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John Herndon’s Begin Transmission is an exciting work for percussion ensemble designed for students with about one year of experience. The mallet keyboard parts primarily feature step-wise motion and lay very comfortably in the key of D-minor while the chimes and timpani provide harmonic impact. In most cases, rhythms are comprised of quarter notes and eighth notes.
The piece is written for 13 players but fear not! Smaller groups can omit certain specified parts (down to 8 players) or alternately, larger groups can double or even triple parts for an exciting, percussive spectacle. This work provides a great platform for young performers to apply the skills and concepts learned in beginning percussion literature. Let the transmission begin!
Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.
The repertoire for beginning students is thankfully expanding, and “Begin Transmission” by John Herndon is a fantastic addition for providing students an opportunity to apply skills learned in the first year of percussion study into an accessible and lively piece. Although written for 13 players, Herndon provides the performing ensemble with options to omit parts for smaller ensembles of eight players.
“Begin Transmission” takes a fairly simple theme derived from the first five notes of the D-minor scale and manipulates the timbres and textures around it to create a very fun and engaging ensemble work lasting just over two minutes. It is the perfect piece for a young ensemble, using only eighth-note rhythms and larger—with the exception of the snare drum’s use of sixteenth notes at the end of the piece. Another great feature of the work is Herndon’s use of timbral changes for the percussion parts, where players are asked to either switch instruments or play on the rim instead of the head.
The mallet parts are simple and repetitive yet entertaining, providing a great experience for players and audience members. The accompanying players often lay a groundwork of steady eighth notes under the melody, providing the piece with constant forward momentum from beginning to end. Herndon successfully wrote an exciting piece for students to apply newly learned skills. This one is worth a look!
–Matthew Geiger
Percussive Notes
Vol. 55, No. 2, May 2017
John Herndon’s Begin Transmission is an exciting work for percussion ensemble designed for students with about one year of experience. The mallet keyboard parts primarily feature step-wise motion and lay very comfortably in the key of D-minor while the chimes and timpani provide harmonic impact. In most cases, rhythms are comprised of quarter notes and eighth notes.
The piece is written for 13 players but fear not! Smaller groups can omit certain specified parts (down to 8 players) or alternately, larger groups can double or even triple parts for an exciting, percussive spectacle. This work provides a great platform for young performers to apply the skills and concepts learned in beginning percussion literature. Let the transmission begin!
Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.
The repertoire for beginning students is thankfully expanding, and “Begin Transmission” by John Herndon is a fantastic addition for providing students an opportunity to apply skills learned in the first year of percussion study into an accessible and lively piece. Although written for 13 players, Herndon provides the performing ensemble with options to omit parts for smaller ensembles of eight players.
“Begin Transmission” takes a fairly simple theme derived from the first five notes of the D-minor scale and manipulates the timbres and textures around it to create a very fun and engaging ensemble work lasting just over two minutes. It is the perfect piece for a young ensemble, using only eighth-note rhythms and larger—with the exception of the snare drum’s use of sixteenth notes at the end of the piece. Another great feature of the work is Herndon’s use of timbral changes for the percussion parts, where players are asked to either switch instruments or play on the rim instead of the head.
The mallet parts are simple and repetitive yet entertaining, providing a great experience for players and audience members. The accompanying players often lay a groundwork of steady eighth notes under the melody, providing the piece with constant forward momentum from beginning to end. Herndon successfully wrote an exciting piece for students to apply newly learned skills. This one is worth a look!
–Matthew Geiger
Percussive Notes
Vol. 55, No. 2, May 2017
