SOLO PERCUSSION

PAUKEN PAIRINGS (grade 1 or 2)
for solo timpani

LULLABY OF A DREAM (grade 1)
for solo marimba

EXTRA SPICES, PLEASE (grade 2)
for solo marimba

forFOUR (grade 2 or 3)
for solo marimba

IN A HEARTBEAT (grade 2)
for solo marimba

MOTION (grade 2)
for solo vibraphone

TOY BOX (grade 1)
for solo multi percussion

PERCUSSION ENSEMBLES

BASIC GEOMETRY (grade 1)
for percussion trio

CHIPBOARD (grade 3)
for percussion quartet

CLOUDS MAKE SONGO AWAY (grade 2)
for percussion ensemble (for 8-13 players)

CONVERSATIONS (grade 3)
for percussion trio

DUET TRIO (grade 3)
for percussion trio

HANDS UP (grade 2)
for percussion trio

INSTITUTIONALIZED (grade 1)
for percussion quartet

JUST LIKE THAT (grade 3)
for percussion quintet

PRIME NUMBERS (grade 1)
for six players on a single marimba

RING TOSS (grade 1)
for snare drum quartet

ROUNDABOUT (grade 1)
for percussion trio

SHIFTING WAVES (grade 3)
for percussion ensemble (10 players)

SWATCHES (grade 1)
for three players on a single marimba

TIGHT QUARTERS (grade 3)
for keyboard percussion ensemble (4-7 players)

TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA (grade 2)
for percussion trio

WOOD, METAL, SKIN (grade 3)
for three or more players

ZEUG (grade 3)
for percussion quartet

ZIG ZAG (grade 1)
for keyboard percussion trio

MIXED CHAMBER ENSEMBLES

A SIMPLE PROCESS (grade 2)
for flute with percussion sextet

DESERT CLOUDS (grade 1)
for flute, violin, and marimba

IMPACT (grade 2)
for tuba/euphonium quartet plus percussion

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HUNGARIAN
a percussion ensemble arrangement of Edward MacDowell’s piano solo

PRELUDE & FUGUE
a percussion ensemble based on the footprint of the Chávez “Toccata”

RING TOSS
a snare drum quartet commissioned by the Momentum Percussion Group

SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES
a commissioned collection for multiple-percussion duo

SMALL BUT MIGHTY
a percussion septet showcasing smaller and handheld percussion instruments

THESE ARE ODD TIMES
a percussion septet exploring asymmetrical time signatures

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DOT DASH
for flexible percussion ensemble

KIT SIX
a collection for beginning percussion ensemble

THERE, THEIR, THEY’RE
for percussion quartet

YAWP!
for percussion quintet

ZIG ZAG
for keyboard percussion trio

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FREELANCE
10 Commonsense Keys to Making YOUR Music YOUR Business

HAPPINESS THEME
for vibraphone solo

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
for vibraphone trio

LIGHT ON THE ICE
for clarinet and marimba duo

ONCE IN LOVE WITH AMY
for vibraphone solo

PAUKEN PAIRINGS
for two timpani plus track

PRIME NUMBERS
for six players on one marimba

PURE IMAGINATION
for vibraphone solo

SOMEWHERE OUT THERE
for vibraphone solo

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE
for percussion ensemble

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BUBBLEGUM
for percussion ensemble

BULK TRASH
for percussion trio

DECK PARK TUNNEL
for percussion ensemble

ELDORADO
for bass voice and percussion duo

KLEPTOMANIA
for marimba and cajon duo

PADS IN ISOLATION
for practice pad quartet

OPEN SPACES
for marimba solo

QUINTIC
for percussion quintet

THANKS FOR LISTENING
for vibraphone and marimba duo

TWO DANCES…OF SORTS
for saxophone and percussion duo

TWO STEPS FORWARD
a method for the beginning keyboard percussionist

YET DO I FEAR THY NATURE
for soprano recorder and percussion duo

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CHRISTMAS THREE
a collection for keyboard percussion trio

ROPES COURSE
for clarinet solo

TO SEE
for bass voice and vibraphone duo

ZEUG
for percussion quartet

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WHAT’S A CAJON?
A cajon originated in Peru as a shipping crate. It simply happened to be the resource available to displaced slaves from Africa determined to find anything to serve as a drum. Given how interconnected percussion was with the lives and culture of these individuals, not having drums was not an option! Peruvian cajons are wooden boxes about a foot square and 18-20″ tall. The front surface of the instrument is made of a thin piece of resonant wood and a sound port hole is typically cut in the back or one of the sides. From Peru, the cajon gradually made its way to Spain where it was incorporated into flamenco music. Flamenco cajons typically add wire strings strung along the inside the front plate to create a buzzing snare sound when the cajon is struck. Not unlike other instruments with an international heritage (djembe, congas, marimba, etc.) the cajon has now found a place in formal percussion study at schools and universities and in all styles of American popular music.

HAND DRUM OR DRUMSET?
While many percussion instruments are played with sticks or mallets, others like the cajon are commonly played with the hands. Often, as soon as the stick is taken out of the way, a great deal more variations in sounds and strokes are made available to the performer. Just a quick perusal of cajon videos on YouTube will demonstrate resonant bass sounds, slap strokes, finger trills, ghost notes, knocking sounds, and much more. Yet, despite its hand percussion designation, the cajon is often referred to as a “drumset in a box,” particularly because of its use in smaller, coffee-house, acoustic music settings. Combining bass tones and snare slaps with more subtle filler and ghost notes, a skilled percussionist can effectively create rock, bossa nova, samba, shuffle styles and more on this humble instrument.

NOTATION
While notation for cajon is not yet standardized and, as with drumset, many players perform on the cajon without notated music, some of the basic concepts (i.e. low voices lower on the staff, different note shapes for effect sounds, etc.) are beginning to be applied to cajon as literature for the instrument is created. Several books, DVDs, and web-based video lessons are available for cajon, some of which teach the instrument through demonstration while others incorporate a notation system similar to that used for other percussion instruments. To some extent, cajon players are able to transfer their skills to other parts of the percussion family and percussionists are able to come to cajon with the techniques and rhythmic concepts already developed from playing drumset or other percussion instruments.

WHAT WILL YOU PLAY ON YOUR BOX?
Composers like John Cage and Lou Harrison and performing ensembles like Blue Man Group and Stomp have long ago blurred the lines between traditional instruments and music performed with found sounds. The cajon may have simple origins, and even in its current form may not be the most impressive instrument, but its simplicity, small package, and flexible function as a hand drum or a drumset is only increasing its popularity. So the real question isn’t what’s in the box, but rather what music can you make with your box!

Check out music by Josh Gottry for cajon …

All Hands on Deck

Institutionalized

Outside the Box

Take a Seat

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Performing music on sight, commonly referred to as sight-reading, is improved with a consistent and intentional approach to playing music that is new to you. Consistent, of course, means daily. Every time you play your instrument, you should interact with new music. Intentional implies a plan for this sight-reading time. The music should be chosen carefully, not in a haphazard manner. Select music that is accessible for successful performance on site. Incorporate music that includes dynamics and articulation marks, and that encompasses various ranges or technical components that would be beneficial to your musical development but is sensitive to your current facility. Also look for music that varies in style and pieces that open the door to decisions about musicality and phrasing. Length is far less critical than frequency and the focus should always be on accuracy and musicality over tempo.

Technical development must also be daily and intentional. Consideration should be given both to technical demands of current repertoire and future musical ambitions. Ideally, your personal facility should exceed most technical demands of your selected performance repertoire. Passages that happen to be more technically challenging or exceed your technical facility can be a great starting point for creating repertoire-based exercises. Daily attention to these piece-specific exercises as part of a regular warm-up routine is far more effective than simple reps of the passage within the body of your practice. Beyond techniques demanded for current repertoire, a technical development routine can involve a specific method or be based on a collection of sources. Of primary importance in either case is a process of self-evaluation to identify areas of technical deficiency and make a specific plan for improvement. Both during and after the plan is executed, the process of self-evaluation is repeated to find new areas of technical focus. The goal should always be to make your weakness into a strength and then find a new weakness to address.

To be a better musician, commit to a daily dose of sight-reading and technical development. The regular investment will pay off mightily over time if appropriately made a priority and done with thoughtful intent!

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ALL HANDS ON DECK
a collection of hand drum ensembles

BUMP IN THE NIGHT
for percussion ensemble

OIL & WATER
for clarinet and percussion duo

plusFIVE
for solo marimba with percussion quintet

ROUNDABOUT
for percussion trio

SOME PEOPLE’S KIDS
for percussion ensemble

TIGHT QUARTERS
for four players on one xylophone

XEROSIS
for friction percussion trio

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THE ART OF VIBRAPHONE PLAYING
an essential method for the study & performance of the vibraphone as a concert instrument

CC’D
for marimba trio with optional accessory percussion

DANSE OF THE WOODEN TOYS
for clarinet and percussion duo

INSTITUTIONALIZED
for cajon quartet with pedal instruments

JOY OF EVERY HEART
arranged for percussion ensemble

MUTUAL INTEREST
a collection for multiple-percussion duo

OF HANUKKAH
arranged for keyboard percussion quartet

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