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Beginner Percussion Numbers

Posted by DM on 1/13/2021, 1:56 pm

What is the average number of beginner percussion students would you start at the 2C middle school (800 students) with one UIL performing group?

Thanks

Re: Beginner Percussion Numbers

Posted by Laura Hunt on 1/16/2021, 2:36 pm, in reply to "Beginner Percussion Numbers"

10% is what we do! If numbers somehow would be below 50, I would always start at least 5. Think: snare drummer, bass drum, timpani, mallets, accessories as a minimum. You never want to be in a situation where you’re pulling flute players to play triangle or bells.

Re: Beginner Percussion Numbers

Posted by bbb on 1/14/2021, 9:53 am, in reply to "Beginner Percussion Numbers"

10% is on the high end. Ideal percussion numbers are 8-10%. If you have had really good retention numbers with your percussion numbers then I would shoot closer to the 8%, but if you have had retention issues in that section, bump up to 9-10%.

Re: Beginner Percussion Numbers

Posted by Regardless.. on 1/14/2021, 8:47 am, in reply to "Beginner Percussion Numbers"

If you can help it, make sure that you don't pick all of any one section from any one group of kids.

Don't let all your trombones be boys.

Don't let all of your percussionists be the GT kids.

Don't recruit only girls to play clarinet.

Don't put all of your LEP kids on trumpet.

Things like that. If you don't, all it will take is one year of aggressive recruiting from your volleyball coach and you could lose an entire woodwind section. Same with football.

Mitigate future student loss. You will lose 10-15% of your kids per year, more between 6th and 7th grades and then 8th to 9th grades.

Re: Beginner Percussion Numbers

Posted by Olmstead on 1/13/2021, 7:44 pm, in reply to "Beginner Percussion Numbers"

Aim around 10% of the total number of beginners. Even if that gives you a big number, the high school program will need those kids, especially for marching band.

Re: Beginner Percussion Numbers

Posted by jack shaftoe on 1/13/2021, 5:14 pm, in reply to "Beginner Percussion Numbers"

I consider how many kids are in the beginning group more than how many are in the school.

I usually shoot for 10-12% of beginners on percussion, but if the whole group is below 30, either a minimum of 3 or none at all until later in the year.

Re: Beginner Percussion Numbers

Posted by 12-14 on 1/13/2021, 4:10 pm, in reply to "Beginner Percussion Numbers"

12-14. BUT it also depends on how big your beginner classes are. They should all be pretty proportionate to what a full band is. So if you have 6 in a 56 person band, where every section is ideal, what do you have in double the band size or triple? What is close to your beginner numbers?

Yes, we would never need a concert band with 18 percussionists and 178 members total, but you (hopefully) get my point.

Re: Beginner Percussion Numbers

Posted by DM on 1/14/2021, 7:40 am, in reply to "Re: Beginner Percussion Numbers"

Thanks for the feedback.

I get your point on numbers but wish my administration did. They gave me three percussion classes this year.

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