Building A Better Percussion Section
© 2001 Majestic Percussion Reprinted with Permission
Dr. Stephen Crawford
Whether it is the orchestra, wind ensemble, percussion ensemble, jazz ensemble, opera/musical theatre orchestra, dance band, or world and ethnic music, Dr. Stephen Crawford brings his thirty-plus years of percussion performance to these varying ensembles. His love and enthusiasm for music, his interests in the advancement of the art, and the education of musicians of all ages has kept him in demand as a performer, conductor, clinician, and lecturer, throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Ireland. He has a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music Performance Degree from the University of Northern Iowa, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education from Minot State University.
Steve’s percussion performance career has allowed him the opportunity to accompany such musicians as Allen Vizzuti, Kevin Mohagany, Gary Foster, John Browning, Gordon MaCrae, Ashley Alexander, Steve Wright, The Kingston Trio, and The King Singers. He is the Principal Percussionist/ Timpanist with the Temple Symphony Orchestra. He has performed as a percussionist with the Minot Symphony Orchestra, the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, and was the Associate Conductor with the Kansas City Civic Orchestra.
Currently, Dr. Crawford is the Director of Bands and Percussion Studies at Temple College. He conducts the Temple College Wind Symphony, Chamber Orchestra, and Percussion Ensemble. He is also the founder and musical director of the Ritmo y Mas Percussion Group, which is in residence at Temple College. He has conducted five world premiere performances of new wind music and has won the praise of composers such as Ken Langer, James Mobberely, David Wilkens, and Bruce Fraser for his interpretive conducting of their compositions.
His continued interest in wind and percussion education has led to publications, which include The Care and Maintenance of Percussion Instruments in the North Dakota Music Educator’s Journal, and Building a Better Percussion Section. Dr. Crawford maintains membership in the Percussive Arts Society, the College Band Directors National Association, the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, The National Band Directors Association, the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, and the Conductor’s Guild.
Statement of Problem
- No band program can perform well without a well-rounded percussion section; yet most middle and high school percussionist are one-dimensional.
- The average high school percussionist is significantly deficient in keyboard percussion skills.
- Statistics show that more drum students quit music study than any other instrument family.
- Among beginning percussionist the pride of ownership (of an actual instrument) is absent, creating instrument envy.
- 78% of high school band directors surveyed have to recruit piano player into band to cover keyboard percussion parts
Reasons for the Crisis
- Percussion is the only instrument that is taught without giving the student a “real” instrument.
- There is no clear and logical progression from student learning kit to an actual marimba or xylophone
- The lack of keyboard percussion role models or icons in pop culture and television vs. drumset players perpetuates the one-dimensional percussionist.
- Band directors that recruit piano players to cover keyboard percussion parts further perpetuates the one-dimensional percussionist.
- Access to “real” instruments for home practice. Marimbas and xylophones are usually school-owned instruments.
- Affordability or considerations for renting marimbas or xylophones.
Recruitment Techniques
- Research indicates:
– often middle-school band programs have old percussion equipment in poor condition
– students are not involved in a more meaningful way than they were in their previous band
– there is little consistency with how beginning percussionist are taught; snare drum kit?
Percussion kit? drum and percussion kit? drum sticks and practice pad only?
– students are naturally drawn to the more percussive “drum” than to the melodic keyboard percussion instruments.
- Challenge beginning percussion students to learn a “cool” instrument – marimba or xylophone
- Encourage students to listen for keyboard percussion parts in television commercials, cartoons, and television shows.
- In the long run (weather it be from beginner to high school or beginner to professional) well-rounded percussionists are much better musicians and more marketable than one-dimensional percussionists.
- Establishing a well-rounded percussion section will contribute to breeding a well-rounded percussion section year after year.
- Provide instruments that are well-suited for the beginner. Height adjustable instruments are imperative to foster proper technique in the beginner.
- Students should have access to “real” instruments in order to avoid envy and discontentment.
- Start a percussion ensemble, which will expose all percussionists to keyboard instruments.
- Choose popular, familiar, and fun music to maintain the interest of percussion students.
Creating a Friendly Environment
Through Motivation
In their book, The Teaching of Instrumental Music, Richard J. Colwell and Thomas Goolsby state that there are two basis categories of motivation: intrinsic motivation (motivation dealing with long-range planning and goal setting) and extrinsic motivaiton (motivation dealing with day-to-day, immediate goals).1 Successful motivation of the student percussionist will ensure a healthy and happy percussion section and/or ensemble.
Intrinsic Motivation
- Use good percussion literature
- Use a wide musical repertoire
- Each student should in turn have a goal
- Relate technical drills to real music
- Develop musicianship and factual knowledge
- Develop a tradition of excellence
- Help the student to arrange independent musical activities other than the private lesson and large ensemble rehearsal
- Encourage the establishment of small ensembles.
- Select music in which supporting students can star
- Hear good performers
- Obtain quality equipment and facilities
- Develop favorable attitudes
- Build Esprit de corps
- Use student leaders whenever possible
- Treat students and their ideas with respect
- Plan a sensible schedule
Extrinsic Motivation
- Use praise effectively
- Use criticism effectively
- Keep parents informed
- Validate the use of grades in music classes
- Utilize practice charts, progress charts, and point systems
- All percussionists should move around the section, but develop a challenge system for section leaders
- Have fun with technical proficiencies
- Utilize written exams
- Utilize varying methods of evaluation
- Have membership standards for ensembles
- Give awards in many categories
- Develop a scholarship program for band and/or percussion camps.
- Have sectionals
- Encourage the purchase of quality instruments
- Tape and video record the percussion ensemble/section for student self-evaluation
- Encourage social activities among the students
- HAVE FUN!
1 Colwell, Richard J. and Thomas Goolsby. The Teaching of Instrumental Music, 42.
What Else Can You Do?
- Encourage manufacturers and retail stores to provide more affordable instruments suitable for beginning percussionists.
- Encourage composers and arrangers to produce more keyboard percussion ensemble literature, which is fun and exciting to play.
Recommended Keyboard Percussion Solos (accompanied)
key:
b = bells x = xylophone
m = marimba v = vibraphone
pn = piano as = alto saxophone
af = alto flute
Composer Title
Level One
Barnett Moon Walk (b/pn)
Delibes/Barnett Waltz from Coppelia (b/pn)
Dreves Towering Tones (b/pn)
Dubois Bransle (x/pn)
Gossec/Ostling Gavotte (any mallet/pn)
Hill In a Spanish Garden (m/pn)
McCosh/Ostling Hear Them Bells (b/pn)
Morse Starlight (b/pn)
Palieva Petites Pieces No. 1 (x/pn)
Tavenier Egypt Air No. 1 (x/pn)
Level Two
Amandi Im Rhythmus des Barock
(x, v, or m/pn)
Barnett Devil Make Me Do It (b/pn)
Brown Three Ballads (m or v/pn)
Frazuer The Quiet Place (m/pn)
Jolliff Music for Marimba, Vol. 2
(m/pn)
Lamb, editor Classic Festival Solos, Vol. 1
(b, x, v, or m/pn)
Monteclavo Petite Mallet Suite (m/pn)
Palieva Petites Pieces Nos. 2-4 (x/pn)
Steinquest Rudimental Ragtime (m or x/pn)
Stolz/Klickman Two Hearts in 3/4 time
(m or x/pn)
Ukena Devil, Daniel, and Duane (m/pn)
Level Three
Amandi Im Rhythmus des Ragtime I
(x, v, or m/pn)
Asabuki Water Drops (x/pn)
Bartok/Harris Evening in the Country
(any mallet/pn)
Briggs Duet for Marimba and Piano
(m/pn)
Grieg/Roy Norwegian Dance (m/pn)
Corelli/Boo Sonata (m or x/pn)
Gomez Carnaval (m/pn)
Spears Dreamscapes (mm/pn)
Ukena After School Rag (m/pn)
Zivkovic Macedonia (m/pn)
Level Four
Breuer Mallet Solo Collection (x/pn)
Chopin/Musser Valse Brilliante (m/pn)
Dorff Allegro Valante (x/pn)
Frock Concertino (m/pn)
Gomez Mandarin Whispers (m/pn)
Heifetz/Dinicu/Eddy Hora Staccato (x or m/pn)
Kabalevsky/ Galoping Comedians (x/pn)
Goldenberg
Moszkowski/Moore Spanish Dance No. 5-Bolero
(m/pn)
Russell Two Archaic Dances (v or m/pn)
Tanner Concert Piece (m/pn)
Level Five
Abe Prism Rhapsody (m/pn)
Barnes/Maxey Yorkshire Ballad (m/pn)
DePonte Concertino for Marimba (m/pn)
Ewazen Toccata (m/pn)
Handel Six Sonatas for Violin & Piano (m/pn)
Green, G. H./Eyles Rags of George Hamilton Green (x/pn)
Ichiyamagi Paganini Personal (m/pn)
Mayuzumi Concertino (x/pn)
Peters Theme & Variations (m/pn)
Rosauro Concerto for Marimba (m/pn)
Level Six
Basta Concerto for Marimba (m/pn)
Breuer Five New Ragtime Solos (x/pn)
Creston Concerto (m/pn)
Green, G. H./Becker Valse Brilliante (x/pn)
Kreisler Tambourine Chinois (x/pn)
Levitan Variations (v/pn)
Milhaud Concerto for Marimba & Vibraphone (pn)
Takemitsu Toward the Sea
Yuyama Divertimento for Marimba &
Alto Sax
Recommended Keyboard
Percussion Solos (Unaccompanied)
Composer Title
Level One
Brown Mallet Percussion: The Competition Colletion (b, x, m or v)
Brown Simple Solos for Mallets (x, b or m)
Houllif Contest Solos for Young Mallet Players (x or m)
Houllif More Contest Solos for Young Mallet Players (x or m)
Spencer Cat Clock III (x or m)
Wiener Children’s Solos 1-5 (x or m)
Level Two
- S. Bach/Houllif Twenty Bach Chorales (m)
Buxtehude/Dutton Jesu Joy & Treasure (m)
Immerso Canzona IV (x or m)
Larrick Dance in Time (x or m)
Larrick Sonata No. 8 (x or m)
Schinstine Whispering Woods (m)
Zivkovic Funny Mallets: Funny Marimba
Book 1
Level Three
Albeniz/Maxey Leyenda (m)
Ayers African Fantasy on Joy to the World (m)
Chenoweth Lament (x or m)
Gomez & Rife Mbira Song (m)
Larrick Elegy & Meditation (m)
Peters Chant for Marimba
Spears Malletrix (m)
Ukena Colors (m)
Satie/Molenhof Trois Gymnopedies No. 3 (m)
Wiener Children’s Solos 6-10 (x or m)
Level Four
Boo Psalms for Marimba
Brown Mexican Murals (m)
Frock Mexican Variations (m)
Glennie Three Chorales (m)
Gomez Scenes from Mexico City (m)
Peters Sea Refractions (m)
Peters Yellow After the Rain (m)
Rosauro Choro Bachiano (m)
Skoog Little Jazz Suite (m)
Ukena Lauren’s Lullaby (m)
Level Five
Abe Frogs (m)
- S. Bach/Joaquin Suite No. Six in D Major
Burritt October Night (m)
Gipson Monograph IV (m)
Musser Etude Op. 6. no. 8 (Nature Boy)
Skoog Water & Fire
Smadbeck Rhythm Dance
Spencer Fire Elves
Stout Elegy (m)
Ukena Tempest
Level Six
Abe Dream of the Cherry Blossom (m)
Abe Michi
Burritt Shadow Catcher
Gipson R. D. H.
Glascock Altered Echos
Helble Grand Fantasy for Marimba
Ichiyamagi The Source
Laburda Sonata No. 2
Maslanka Variation on Love Lost
Zivkovic Ultimatum I
Recommeded Keyboard
Percussion Ensembles
Composer Title & Grade Level(s) No. of Players
Arndt/Green, G. H. Nola (5) 4
Bach, J. S./Hatch Toccata & Fugue in D
Minor (6) 6
Bach, J. S./Lang 15 Bach Inventions (4-6) 2
Bach, J. S./Moore 6 Bach two-part (3-5) 2
Bolcolm/Smith Graceful Ghost (5) 6
Boo First Suite (4) 4
Cahn La Bamba (4-5) 4
Cahn Un misterio (4-5) 4
Chavez, S. Vamos a Ecuador (4) 4
Chopin/Lefever Nocturne (3) 3
Corea/Steinquest Children’s Song Set
No. 2 (4-5) 4
Curry, arr. El Tilingo Lingo (4) 4
Curry, arr. Jarabe Mexicano (4) 4
Daniel Coventry Carol (2) 6
Debussy/Gilroy Debussy’s Day at the Fair (5) 4
Debussy/Vincent Golliwog’s Cakewalk (4) 7
Fleck/Steinquest Metric Lips(5) 4
Fink Mallet for Classic (3-5) 2
Gillingham Normandy Beach-1944 (4-5) 6
Gipson, arr. Silent Night (3) 10
Green/Cahn Cross Corner (5-6) 5
Green/ Cahn Fluffy Ruffles (5-6) 5
Green/Becker Rain (4-5) 5
Green, Joe/Becker Xylophonia (5) 5
Handel/Moore Allegro from Water Music (4) 4
Hatch, arr Christmas Medley (4) 6
Haydn/McCarthy 15 Mallet Duets (3-5) 2
Houliff Timepieces ((5) 4
Jeanne Cielito Lindo(2) 4
Jeanne Hymns for Marimba (1) 4
Jeanne Choo Choo Train (2) 4-5
Joplin/Moore The Entertainer (4) 4
Kaptain, arr. Chiapan Medley-5 pieces (4) 4
Kaptain, arr. Echos of Chiapas-
11 pieces (4) 4
Khachaturian/Peters Sabre Dance (4) 7
Lara/Jeanne Marimba (2-3) 2
Maslanka Crown of Thorns (5) 8
McMillan Overture Studies for
Marimba (4-5) 2
Methany/Houghton Phase Danse (4) 7
Molenhof Marimba Five Duets (4-6) 2
Offenbach/Jeanne Can Can from Orpheus (4) 4
Pachelbel/Boo Canon in D (3) 4
Peters/Tanner Londonderry Air (3) 7
Peters, arr. Greensleeves (3) 7
Praetorius/Leonard Rise Pu O Flame (2) 6
Rodriquez/Jeanne La cumparsita (2-3) 4
Rosales/Musser Bolero (5-6) 5
Schubert/Londeix Ave Maria (3) 4
Spencer Before the Beginning (3) 4
Spencer Pink Elisa Spring(2-3) 2
Spivack Cowboys for 6 hands (3) 3
Stamp Daybreak (1-2) 5
Stravinsky/Houllif Soldier’s March from
L’histoire (4) 7
Svoboda Morning Prayer (4) 4
Tanner Duo Miniatures (3-5) 2
Tavernier Mahel 3 (3) 3
Tchaikovsky/Jeanne Album for the Young
Suite Op. 39 (2) 5
Torme/Gipson The Christmas Song (3) 12
Vivaldi/Gilroy Viva Vivaldi (3) 4
Wagner/Musser Pilgrim’s Chorus (4) 5
Wheatley Duo for Two Marimbas (6) 2
Wiener Changing Woods (4) 3
Yoshizaki Red Rainbow Rhyme (5) 4
Recommended Keyboard Percussion Method Books
Elementary
Eyles, Randy. Mallet Percussion for Young Beginners, (Meredith Music Publications).
Goldenberg, Morris. Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba and Vibraphone, (Hal Leonard).
Green, George Hamilton. New Elementary Studies for Xylophone and Marimba, (Meredigh Music Publications)
McMillan, Thomas. Percussion Keyboard Techniques, (Belwin-Mills).
Payson, Al. Elementary Marimba and Xylophone Method, (Payson Percussion Products).
Peters, Mitchell. Fundamental Method for Mallets, (Alfred Publishing Company).
Pimentel, Linda L. Linda Lorren Pimentel’s Bar Percussion Handbook, vol. 1, (Permus Publications).
Whaley, Garwood. Fundamental Mallet Studies, (Joel Rothman Publication)
Whaley, Garwood. Primary Handbook for Mallets, (Meredith Music Publications)
Intermediate
Berle, Arnie. Mallet Independence, (Belwin-Mills)
Ervin, Karen. Contemporary Etudes for 3 and 4 Mallets, (Award Music Company).
Green, George Hamilton. George Hamilton Green’s Instruction Course for Xylophone, (Meredith Music Publications).
Goldenberg, Morris. Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba and Vibraphone, (Hal Leonard).
Johnson, Mark. Solos and Etudes for Marimba, (HoneyRock Publications)
McMillan, Thomas. Masterpieces for Marimba, (Belwin-Mills)
Stone, George L. Mallet Control for the Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone, (George B. Stone & Son, Inc.).
Meyer, Raymon. Multiple Mallet Studies for Marimba, (HaMaR Percussion Publications, Inc.).
Moore, James, ed. It Only Takes Two: 18 Duets for Mallet Percussion, (Ludwig Music Publishing Company).
Moore, James. Six Bach Tow Part Inventions: Mallet Duets, (Kendor Music, Inc.)
Morleo, Luigi. 120 Progressive Four-Mallet Studies for Marimba, (HoneyRock Publications).
Moyer, James. Four-Mallet Method for Marimba, (Studio 4/Alfred Publishing Company).
Pimentel, Linda, L. Linda Lorren Pimentel’s Bar Percussion Handbook, vol. 2, (Permus Publications)
Pimentel, Linda, L. and James L. Moore. The Solo Marimbist, Vol. 1, (Permus Publications).
Stout, Gordon. Ideo-Kinetics, (M. Baker Publications)
Whaley, Garwood. 4 Mallet Exercises, (Meredith Music Publications)
Whaley, Garwood. Musical Studies for the Intermediate Mallet Player, (Meredith Music Publications).
Advanced
Bailey, Elden. Mental and Manual Calisthenics for the Modern Mallet Player, (Henry Adler)
Burton, Gary. Four Mallet Studies, (Ludwig Music Publishing Company).
Gates, Everett. Odd Meter Duets, (Sam Fox Publishing Company).
Gates, Everett. Odd Meter Etudes, (Sam Fox Publishing Company).
Green, George Hamilton. George Hamilton Green’s Instruction Course for Xylophone, (Meredith Music Publications).
Goldenberg, Morris. Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba and Vibraphone, (Hal Leonard).
Knaack, Donald. Music for Marimba from the Renaissance and Early Baroque Periods (4 mallets), (Paul Price Publications).
Stevens, Leigh Howard. Method of Movement for Marimba, (Marimba Productions).
Stout, Gordon. Etudes for Marimba, Book 1, (Paul Price Price Publications).
Stout, Gordon. Etudes for Marimba, Book 2, (Studio 4/Alfred Publishing Company, Inc.)
Stout, Gordon. Etudes for Marimba, Book 3, (Studio 4/Alfred Publishing Company, Inc.)