# Program Information ## Mission Statement > *UNLV Percussion prepares well-rounded “thinking" percussionists who demonstrate excellence in performance, pedagogy, and overall professionalism through exposure to history, literature, culture, and awareness practices unique to the percussion discipline.* ## Location The UNLV Percussion Area is located in the Alta Ham Fine Arts and Beam Music Center Buildings on the northeast corner of the Main Campus along Maryland Parkway. ## Contact **Email:** [email protected] **Phone:** (702) 895-3332 (Music Office Line) _sub-units and faculty do not have phone lines_ **Mailing Address:** School of Music University of Nevada, Las Vegas Mail Stop: 5025 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy. Las Vegas, NV 89154 ## Operating Hours Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. # Brief Program Overview ### A long road in the desert... In 1989, Dr. Dean Gronemeier began developing one of the most prolific and well-known percussion programs on the West Coast and the United States. Over the last 35 years, UNLV Percussion has produced over 15 collegiate professors, one rockstar by the name of Ronnie Vannucci Jr. of The Killers, numerous Drum and Bugle Corps greats, Blue Man Group and Cirque Du Soleil musicians, and a myriad of other successful percussionists enjoying exceptionally fulfilling performance and professional careers. ### Day-to-Day Percussion majors participate in private lessons, world percussion classes, various ensembles including Brazilian Ensemble, Marimba Band, Steel Band, and Percussion Ensemble, large department ensembles including Wind Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Band, NEXTET, Marching Band, and the UNLV Opera Theatre. All percussion majors perform as soloists each semester and present recitals that directly apply to their degree programs. Intense pedagogy sessions, graduate-level literature, and percussion history courses provide a strong foundation for future educators. Our ensembles tour and perform public engagements regularly; we are involved in the corporate performances scene in Las Vegas and engage in various recording projects. ### Our Philosophy & Concepts The UNLV Percussion Area and its faculty have a primary focus of creating "thinking percussionists." While simple, UNLV Percussion has cultivated this concept for the last three decades to yield a truly remarkable outcome for its students. ​ Experiential learning through awareness and critical assessment of music's technical, mental, and emotional challenges is at our pedagogy's core. With an emphasis on a demanding psychological approach to playing and teaching, percussion students develop a heightened understanding of the simple yet profound concept of "what is." Our percussionists are encouraged to develop their voice and identity behind their instruments. We cultivate this identity through consistent exposure to historically and culturally informed perspectives from our faculty, Artists in Residence, and a vast array of performance opportunities.