MS/HS PERCUSSION
The Middle School & Advanced Percussion classes at Village Christian
School provide a foundation in the art of drums and percussion, building
on those skills to learn drum cadences and custom song arrangements for
performances. Fairly unique to Village, this is a complete program dedicated
to percussion rather than just a club or after-school event. In Middle
School Percussion, students learn the fundamentals of percussion and rudiments,
how to read sheet music, and are introduced to a wide range of instruments
from marching percussion (drumline) to mallet percussion (xylophone, marimba,
etc.) and beyond (timpani, cymbals, auxiliary percussion, etc.) In Advanced
Percussion, the group expands on percussion techniques and performs alongside
the other music performance groups and as a spirit group for a host of
school functions, drumming up enthusiasm wherever we go!
This class is also offered as P.E. credit for Middle School students, and can be logged as P.E. hours for Independent P.E. in high school.
MEET THE INSTRUCTOR | TYLER SMITH
Tyler Smith, Percussion Director, is a freelance percussionist, educator and composer
living in the Los Angeles area. He has also had the privilege of teaching
percussion at Oaks Christian School, Calabasas High School, Sierra Canyon,
Moorpark High School, and Lawrence Middle School. He has also started
drumline programs at both Sierra Canyon and Oaks Christian School.
As a percussionist, highlights include over 50 musical theater productions in the greater Los Angeles Area, performing the “Raise the Roof” timpani concerto with The Master’s College and Azusa Pacific University, and recording under Gordon Goodwin for Disneyland Paris. In addition to writing percussion literature, he is also involved in music technology, composing, arranging, recording, editing and engraving. He holds a Bachelors of Music degree from Azusa Pacific University, and a Masters of Music degree from California State University, Northridge. He has studied under Bill Schlitt, Mark Converse, John Magnussen and the previous principal percussionist of the LA Philharmonic, Raynor Carroll. He is delighted to bring his talents and abilities to serve the Lord and his students at Village Christian.
