Percussion Programme
The Percussion Programme offers tuition on timpani, tuned percussion, world music percussion and drum kit in a wide variety of styles.
In addition to individual instrumental tuition and the core supporting studies of music language and aural, percussion students generally take part in two small ensembles each week, including a designated percussion group.
Workshops with visiting artists over recent years have included:
- Jack DeJohnette on drum set techniques for jazz, including mallet playing
- Dave Weckl on how to approach studio work, film scores and jingles
- Sebastian Rochford on composition and how to develop a percussion part from scratch
- Sebastiaan de Krom on the history of jazz and commercial music
Key Information
Percussion Team
Study Leader: Roger Hempsall
Rob Walker
Alan Fearon
Information for Students
Timetables, auditions, and other useful information for current and prospective CAT students to help make the most of your learning experience.
More infoMeet the team
Study Leader: Roger Hempsall (Drums and World Percussion)
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Since 1998 Roger has been a member of the North East based jazz trio The Bicycle Thieves. He has many years of experience as a specialist drum and percussion tutor, being a founding member of the BMus degree team and Percussion Studies Leader at the Centre of Advanced Training. He has also delivered workshops and masterclasses at Northumbria and Sunderland universities. Over the years he has taught many of the country’s brightest percussion stars, including the jazz drummers Cheryl Alleyne and Seb Rochford. His publications include Jazz Drums 1 and Jazz Drums 2 (International Music Publishers), an analysis of the playing styles of the great jazz percussionists from Baby Dodds to Steve Gadd. For many years he wrote an influential column on rhythm for Keyboard Player magazine.
Alan Fearon (Timpani and Tuned Percussion)
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Alan has enjoyed a long association with Royal Northern Sinfonia (RNS) as a timpanist, percussionist, keyboard player and conductor. He is also the founder and former Chorus Master of the highly successful RNS Chorus. He has been an Artistic Advisor to the Young Musicians Programme and has worked with several of its Youth Ensembles, including Young Sinfonia.