Mission and Vision

The International Percussion Institute (IPI) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization intent on providing educational opportunities and culturally immersive experiences in the Arts, Humanities, and Health and Wellness. Through participation in seminars, performances, and educational outreach, our goal is to offer life-changing experiences which will support and transform students as well as encourage interdisciplinary inquiry, cultural awareness, and advocacy for the arts.

The International Percussion Institute (IPI) is excited to announce our 2023 return to Aberdeen, Scotland!! The 2023 Institute will be hosting a 2 day seminar on August 3rd and 4th at the University of Aberdeen. The IPI seminar will provide University/Conservatory percussionists the opportunity to engage in a broad range of percussion and drum-kit activities such a clinics, masterclasses, performances, and lessons. Classes focus on a variety of percussion-centric topics ranging from performance, pedagogy, repertoire, artistic process, composition, and health and wellness all instructed by our renown institute faculty.

Location: Aberdeen, Scotland - The University of Aberdeen
Date: August 3-4, 2023
Eligibility: participants must be a minimum of 17 years of age

Application deadline: July 7th
(Paid in full):  
$63.00, £50.00 or €59.00
Should you need lodging, please indicate your need for housing on the application link below, and we will arrange housing for you at a rate of £40.00 or €47.00 per night.
GBP and Euro conversion rates will be updated on bi-monthly basis to reflect the current market exchange

Past seminar topics have included:

The Art of Noise 
A historical perspective on the advent of percussion literature and its evolution throughout the 20th century. Composers to be discussed include Luigi Russolo, Igor Stravinsky, Edgar Varese, George Antheil, John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Morton Feldman, Helmut Lachenmann, Lou Harrison, William Kraft, Steve Reich, Joseph Schwantner, Eric Ewazen, Christopher Rouse, Dave Hollinden, Minoru Miki, Toru Takemitsu, and more.

Process and Meta-Process: Technical Development and Conceptualization in Music
An exploration into performance practice applications in both classical and contemporary percussion ranging from ensemble repertoire, solo marimba, and multi-percussion installations.    

A Study in Timbre:  World Percussion, the forgotten oral/aural tradition
A study in West African Drumming and its influence on communal and sustainable development.

I Had it in the Practice Room
A survey of memory strategies and organizational tools to develop more efficient and effective practicing. Specific tools for mallet practice, snare drum practice, groove/timekeeping as well as memorization are discussed. 

The Timpanist's Palette
A music-first exploration of timpani performance concepts driven by the cultural context in which composers wrote and timpanists performed.  Central topics include tone, color, articulation, timbre and how to use these ideas to implement a wide palette of techniques in performance.

The Performing Marimbist
An in-depth study of all facets of marimba performance practice including body/kinesthetic awareness, stroke types/timbres, warm-ups, and how they are applied to repertoire

From the Practice Room to the Concert Hall: Bridging the Gap
Exploring cognitive strategies ranging from centering, mindfulness, visualization, and mapping pathways to proprioception and kinesthetic awareness.

Contact IPI

Should you have any questions regarding our 2023 Seminar and Youth Arts Education Workshops, please feel free to contact us by filling out the form below.