FOREWORD The primary goal for the teacher of young percussionists is to develop their students’ musicianship and percussion skills in a fun and supportive environment. No matter how carefully one designs their curriculum, if the exercises and etudes fail to grab the students’ interest, their commitment to percussion is likely to fade. On the other hand, if one’s lessons consist of simply having fun at the expense of the curriculum, the teacher is doing the student a disservice. This book of duets helps to build a bridge between a sound curriculum and fun, interactive lessons. After all, what could be more exciting for a young student than to make music with their teacher? The success of a private lesson can be measured by the amount of energy and enthusiasm generated, by the level of focus achieved by the student, and by the connection made between the student and teacher. Furthermore, most students respond to measurable progress – whether they are earning merit badges, martial arts belts, or in this case snare drum levels as they strive to “level up!” This collection consists of well-graduated duets that introduce new and important fundamental concepts at each level. The teacher may choose to reinforce these fundamental concepts with exercises of their own, creating connections between each student’s warm-ups, solo etudes, and LEVEL UP! duets. In a broader sense, students will experience improvement in their reading ability, technique, and listening skills as they experience chamber music-making with their teacher. These duets do not encourage the recycling or memorizing of stock rhythmic patterns but rather encourage the students to read chamber music from a score – an invaluable skill in and of itself. Chelsea Tinsler Jones is a thoughtful, dedicated, and gifted teacher and performer – always fully committed to each project and guided by her musical and pedagogical instincts. She composed the 15 duets found in LEVEL UP! in order to address the needs of her students and, in turn, the students of others. In doing so, she has created a unique and invaluable resource for students and teachers alike.
—Benjamin Toth Professor of Percussion The Hartt School, University of Hartford
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