The Beat
By John Francis
Music often helps imprint very special moments in our hearts, in effect providing a soundtrack to our experiences. One such memorable moment for me was in 1997. One of our very first percussion students was playing the triangle in an arrangement of Mahler’ s First Symphony. The percussion part consisted of little more than five notes in quick succession. Just before the student had his moment, I happened to notice the late Mary Miner enthusiastically engaged in the music. Ms. Miner was enormously supportive of the few boys who were taking drum and percussion lessons at that time and she would frequently pause to offer her encouragement to them during lessons or after rehearsals. When the five notes rang out from the triangle, a smile came over Ms. Miner’ s face that illuminated our darkened performance space as she applauded while the music continued. It was a beautiful recognition of one accomplishment that might have otherwise gone unnoticed in its own succinctness. that encourages them to take the most active role possible. At the core of our process, students hear and internalize their chosen repertoire, learn how to interpret a variety of musical materials and then take part in making decisions that shape their performances. As the boys progress, a primary goal that underlies our music making is that the scaffolding provided by the instructor can ultimately be removed as the oldest boys become equipped to support the training of the youngest.
An inherent lack of standardization in percussion repertoire, notation and performance practice provides boys with the opportunity, from the rudimentary level, to engage in a way that they could not with more traditional instruments. Students are encouraged to take part in adapting the music they love into a version that fits the parameters of our concerts and recitals. This includes- but is not limited toarranging song structures, calculating duration, orchestrating rhythms, and the implementation of the core rudiments of drumming. Some senior students have taken a principal role in the adaptation of standard songs to a version that is
“ What struck me as I listened to their conversation was the sense of pride that each exhibited in their own way toward their musical experiences at Saint David’ s.”
The brevity of some musical parts requires that they be executed faultlessly and, most importantly, at a precise moment. That small percussion part from Mahler’ s First Symphony took great courage and focus to perform correctly, requiring a fledgling percussionist to harness all of his resources. Seeing that young student be the best musician he could and the infectious enthusiasm exhibited by Ms. Miner helped to instill my belief that one aspect of the Saint David’ s journey to be“ all that we can be” could be realized through the challenge of studying percussion instruments. Ever since, I have associated Mahler’ s First Symphony with that inspiring performance.
Boys who study drums and percussion most often find their way to me on their own. While the choice of piano or a string instrument for private study frequently comes at the suggestion of a parent, it is almost invariably the students themselves who choose to pursue drums and percussion. For many boys this choice has been an important step in discovering independence through music. In choosing drums and percussion, the boys become engaged in a curriculum performable by a group of percussionists. The utilization of music notation software, introduced in the Lower School by Mr. Moore, provides an ambitious percussionist the tools to create arrangements that can become part of our music library for use by future students.
At the heart of the drum and percussion curriculum is the Percussion Ensemble. At its inception around 2004, I planned for the Percussion Ensemble to be a weekly music studio class, providing the boys with a chance to perform their solo repertoire for each other and hone their skills in a supportive environment. Gradually, the Percussion Ensemble has evolved into a unique performing group which gives the percussionists a chance to explore world, popular, and classical music as well as original compositions and jazz. A breadth of musical styles at our disposal helps to sustain a dialogue about the contemporary music the boys bring, drawing comparisons with repertoire from the classical tradition.
Percussion Ensemble is open to boys who receive private instruction in drums and percussion( the occasional pianist has been known to come aboard as well). The age range of
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