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Department of Winds & Percussion

Collaboration is at the heart of the Department of Winds & Percussion. The acclaimed faculty’s exceptional dedication and personal approach to each student creates a fully-integrated environment where students thrive and performance opportunities abound. Students can participate in ensembles across a variety of genres, and create new and boundless collaborations throughout both the School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD) as well as the greater University. Whether interested in a traditional career trajectory, or forging new creative paths, students receive a dynamic education, assuring them of the intensive training they need to foster artistic growth and excellence, and the support and resources to follow their muse.

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Faculty

At Michigan, private study goes beyond a weekly appointment. Professors are accessible and involved mentors, deeply committed to their students’ growth as individuals as well as musicians. The faculty’s range of experience creates an incomparable in-house resource, while their commitment to teaching provides students with the foundation and real-world guidance needed to flourish in today’s musical landscape.


David Jackson

Professor of Music
Brass Chamber Music Coordinator, Trombone

Doug Perkins

Associate Professor of Music; Director of Percussion
Percussion

Amy Porter

Chair of Winds & Percussion and Professor of Music
Flute

Studios

Across all disciplines, students perform and study with their peers in studio classes and perform for the public in solo student recitals and studio recitals.

bassoonplayer

Bassoon Studio

quartet

Oboe Studio

trombone player

Trombone Studio

flute porter teaching

Flute Studio

WIPD percussion xylophone instrument

Percussion Studio

euphonium tuba brass ensemble WIPD winds

Tuba & Euphonium Studio

Two French Horn players perform in an ensemble.

Horn Studio

teaching saxophone WIPD winds Timothy McAllister

Saxophone Studio

Performance Opportunities

From large ensembles in celebrated concert halls to chamber groups in intimate recital spaces, performance opportunities across all disciplines abound, with nearly 900 student performances each academic year. Whether your focus is on early, classical, or contemporary music, whether your passion is for jazz, electronic, or world music, there is an ensemble—or in many cases, multiple ensembles—to suit your interests.

smtd performance opportunities
Bands

Bands & Wind Ensembles

With several large ensembles to choose from, wind and percussion students can explore a range of opportunities for immersive performance experiences.

Our Stories

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Alumni Notes

More Alumni Notes
Chadwick Thomas (MM ’20, clarinet) was appointed clarinet instructor at the Hartt School Community Division at the University of Hartford, Wesleyan University, and Cheshire Academy. In summer 2025, he completed a three-year position as clarinet teaching fellow at Interlochen Arts Camp.
Isabella Kolasinski (MM ’21, horn) was appointed as visiting assistant professor of horn at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam for spring 2026. She received her DMA from Arizona State University in 2025, having performed with multiple Arizona ensembles, and was recently a guest artist at the Chamber Music Silicon Valley Festival and the Saarburg Festival.
In fall 2025, James A. Long (DMA ’21, tuba) was appointed assistant professor of music, director of bands, and professor of low brass at Victoria College in Victoria, Texas. He previously held faculty appointments at San José State University; California State University, Sacramento; and Oakland University, and he remains active as a conductor and performer.

Show Your Support

Any gift to SMTD helps launch the next generation of artists, scholars, educators, and entrepreneurs who challenge and inspire the world.

You can support the Department of Winds & Percussion with a contribution to the following funds:

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