Crazy Dance (Download)

for percussion ensemble

Josh Walker

Level: Easy

Duration: 2:00

Personnel: 5+ players

State Lists: Missouri | Florida

Release Date: 2020

Product ID : TSPCE20-013DL

Price: $31.00

Item #: TSPCE20-013DL

Formats Available:

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Description

Crazy Dance by Josh Walker is a fun and crowd-pleasing piece, geared toward younger players. The overall feel of the piece resembles circus march with a catchy melody and simple harmonic structure.

The mallet parts can be played on any instrument, and can also share a standard xylophone or small marimba. One of the mallet parts also introduces young players to the concept of playing with 3 mallets using very simple parts to develop confidence. Because of the simplicity of the mallet parts, they are easily expandable to multiple players and instruments, helping to suit any size of ensemble. Crazy Dance will bring some lightheartedness to any concert program and you’ll be humming it for days!

Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.

Instrumentation

• 1 xylophone, marimba, or other mallet keyboard instrument (or more)

• 3 timpani

• Snare drum

• 2 toms

• Ride cymbal

Reviews

Middle-school directors looking for a short work that can utilize a number of players on a variety of mallet instruments should take a look at “Crazy Dance.” Written with the beginning percussionist in mind, this piece is approachable technically while still providing musical demands that will prove challenging and engrossing for students, directors, and audience members.

Two mallet parts are written for this piece, both of which are meant to be played on any available mallet instrument and for any number of players. This makes the piece perfect for programs that need a work for a large number of players. The composer states, “Feel free to mix and match the mallet parts in a way that best suits your players and equipment availability.” This freedom will not only allow for the involvement of more students, but also provide the flexibility to create a cohesive arrangement with a variety of parts. While the first mallet part solely contains the melody and is more demanding in terms of notes to learn, the second mallet part contains three-note chords, which will necessitate the use of holding two mallets in one hand, making this a great opportunity to expose younger students to the concept of holding multiple mallets in one hand.

The percussion parts are rhythmically more interesting than the mallet parts, and the middle section of the piece features the percussion section in a satisfying way before bringing them back into their initial role as accompaniment for the mallet melody. The inclusion of timpani in the arrangement makes it more satisfying both musically and pedagogically, though the lack of an accessories part feels like a missed opportunity to include another important family of percussion instruments.

“Crazy Dance” is a catchy piece that will serve students and directors well in addition to putting a smile on the faces of audience members. College percussion professors could also use this as a great piece for methods classes, given the variable nature of the instrumentation, as well as the repetitive nature of this two-minute piece.

—Brian Nozny
Percussive Notes
Vol. 58, No. 6, December 2020