The Max Roach M’Boom Percussion Ensemble

Course Description

Summary

Inspired by Max Roach’s revolutionary percussion collective, this ensemble operates as a collaborative laboratory where composition, improvisation, and performance intersect. M’Boom famously reimagined percussion as a frontline melodic and harmonic force bridging jazz, chamber music, and world music. In this hands-on course, students will channel Roach’s concepts of freedom, innovation, and social inquiry to drive their own individual and collective artistic choices. As an active playing and writing workshop, students will grapple with spontaneous creation, open-ended composition, and structured arrangement. Through direct experimentation at the instruments, alongside the study of rare M’Boom scores and recordings, participants will create original works, develop improvisation strategies, and navigate the fluid boundary between the written score and live performance. This course is open to all instruments, not just percussion. Students considering this course should be able to clearly communicate ideas on their instrument, which includes vocal students. The course culminates in an end of term presentation featuring classic M'Boom repertoire and original student compositions.

The faculty for this course will be Dr. Sean Leah Bowden.