aging tuba player made this post, so please forgive the mistakes.