Percussion Ensemble
Dayspring (2020)
Publisher: Tapspace
Level: Med-Easy
Duration: 3:10
Personnel: 8
Instr: see setup
Price: $37
This piece features a four-note motive that is presented at the very beginning by the keyboard instruments. This motive is presented throughout the piece in unison statements as well as being presented in a staggered fashion which creates an overlapping effect. The rhythm of the motive, four consecutive eighth notes, is used to structure the climatic point of the piece and is sometimes modified throughout in order to give variance to particular phrases. The keyboard instruments, which carry the weight of the motive, are backed by a core percussion group including the snare drum, bass drum, and timpani. This is a fun and upbeat piece and is perfect piece for an experienced middle school or beginning high school ensemble.
EsALE8 (2020)
Publisher: Chad Floyd Publications
Level: Med-Advanced
Duration: 5:25
Personnel: 4
Instr: bodhrán, bells, vibes, 2 mar
Price: $32
*digital format only
*music will be emailed within 24 hrs of payment
EscALE8 was composed in the spring of 2020 as a vehicle to showcase an instrument that is less commonly scored for in traditional Western percussion ensemble literature: the bodhrán. The piece was commissioned by Jeremy Wade, who serves as the Director of Percussion at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, Kentucky. The title ties in one of Winchester’s most well-known businesses, the Ale-8-One Bottling Company, which is famous for its unique spin on ginger ale. A finely-skilled bodhrán player himself, Jeremy augmented Chad’s initial rhythmic and melodic framework for the piece, providing bodhrán notation, and adding intricacy and nuance to the soloist part.
The bodhrán is featured throughout the piece by serving to propel the energy and pulse of the ensemble as well as taking a lead role in two solo sections. Although the solo sections are notated in the sheet music, the soloist may choose to create/improvise their own part, allowing a more accessible or more challenging solo depending on the performer's ability level. The supporting instrumentation is comprised of one vibraphone, one 4-octave marimba, and one 5-octave marimba. EscALE8 was premiered in the fall of 2020 by the Campbellsville University Chamber Percussion Group featuring Jeremy Wade on bodhrán.
Long Way Home (2018)
Publisher: Chad Floyd Publications
Level: Med-Advanced
Duration: 6:00
Personnel: 2
Instr: 1 vibe, 1 marimba (4.3-oct.)
Price: $28
*digital format only
*music will be emailed within 24 hrs of payment
Inspired by my children and their relentless desire to go the "long way home" on certain days when I pick them up from school. To them, the short way home is uneventful. I guess it's because the short way home leads straight to our subdivision without any dramatic curves, hills, or trees. In contrast, the long way home twists and turns, has several small hills, and follows a creek in the woods. The peaks and valleys are evident in the dynamic contours of this piece. To me, the strong consonance and simplicity of the melodic line at the beginning and end represent the simple things in life, and how those things sometimes bring the most joy as a parent. This piece was originally written as a marimba solo in 2016 and premiered by Dr. Colin Hill in 2017 at Tennessee Tech University. The vibraphone part was later added in December of 2017.
Noland Road (2024)
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Level: Medium
Duration: 4:00
Personnel: 7
Instr: bells, 2 vibes, 3 mar, perc.
Price: $36
The title, Noland Road, was inspired by the groove-oriented nature of the work, the steady churning of the marimba patterns and riffs as if traversing a road, and by the commissioning school’s geographic location on Noland Road in Independence, Missouri. Noland Road was commissioned and premiered by the Truman High School Percussion Ensemble, Jeremy Meyer, director, in 2023-24. This mallet sextet requires bells, two vibraphones, and three marimbas (one 5-octave). The percussion part simulates a drum set part and requires a hi-hat, ride cymbal, crash cymbal and kick drum (positioned upright).
Six of One (2017)
Publisher: Chad Floyd Publications
Level: Med-Advanced
Duration: 5:10
Personnel: 6
Instr: bells, 2 vibes, 3 mar.
Price: $45
*digital format only
*music will be emailed within 24 hrs of payment
This mallet sextet requires bells, two vibraphones, and three marimbas (two 4.3 octaves and one 5 octave). With the exception of the bells, all parts require the use of four-mallet technique. Based solely on one motivic idea (the opening motive on marimba) the majority of the piece was written over my spring break in 2017 and then finished over the summer. The premiere performance was given by The Florida State University Freshmen Sextet (Dr. John W. Parks IV, director) in the fall of 2017.
TetraCurrent (2015)
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Level: Medium
Duration: 3:30
Personnel: 4
Instr: 3 marimbas (one 5-oct.)
(P1 and P4 can share 5-octave)
Price: $28
TetraCurrent is a grooving intermediate marimba quartet featuring syncopated accompanimental tone clusters and memorable melodies. Originally titled "First Four," the inspiration for TetraCurrent stems from an ad lib session during a break in a recording session. The first idea the composer explored for this piece was the use of the tone clusters as a recurring accompanying rhythmic figure. The melodic ideas were then constructed over this idea and developed from there. This piece can be categorized as an intermediate level work. Three marimbas are required (players 1 and 4 can share) and the use of a 5-octave is optional. TetraCurrent was premiered by the Ballard High School Percussion Ensemble (Louisville, KY), under the direction of Jay Matheney and Kevin Luken in the fall of 2015.
TetraCurrent (2020)
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Level: Medium
Duration: 4:35
Personnel: 9
Instr: standard concert percussion
Price: $36
Originally stemming from an ad lib session during a break in a recording session, TetraCurrent was first written for marimba quartet and then later expanded into a 9-player ensemble, including drum set. The first idea explored for this piece was the use of the tone clusters as a recurring accompanying rhythmic figure. The melodic ideas were then constructed over this idea and developed from there. The original marimba quartet version of TetraCurrent was premiered by the Ballard High School Percussion Ensemble (Louisville, KY), under the direction of Jay Matheney and Kevin Luken in the fall of 2015. This expanded version for 9 percussionists was added in 2020.
Timberjax (2023)
Publisher: Chad Floyd Publications
Level: Advanced
Duration: 5:00
Personnel: 7
Instr: bells, 2 vibes, 3 mar, perc.
Price: $45
*digital format only
*music will be emailed within 24 hrs of payment
This mallet sextet requires bells, two vibraphones, and three marimbas (one 5-octave). The percussion part simulates a drum set part and requires a hi-hat, ride cymbal, and kick drum (positioned upright).Timberjax was written for and premiered by the Stephen F. Austin State University Percussion Ensemble, Dr. Brad Meyer, director, in the spring of 2023.
Tombolo (2014)
Publisher: Row-Loff Productions
Level: Medium
Duration: 2:53
Personnel: 4
Instr: 4 concert toms
Price: $25
This piece requires four toms of differing sizes. Although this piece can be performed on single-headed concert toms, the composer recommends double-headed concert toms or drum set toms for best results. Light muffling may be necessary for increased articulation. Double-ply heads are also recommended for increased clarity.
Triptych Boom (2013)
Publisher: Tapspace
Level: Med-Advanced
Duration: 6:05
Personnel: 4
Instr: solo snare, xylo/vibes, mar, perc
Price: $42
Triptych Boom features a snare soloist backed by three multipercussionists. The snare drummer is presented with an ever-changing combination of sticks, brushes, and hands while exploring a number of creative techniques in which the drum is played. The accompaniment parts are equally intriguing, as the percussionists are called on to manage multiple instruments, sticks, mallets, and hand techniques. This accompanying trio creates a uniquely colorful backing for the soloist and several moments where clever interplay occurs between all players. As an added extra, this piece comes with an alternate “solo only” version that includes an electro-acoustic audio backing track. Much of the snare part in this optional, slightly longer (6:05) version is the same; the audio accompaniment, however, varies greatly from the trio version.
Two the Equator (2018)
Publisher: Chad Floyd Publications
Level: Easy-Med
Duration: 2:15
Personnel: at least 2 (no limit)
Instr: high drums, low drums
Price: $12
*digital format only
*music will be emailed within 24 hrs of payment
Two the Equator was written for and premiered by the Orquestra Sinfonia Cristiana del Ecuador beginning percussion ensemble in Guayaquil, Ecuador in July 2018. This piece was written during the composer’s residency in Guayaquil and was intended to provide the members of the beginning percussion ensemble with a work in which the two parts could contain several players according to the ensemble size. The instrumentation is flexible (high drums, low drums) which allows for a variety of drums to be used depending upon instrument availability of the ensemble.
