The primary emphasis of the Bachelor of Music degree is on development of the skills, concepts and sensitivities essential to the life of the professional musician. At the center of the instructional program for this degree are courses in performance (such as applied lessons, masterclasses, and ensembles), musicianship skills and analysis (music theory, aural skills, keyboard skills, and conducting), and history and repertoire. Students whose primary instrument is in the Wind/Percussion family can receive a Bachelor of Music with a concentration in Performance/Winds and Percussion, a Bachelor of Education, or a Bachelor of Arts in Music. VCU Music offers a strong program to Wind/Percussion students. Solo performance study is complemented by an emphasis on professor/student and student/student collaboration.<br><br>Graduates of VCU Wind/Percussion studios are accomplished performers and experienced teachers. They have many years of major orchestral experience, an impressive discography, extensive publications and legions of former students who themselves are producing yet more generations of performers and teachers. Wind/percussion alumni hold positions in symphony orchestras and military bands worldwide and are educators at universities, conservatories and public and private schools throughout the country.