Home > About
What is the NWPP?The Northwest Percussion Project began in 2006 and is an annual one-day event for students in grades 5 through 12, teachers and anyone else interested in the fundamentals of percussion.
Our focus is to expose young musicians to as many areas of percussion as possible while giving them quality hands-on instruction in a fun and supportive environment. Workshop sessions cover technique, concert percussion, marching percussion, mallet percussion, drumset, world percussion, maintenance and many other topics.
Why did the NWPP get started?
The typical format for a percussion clinic is much like a lecture & demonstration. The presenter performs, then takes questions from the audience and finishes the event with another performance. While it is inspiring to see great performers up close and be able to ask them questions, we felt we could offer another format that would better serve the needs and interests of young musicians.
We gather the finest instructors from around the Northwest and create an environment that exposes these musicians to as many different aspects of percussion as we can, while offereing them great information and resources in a completely hands-on format.
What do participants think about the NWPP?
Participants never hestitate to give us their thoughts about the NWPP. We consistently hear from them about how much fun it is and how much they enjoy learning new skills from our instructors. The element of comraderie generated by having so many drummers in one place is amazing and undeniably supportive. Teachers tell us that after their students return from the event that they have a new sense of confidence in their playing and contribute much more positively to their daily band rehearsals.
The most important aspect is that students gain an appreciation for just how wide and varied the world of percussion is and how much there is to learn. This in turn fires them up to work hard and learn more.
Why is the NWPP so affordable?
One of the goals of Northwest Percussion Project is accessibility to everyone regardless of musical or financial concerns. The NWPP is run as a non-profit event and all of our faculty and staff volunteer their time. Registration fees are used exclusively to cover operating expenses. This allows more participants access to this great experience. Scholarships are also available for those in need.
How many people attend the NWPP?
PARTICIPANTS |
ATTENDANCE |
AMTOW* |
|||
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
||
| 4th Grade | n/a |
n/a |
5 |
4 |
9 |
| 5th Grade | 25 |
9 |
8 |
13 |
53 |
| 6th Grade | 23 |
25 |
16 |
13 |
41 |
| 7th Grade | 25 |
28 |
11 |
19 |
51 |
| 8th Grade | 10 |
27 |
16 |
18 |
65 |
| 9th Grade | 5 |
20 |
17 |
5 |
40 |
| 10th Grade | 5 |
9 |
4 |
8 |
79 |
| 11th Grade | 3 |
9 |
3 |
2 |
91 |
| 12th Grade | 1 |
9 |
2 |
0 |
99 |
| K-12 Teachers | 7 |
6 |
2 |
4 |
101 |
| Community Members | 2 |
4 |
4 |
15 |
62 |
| Clinicians & Staff | 22 |
40 |
44 |
43 |
34 |
TOTAL |
128 |
186 |
132 |
144 |
63 |
What kind of press does the NWPP receive?
The First Annual Northwest Percussion Project received press releases in Percussion News, the Pearl Newsletter, the Vic Firth Newsletter, Modern Drummer (July 2006, p. 172) and in Drum Business (May/June 2006, p. 6).
SITE MAP