All online MECA courses begin
on February 3 and conclude on
May 4, 2020.
Registration for all online
courses closes at 12:00 noon CST
on Friday, January 31.
Spring break for online
courses is March 16-20, 2020;
no courses will be held.
Dates for on-campus courses vary; please check each course's page
for specific dates. Registration
for all on-campus courses closes two weeks prior to the course
start date.
On-Campus Course Hours
Saturdays: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sundays: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
All single-credit weekend courses
will have pre- and post-course
components. Check each course's
page for specific details.
Questions?
Percussion for the
Non-Percussionist: Snare Drum
October 5–6, 2019
Need to brush up on those snare skills? This course offers in-depth methods of teaching snare drum from day one, with a focus on transferable skills that can organically create a foundation for well-rounded percussionists. A detailed sequence will be provided to give
you the skills you need to start your percussionists on on the right foot (or stick).
Instructor: Dr. James Yakas
Director of Percussion Studies James Yakas joined VanderCook in 2015, and recently earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts in percussion performance from the University of North Texas, where he also earned his bachelor’s degree in music education. After earning his master’s degree in percussion performance and pedagogy from Northern Illinois University, he spent 12 summers in the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, eventually becoming their percussion coordinator and arranger in 2003. Yakas has performed at festivals in Trinidad/Tobago and Seoul, South Korea. He studied Afro-Cuban drumming with Orlando Cotto, and accompanied ethnomusicologist Dr. Steven Friedson for tribal drumming studies in Ghana. Yakas endorses Yamaha Percussion, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Remo Drumheads and World Percussion Instruments, and Sabian Cymbals. Currently he is vice president of the Illinois PAS chapter.
Course Details
Percussion for the Non-Percussionist: Snare Drum
Course Code 6139
Instructor: Dr. James Yakas
1 Graduate Credit
Tuition: $350, due in full
with registration
Location
VanderCook
Prerequisites
None
Required Text(s)
None
Software/Hardware Requirements
Internet access is required.
WEEKEND MECA COURSE INFORMATION
Saturday classes are generally held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Two 15-minute breaks and one 30-minute lunch break are scheduled.
Sunday classes are generally held from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with one 15-minute break scheduled. Individual schedules and break times may vary per individual instructor.
Parking
MECA participants may park in Visitor Lot B5 on IIT's Main Campus.