Table of Contents

Introduction Russell Hartenberger; Part I. Orchestral Percussion: 1. Timpani traditions and beyond Russell Hartenberger; 2. Orchestral percussion in the twenty-first century: concerns and solutions William L. Cahn; Part II. The Development of Percussion Instruments: 3. Marimba revolution: mallet instruments, repertoire, and technique in the twenty-first century William Moersch; 4. Instrumental ingredients Garry Kvistad; 5. The percussion industry Rick Mattingly; 6. Virtual drumming: a history of electronic percussion Thomas Brett; Part III. Percussion in Performance: 7. Lost and found: percussion chamber music and the modern age Adam Sliwinski; 8. Taking center stage: percussionist as soloist Colin Currie; 9. Percussion theater: the drama of performance Aiyun Huang; 10. Three convergences: a percussionist learns to conduct Steven Schick; Part IV. Composing Music for Percussion Instruments: 11. Finding a voice Bob Becker; 12. Flexibility as a defining factor Jason Treuting; 13. Thoughts on percussion and rhythm Steve Reich; Part V. Drum Sets and Drumming: 14. In the pocket: how a drum set player grooves Peter Erskine; 15. The 'funky drummer' break: ghost notes, timbre, and popular music drumming Steven F. Pond; 16. Way beyond wood and skin: drum sets, drumming, and technology Jeff Packman; Part VI. World Percussion: 17. Speaking of rhythm Russell Hartenberger; 18. African influences on Western percussion performance and pedagogy B. Michael Williams; 19. The Gamelan Beleganjur as Balinese percussion ensemble Michael B. Bakan; Part VII. Percussion and Rhythm: 20. Lessons from the laboratory: the musical translation of scientific research on movement Michael Schutz; 21. In the beginning was the beat: evolutionary origins of musical rhythm in humans John R. Iversen.

Promotional Information

This Companion explores percussion and rhythm and is written by performers, composers, conductors, scholars, instrument designers, and scientists.

About the Author

Russell Hartenberger is a Professor at the University of Toronto and has been a member of both Nexus and Steve Reich and Musicians since 1971. With Nexus, he created the soundtrack for the Academy Award-winning full-length documentary, The Man Who Skied Down Everest. With Steve Reich and Musicians he has recorded for ECM, DGG and Nonesuch Records, and performed on the Grammy Award-winning recording of Music for 18 Musicians. His awards include the Toronto Arts Award, the Banff Centre for the Arts National Award, a Juno nomination, and induction into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.

Reviews

'The Cambridge Companion to Percussion is a concise yet action-packed and concept-rich volume that, like its subject matter, strikes forcibly in the range of ideas from its contributors. The book aims broadly, its chapters cover a vast quantity of musical material, the topics are timely, and the references in the footnotes essential.' Thomas Brett, BrettWorks reviews (www.brettworks.com)

'The writing is varied and informative, pleasing and revealing. The publication does a good job in informing the reading public about percussion as seen by performers, educators, composers and conductors. This book deserves a place in library and personal collections worldwide.' National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Journal

'… the volume comprises fairly focused essays, on a variety of topics, that taken together provide an effective overview of the richly varied world of modern percussion … [and] is particularly valuable and should be required reading for any student hoping to embark on an orchestral career.' CHOICE

'… this reviewer highly recommends … a thorough read regarding the field of percussion music education which is represented in many colleges and universities. The writing is varied and informative, pleasing and revealing. The publication does a good job in informing the reading public about percussion as seen by performers, educators, composers and conductors. This book deserves a place in library and personal collections worldwide.' Geary Larrick, Nacwpi Journal

'This is another fine addition to the Cambridge Companion series and is essential for all libraries supporting percussion studies and research. It also provides thoughtful and entertaining reading for the player or listener who wants deeper insight into this wide-ranging discipline.' Russ Girsberger, Notes