MINISCLES is a collection of percussion ensemble works designed for minimal equipment and set-up. Each work in this collection takes advantage of the instruments and materials that are most commonly found in school band rooms in a new and exciting way. Some pieces require common percussion instruments, while others use objects like music stands, chairs, or a table. Each work is flexible in instrumentation and the doubling of parts to fit your ensemble is encouraged!
The inspiration for MINISCLES came from my experiences as the percussion director at ENCORE! Band Camp, where I often found myself struggling to find repertoire that could fit any number of players and could be flexible in instrumentation, as our access to percussion equipment was often unpredictable. I began writing pieces that could be easily tailored to any number of players and that could be performed using instruments I knew we would have access to. These works were designed to be both accessible and engaging, allowing young percussionists to experiment with new sounds and have fun doing it!
The result is the collection you have in front of you! Each piece utilizes different instruments and grooves that are sure to get your students excited. At camp, these pieces became a huge hit with the kids, as they got to make music in a new and exciting way. Each time a piece got performed, the tune quickly became a crowd favorite as they are all as exciting to listen to as they are to play. Whether you're working with a large percussion ensemble or a small quartet, MINISCLES has something to offer for everyone.