# Progression Maps ## What are they? Progression maps are short bullet outlines of the broad, Area-specific competencies and outcomes we expect of students at specific milestones. Unlike [[4.1.0 What are Program Competencies?|Program Competencies]], these are *percussion specific* — **our** competencies, laid out as one *progression* of developing knowledge and technical facility as a percussionist. ## Rationale For over 30 years, UNLV Percussion has prided itself on an individual approach to percussion pedagogy — adaptive and challenging, never one-size-fits-all or "cookie cutter." We have also observed a psychological shift among current generations of students, and our underlying framework has adapted to fit the needs of our current and future students. ### Core Principles **We treat everyone fairly, but not everyone the same.** **Our curriculum is highly defined but flexible.** **There's no "right way" but there are "optimal ways."** People live and breathe, music lives and breathes; therefore, our pedagogy lives and breathes. Within that organic approach, every student must still reach the proficiency of a collegiately trained percussionist who reflects our [[1.1 Program Information#Mission Statement|Mission Statement]]. Our [[4.3.0 What are Proficiency Minimums|proficiency minimums]] (our "undergraduate curriculum") are designed to meet every student where they are on arrival. Their numerous touch-points ensure constant progression through short, digestible studies that — regardless of a student's level — can be explored at various depths, guided by our pedagogues. Through a true personal relationship and thoughtfully applied literature, we lay a path for students to draw musicianship out of themselves — rather than trying to beat it out of them with prescription-strength formulas or inflexible curriculum (which doesn't work).