Percussion

Joe's story...

Joseph Richards is currently in his fourth year of the Bachelor of Music Degree programme.

“Since my first day at the Royal College of Music I’ve been in a state of complete amazement at the music making that goes on here. By the end of my first term I’d already had so many performing opportunities, from opening the London Stockhausen Festival with the RCM Symphony Orchestra to playing on stage with marimba virtuoso Mark Ford. As it turns out, that was the quietest of any term since!

It seems to me that the best thing about studying at the RCM is the sheer diversity of musical experiences. With hundreds of concerts each year, you can expect that any musical avenue you wish to explore will not only be open to you, but every effort will be made to encourage and support you to achieve your highest potential.

The Percussion Faculty itself is a constant hub of musical energy. During the first two years you are given in-depth tuition by specialist professors in orchestral percussion, timpani, Latin percussion, jazz vibraphone, drum kit and marimba, before being given the opportunity to specialise in various fields in the third and fourth years. With such a wealth of information at your fingertips, and so many teachers always ready to help, you’re free to become the kind of musician you want to be. Add in the constant stream of masterclasses with top players from around the world and you can guarantee that all the possibilities will be covered; after one masterclass in my first year, I spent a few months utterly convinced that after the RCM I was destined to move to Ghana and spend the rest of my life playing the Gyil.

I can’t even begin to imagine what I would be doing now if I hadn’t chosen the RCM, mostly because I’m always so busy! But there’s nothing better than being busy here, because it’s always with something new, challenging and exciting!”