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Northwestern University Percussion Studio

@nu.percussion

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Please join us in welcoming Professor Benjamin Krauss to our faculty, our second of two new Artist-Teacher’s of Percussion!

Percussionist Benjy Krauss is an artist with broad musical and scholarly interests. Mr. Krauss is a distinguished soloist and 1st prize winner at the Great Plains International Marimba Competition. A musician equally versed in classical, contemporary, and popular styles, he has experience performing on Broadway and with major symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout the country.

Based in New York City, Benjy maintains a diverse performing career. He is currently subbing on Ragtime at Lincoln Center and regularly collaborates with Rocket City New Music and Contemporaneous Ensemble. His orchestral career includes performances with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, and Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Krauss was previously an associate member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra and The Orchestra Now.

Prior to joining the faculty at TCNJ, Mr. Krauss taught percussion at Utah State University and was part time faculty at Northwestern University, where he was awarded a place on the Faculty Honor Roll by the NU Associated Student Government. He has presented masterclasses at Northwestern University, the New York Percussive Arts Society Day of Percussion, and the Suffolk Country Music Educators Association Day of Percussion. Krauss also teaches percussion at The Allen-Stevenson School and Midori & Friends. He has over a decade of experience teaching at programs that provide a music education to communities typically denied access. His students have been admitted to some of the top music programs in the country and beyond, including the Cleveland Institute of Music, Northwestern University, Haute Ecole de Musique de Geneve, San Francisco Conservatory, the University of Michigan, and DePaul University.

Benjy is a proud alumnus of Northwestern University (D.M.A. [ABD], M.M.) and the University of Michigan (B.M., B.A.)

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forever is a feeling and i’m feeling like i want to be here forever!

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Happy to have given two clinics at the @bienenschoolnu Percussion Symposium! Huge thanks to @she.e.wu for having me this year. Was super inspired by the other clinicians and the promising young students. Now back to Lenox for some more teaching!! 🥁

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We love to welcome back our past competitors!

Join us tomorrow for the 2025 GPIMC Collegiate/Open Winner’s Concert, presented by Blake Parker!

Bio:

Blake Parker is a percussionist originally from San Diego, California. Before dedicating themselves to percussion, they studied visual arts, filmmaking, and journalism. This diverse background continues to influence their collaboration with artists of all kinds.

Blake studied with She-e Wu at Northwestern University, where they developed a deep love for contemporary repertoire. In spring 2024, they appeared as a soloist with Northwestern’s Contemporary Music Ensemble in Steven Takasugi’s Sideshow. A finalist in the 2024 Majaoja Percussion Competition, Blake went on to win first prize at the 2025 Great Plains Marimba Competition and second prize at the 2026 Modern Snare Drum Competition.

In summer 2026, Blake will attend the Lucerne Festival Academy, then continue their studies with Philippe Spiesser at the Haute École de Musique de Genève.

Program:
“Sonata for Violoncello” by George Crumb
I. Fantasia
II. Tema pastorale con variazioni
III. Toccata

“For Marimba I” by Tokuhide Niimi

“Totem” by Arnold Marinissen
I.
II.

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This month, I graduated from @bienenschoolnu with a degree in Percussion Performance with Honor’s Distinction and Music Theory! I also had a great experience playing with @civicorchestra in my last quarter.

I’m ever grateful to all the people I crossed paths with while at Northwestern. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to learn about music and life with than @nu.percussion and @she.e.wu. Looking forward to what comes next in Cleveland!

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Just like that, this academic year is finished. What a great year! We will miss class 26' but we know you will go out and do great things! You will always have a home to come back to! 🥁💜
@bienenschoolnu @jscheidt627 @_aizik_ @adam_langs @dakinney21 @r.payne12 #class2026 #ilovemypeople #northwestern

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Excited for my Sophomore recital this Saturday, at 5:00pm

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Thrilled to announce that I will be attending the Cleveland Institute of Music for a masters in music performance this fall! My four years at Northwestern have been wonderful and I look forward to continuing my percussion and timpani studies with Marc Damoulakis and Paul Yancich.

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Study with us this summer!

Applications are due April 1 for the Northwestern University Percussion Symposium 📲

Link in our bio for all the details! 🔗

And HS students: apply to study with us at Denison University Summer TUTTI!

w/ @bienenschoolnu @nu.percussion @she.e.wu

#thirdcoastpercussion #percussion #percussionensemble

@vicfirth @pearladamspercussion @adamspercussion @remopercussion @meinlpercussion @zildjiancompany

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Percussionists, there’s a couple weeks left to apply to study with TCP this summer @ Northwestern @bienenschoolnu!

Hear more from Sean about what’s in store this July 🥁☀️

@she.e.wu @pearladamspercussion @vicfirth @adamspercussion @meinlpercussion @remopercussion @zildjiancompany

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Performing with Northwestern's Contemporary Music Ensemble at the Museum of Contemporary Art was an unforgettable experience.

Late last year, Alan reached out to me about putting together a set of John Cage's Song Books to perform this quarter, but I had no idea what all was actually in store. Maddy, Isabel, and I all put together our own sets to perform while CME concurrently performed Cage's Concert for Piano and Orchestra, among several other pieces throughout. The program slowly evolved into something truly magical that can't be described in words.

So many thanks to every single person involved. Alan for trusting me with such an important project. All of the MCA staff for providing the highest levels of professionalism and accomodations through the whole experience. Angela for being an amazing percussion buddy this cycle. Isabel and Maddy for putting in so much effort to make this performance perfect. Ben and the whole CME ensemble for being such creative and open-minded people. And of course to Maya, Lowell, Drew, and Roxie for coming to support (even though tickets weren't guaranteed!!!)

Yoko Ono and John Cage are/were two of the greatest minds in contemporary art, and it was an honor to perform their works in a beautiful, esteemed venue with some of the best students in Chicago.

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Study with us at the Northwestern University Percussion Symposium this summer! 😎🌞🥁 July 13-18, 2026

Third Coast Percussion will lead a one-week chamber music intensive as part of the Northwestern University Percussion Symposium in 2026. Students in the chamber music intensive will experience 6 days of coaching and mentorship from TCP on music from our ensemble’s repertoire, culminating in a concert performance of this music. Students may apply as individuals or as pre-formed percussion ensembles.

Students will also take classes from a bonkers list of distinguished faculty 🤯

See the link in our bio to apply!

See you there…

#thirdcoastpercussion #percussion #percussionensemble #northwesternuniversity

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