SUMMER 2021
All online Summer MECA
courses begin on June 7
and conclude on August 1,
except as noted.
Registration Extended!
Registration closes at
5:00 p.m. CST on June 20, 2021
for ONLINE Courses.
Questions?
Visit our MECA FAQs page.
Add, drop, change or withdraw
using the Add/Drop Form.
For all other MECA-related
questions, contact us at
meca@vandercook.edu
or 312.788.1139.
Percussion for the
Non-Percussionist: Snare Drum
ONLINE
June 7–August 1, 2021
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 the right foot (or stick).
Instructor: Dr. James Yakas
Director of Percussion Studies Dr. James Yakas joined VanderCook in 2015, and received his 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 is a member of the Percussive Arts Society Education Committee as well as the Vice President of the Illinois Chapter of PAS. He endorses Yamaha Percussion, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Remo Drumheads and World Percussion Instruments and Sabian Cymbals.
Course Details
Percussion for the
Non-Percussionist:
Snare Drum
Course Code 7531
Instructor
Dr. James Yakas
jyakas@vandercook.edu
3 Graduate Credits
Tuition
$1,065, due in full with registration
Chat Sessions
TBD
All chats will be recorded.
Attendance is voluntary but
encouraged. Students should
be ready to play during live sessions.
Prerequisites
None
Required Materials
Drum pad/stand, sticks, metronome
Software/Hardware Requirements
Internet access is required.
MECA Online
is powered by Schoology
Schoology is a learning management system that allows you to interact directly with your instructors, fellow students, and members of the greater VanderCook community.
Summer 2021 MECA courses officially begin on Monday, June 7. Soon after you register, be on the lookout for an email from Schoology with log-in instructions. Once you receive credentials, visit online.vandercook.edu to login. On the morning of June 7, you'll have access to your classroom and course material.
Some courses have specific online chat meeting times (please see course descriptions), while others have a flexible meeting schedule. You can expect all courses to meet together in a live online chat. If a live meeting time doesn’t work, you can work with your instructor to make other arrangements.
Online grades will be reported by mid-June. If you need a transcript, please visit the online transcript request page. For faster turnaround time, please submit the transcript request to the registrar prior to the end of your course(s).
More information about Schoology can be found at www.schoology.com.