User Manual

REBECCA KITE 1
Educator Series
PERCUSSION
Rebecca Kite
Keyboard Percussion Repertoire:
Elementary through High School
By Rebecca Kite
The challenge and excitement of learning to play the percussion instruments is created by the ever
expanding number of instruments and techniques demanded of the musicians as they progress from
beginning band through high school. No other instrument in the band program requires such a vari-
ety of skills and musicianship. In the percussion section, the keyboard percussion offers a rewarding
transition from the beginning small bell kit to the keyboard section of the band that includes the
xylophone, bells, vibraphone, marimba, chimes and crotales.
Elementary Band
You can begin preparing your elementary school or beginning band students by making sure they
learn to read pitched music and listen to and perform melodies and harmonies as well as learning to
play the snare drum. The easiest way to do this is to fully utilize the “Bells” book for the beginning
band method you use with your band. All percussionists should work from both the “Drums” and
the “Bells” books. If your band method doesn’t have a “Bells” book, your students can easily read
from the “Oboe” book.
I recommend that the percussionists participate in all playing tests, with daily scale practice and warm
ups on both snare and bells. In addition, students should be rotated in the section to gain experience
on all the instruments (as opposed to keeping the “strongest” player on snare all the time and the
best music reader on bells all the time).
Middle School and High School Repertoire
Here is a list of music that I have found to be appropriate in the middle and high school levels. I have
listed pieces that I have used in my teaching and performing career. This list gives a wide variety of
choices for students at various levels, for two and four mallets and for the three standard keyboard
instruments: the xylophone, vibraphone and marimba.
These supplementary solo materials are appropriate for private study, for assignment to the percus-
sionists for playing tests, for solo and ensemble contest, recitals and scholarship and college
entrance auditions.
Rebecca Kite has been performing as a
marimba soloist for over twenty years,
appearing in concerts, recitals and festivals
across the United States and in South
America, Japan and Europe. Known as well
as a percussion educator, she also conducts
clinics, masterclasses, residencies and coach-
ing sessions internationally. Kite is on the per-
cussion faculty of the University of Maryland
School of Music in College Park.
Her publications include: “Reading Mallet
Percussion Music”, a method for high school
and college percussionists learning to read
pitched music; and “Anthology of Lute and
Guitar Music for Marimba”, transcriptions for
four mallet, low A marimba. Her performance
may be heard on her recordings, “Prism” (a
collection of pieces for student marimbist)
and “Across Time”.