Excellence starts here.

Thom Hannum's Mobile Percussion Seminar

Thom Hannum’s Mobile Percussion Seminar moved to a new two-day format in 2022.

Our teaching staff uses the methods that MPS was founded to train percussionists of all ability levels.

Our new format provides the on campus experience at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

The MPS Method

The Mobile Percussion Seminar incorporates all the techniques necessary to develop a quality percussion program in your school. These fundamentals can be applied to all styles and mediums of percussion performance, from the concert hall to the marching field.

In all situations, the well rounded percussionist must rely on a solid foundation of technique, reading, and musicianship. These three areas are the basis of the Mobile Percussion Seminar, a leader in marching percussion music.

How We Learn

Each seminar begins with a review of the essential fundamentals: stick or mallet selection, grip maintenance, tuning, and posture.

Next, we cover various stroke types, beat patterns, and rudiments while emphasizing the importance of rebound control.

Keyboard players are instructed in two, three, and four mallet techniques through performance of scales and standard chord progressions.

What We Teach

As the seminar progresses, your students will be challenged to maintain these basics while developing reading and musicianship skills.

Uniform sticking, dynamic control, use of various playing zones and sound production are just some of the skills emphasized.

Proper rehearsal technique, use of the section leader, and a positive mental attitude are stressed.

Learning Tools

The Seminar program is carefully designed so your students will learn these fundamentals with the aid of a Student Workbook and corresponding assignments.

This is a great reference manual for individual practice and group instruction. The goal of the program is to train the student to teach themselves.