Birch Creek Summer Music Academy
Percussion, Steel Pan
& World Music
Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music Session
June 14 – 27, 2026 | Tuition: $2,400
A two-week session for students entering grade seven through graduating grade 12. Tuition includes room and board. Need-based and merit scholarships are available. Guyette Named Percussion Scholarships are available to eligible Percussion Session students.
Registration for the 2026 summer music academy is open.
With its unique focus on jazz mallets, popular and commercial music, and world percussion, the Birch Creek Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music session offers students a percussion experience like no other summer music program.
Students will become part of an immersive learning community that centers on individual growth in both small and large group settings. Each day, you will work side by side with accomplished, energetic and caring percussion performers and teachers, then share the stage with them for a series of one-of-a-kind musical performances.
Do you want to learn to improvise? Do you want to get your groove on? Do you want to learn about music of the world? Do you want to be part of the creative process that brings new music to life? Then Birch Creek is the place for you this summer!
Experience Birch Creek’s Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music Session
Join us at Birch Creek Music Performance Center for a vibrant Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music session! In this video, you'll get a taste of our thrilling percussion performances, including the infectious melodies of the steel pan. Watch and learn from faculty and students what Birch Creek is all about!
Areas of Study
The Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music Session consists of three overlapping components in which all percussion students participate:
The Birch Creek Percussion Ensemble focuses primarily on popular, commercial, and improvised music for large and small groups. This ensemble performs custom compositions and arrangements written by our creative staff. The music ranges from music for film and television to classic pop music, jazz, and new directions in commercial music.
The Birch Creek Steel Band provides an exciting opportunity to learn to play the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. You will learn steel pan performance techniques and history. If you already play steel pan, you can advance your improvisation skills and even learn to compose or arrange music for steel pans.
The Birch Creek World Percussion Ensemble explores the musical styles of Brazil, Cuba the Middle East and others. Experience the excitement of learning and performing traditional world music presented in their traditional forms, as well as being part of the creation of new compositions inspired by music of the world.
New in 2026!
Composing and Arranging for Percussion Track
This unique experience is available to qualified High School students who want to learn about writing music for percussion. The Track runs alongside the Birch Creek Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music Session. Students will learn about composition technique, orchestration, and arranging for percussion from published composers. Up to five spots are available for composition students.
Composition students will begin each day with Music Theory, a class which primarily focuses on the building blocks of music. Students will then attend a Daily Writing class, where they will learn how to develop musical ideas and arrange for percussion. In Music Appreciation class, students will learn about the historical and cultural context for the music they are writing.
In addition to these daily classes, composition students will observe percussion and steel band rehearsals. Students will also be given ample free time throughout the day to write and refine their compositions.
NOTE: You do not need to be a percussionist to participate in this session. You are welcome to bring a personal instrument, but it is not required.
Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music Faculty
Subject to change
Previous Guest Faculty and Performers include Ånders Åstrand (Swedish Vibraphone Artist), Taylor Ambrosio-Wood (Composer for Video Games, T.V. & Film), Christine Augspurger (freelance musician, Austin, TX), Mat Britain (Freelance Musician, Director of Vanderbilt University Steel Band), Michael J. Burritt (Director of Percussion, Eastman School of Music), Alejandro Céspedes and Michelle Colton (Oregano Percussion Duo, Toronto), Gene Koshinski (Director of Percussion, University of Delaware), Liam Teague (Professor of Music and Director of Steelpan Studies, Northern Illinois University).
Why Birch Creek?
The Birch Creek Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music session offers a comprehensive summer education experience for the young adult percussionist. Through firsthand experience with many performances, small-group instruction, and master classes, this program provides an incredible study of all the instruments and styles expected of today’s percussionist who is planning on working at the college level and beyond.