# Progression Maps ## What are they? Progression maps are short, simple bullet list outlines of broad, Area-specific competencies and outcomes we expect of our student at specific milestones. These differ from [[4.1.0 What are "Program Competencies"|Program Competencies]] in that they are *percussion specific*. They are **our** competencies laid out in a manner that illustrates one *progression* in developing and acquiring knowledge and technical facility as a percussionist. ## Rationale For over 30 years, UNLV Percussion has prided itself on an individual approach to percussion pedagogy. Rather than a one-size-fits-all, “cookie cutter” approach, we prescribed materials and learning expectations for students in an adaptive yet challenging way. However, we've observed a psychological shift and new trends emerging among our current generation(s) of students that inform our pedagogical approach. Thus, our underlying framework has adapted to fit the needs of our current and future students. ### Core Principle **We treat everyone fairly, but not everyone the same.** People live and breath, music lives and breaths; therefore, our pedagogy lives and breaths. However, with this organic approach to each person, we aim to ensure all students reach certain levels of proficiency that represent a collegiately-trained percussionist that reflects our [[1.1 Program Information#Mission Statement |Mission Statement]]. Our individual [[4.3.0 What are Proficiency Minimums|proficiency minimums]] are not determined by each student’s age or semester of study. Instead, we recognize a student’s abilities when arriving at UNLV and determine proficiency expectations relative to that starting point and adjust future expectations based on the speed of progression through numerous checkpoints. These checkpoints emerge in the form of technical exercises, etudes, specific solo repertoire, or any myriad of material. Often times, students reach points of expressive “writers block” wherein the proficiency expectation is elusive and highly personal. It is with a mixture of a true personal relationship and thoughtfully applied literature that we lay the path for students to draw their musicianship out of themselves rather than beat it out of them (which doesn’t work) with prescription-strength pedagogical formulas.