Percussion Ensemble is the principal vehicle through which NIU percussion majors are afforded the experience of chamber music. The ensemble works on a three-semester rotation:
1. World Music – performances geared toward the development of an awareness of percussion cultures around the world, done primarily in an oral tradition
2. Keyboard Percussion – compositions chosen that provide ample opportunity for percussionists to hone skills in mallet performance, including improvisation skills
3. Classical and Contemporary Literature – program chosen that exposes percussionists to the classic works of the genre, plus new works that push the medium ever forward