Why Study at A-State?
Because you want a total percussion education that allows you to explore your creative passions while preparing you for a lifelong career in music.
We pride ourselves on our phenomenal track record of getting our graduates hired, accepted into graduate school, or on to whatever their next career step is. Percussion studies at A-State are an immersive, challenging experience designed to give you all the practical tools you need to excel as a 21st-century music professional. This starts in the practice room but also includes pedagogy training, professional development, social media training, time management and organizational skills, and more.​​
Because you want opportunities to play and study music at the highest level.
A-State music students are surrounded by performance opportunities, whether on or off campus. While the A-State Drumline is our most visible ensemble, the Music Department also boasts two percussion ensembles, a steel band, two Jazz bands, and three concert bands which have received national recognition, in addition to the orchestra and choirs which occasionally involve percussion. Music majors will regularly attend and play in the Tuesday Morning Recital Series and weekly Percussion Seminar, as well as their own degree recitals as they near graduation.
Because you want an elite education without the elite cost
A-State's Music Department is consistently ranked as one of Arkansas's top three university music programs, and its low tuition and cost of living also makes it one of Arkansas's best bargains (A-State students can expect to save over $2,000 every year compared with students at those other top-ranked music programs). But make no mistake, the education and training you will receive as a Red Wolf is top-shelf, as you make use of some of the best percussion equipment available and highly sought-after Music Facilities while receiving daily instruction from over 35 world-class music professors. In the Percussion Area alone, our faculty hold a combined eight degrees in music and over half a century of performance and teaching experience!
Because Jonesboro is a destination for musical opportunity
Many A-State students earn extra experience (and income!) by serving as percussion instructors for nearby public schools, teaching private lessons to pre-college students, and performing with local and regional arts organizations such as the Delta Symphony Orchestra, the Link musical theatre company, and the Foundation of the Arts.