Introduction

The idea for this collection came from a discussion about how to provide young percussion students with a more meaningful percussion ensemble experience. We wanted to avoid some of the problems we have often encountered, such as lack of instrument availability, more players than parts, and music that was too difficult for some players. Our goal was to create pieces that would be inclusive from an instrument, personnel, and difficulty standpoint.

While there are currently some “flexible” pieces that exist for percussion, they are not typically labeled as such. With that in mind, we wanted to create a clearly designated and purposeful collection of pieces guided by three rules:

1. The minimal instrumentation options require equipment commonly found in middle school band rooms. 2. The pieces are customizable to allow all students to participate. 3. The pieces are geared toward middle school and early high school percussion students. (College percussion methods courses may find them useful, too!)

The book contains ten pieces of varying ideas and themes, each with a different focus. We hope this collection is a useful tool for you and your students. Enjoy!

— David Ratliff and Eric Sokolowski