
To the Non-percussionist Composer
INTRODUCTION The field of percussion is a vast one. Being a percussionist means being involved with a variety of musical styles, and sometimes being willing to experiment; for instance, dipping a chime note into a bucket of water – you (probably) won't see a violinist doing that! For the non-percussionist composer, writing for percussion can be an exciting endeavor, or a daunting deed. I can offer some insights on what I, as both a composer and a percussionist, consider when
On the "Seriousness" of Percussion Music
WHAT DOES “SERIOUS” MEAN? During my travels on the World Wide Web, I stumbled upon a post within a certain Facebook group that appeared to accuse a well-known piece within our repertoire of being “pop music” and very not serious. The composer of that piece has provided his own thoughts on the subject, but I would like to delve into my opinions on what musical aspects should be taken into consideration when attempting to discern a piece's value. This is obviously a very loaded