Brian Fronzaglia, assistant professor of music, wants to teach his students everything.

“We like to tend to focus on both within the class period so that when the percussion majors that are involved within the ensemble throughout their time have a wide perspective as far as historic and contemporary pieces so when they go out and teach percussion they have a pretty wide foundation as far as the percussion medium is concerned,” he said. “I would say that some modern pieces are pieces that have been composed in the last 15 to 20 years. Classical pieces, or I should say historical pieces, that we play are from the early 20 Century.”

The percussion ensemble concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Taylor Auditorium will likely prove that.

“This evening will actually have quite a diverse selection of music,” Fronzaglia said. “We will have the percussion ensemble performing, which is a class in which the music majors who have an emphasis in percussion participate.”

Fronzaglia said the percussion ensemble was given instruments from the international department to coincide with the Brazil semester. Dr. Chad Stebbins, director of the institute of international studies, said the department purchaced close to $1,500 of drums for the music department.

” This year we are very fortunate to have Dr. Chad Stebbins and the international department provided for us some instruments that go along with the Brazil theme semester and the first piece on the concert is a traditional samba piece—a welcome piece that you’ll sometimes hear in the Carnival in Rio,” Fronzaglia said. “That will start off the concert and then we’ll play some additional pieces that will involve everything from the marimba to timpani to all the concert percussion instruments.”

Among the set list, a famous piece from Gustav Mahler’s second symphony will be played.

“We try to keep it as interesting as possible and that is a melodic piece that will, if anything, let you walk away saying that was a great piece of music,” Fronzaglia said.