How to Use This Book

The purpose of this book is to provide pieces with variable options for performance. We tried to be sensitive to schools with minimum equipment, as well as offer options for schools with larger instrument and personnel availability.

Each piece is grouped by VOICE and includes three to five voices. As long as all primary voices are represented by at least one player, a piece can be performed! The introduction pages of each piece include a suggested minimum instrumentation and setup diagram. These are the recommended parts to be covered if you have only one person per voice.

In the example to the left there are three primary voices. Each voice should have at least one player assigned. That means it could be performed with a snare drum and cymbal (Voice 1), one tom (Voice 2), and a bass drum (Voice 3). If a hi-hat is available, it can be substituted for the snare and cymbal or, if available, both can be used for the performance.

Several pieces also include optional melodic and/or percussive parts that can provide additional color and richness. Once each of the primary voices is covered, feel free to add in optional parts.

Please choose any combination of instruments per part— or all of them—to best suit your ensemble’s needs and/or limitations. The suggested setups are only that—suggestions— and may be altered as needed. If a vibraphone is included in the piece, pedaling should be at the player’s (or director’s) discretion.

A final note: The pieces are not limited to the instruments called for in this collection. Any other comparable instrument can be substituted for any part, i.e., using a synthesizer as a substitute for bass guitar or a cymbal bell as a substitute for a cowbell. We encourage you to be creative in making this collection work for you!