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Modeled after Baroque-era dance suites by composers such as Bach and Handel, Clif Walker’s Dad Dances is comprised of four individual movements for percussion ensemble, each styled after a type of dance common in the 17th century. The individual dances also focus on a specific skill set often used in percussion and are also subtitled with a more modern style of dance.
The first movement, Allemande (The Robot) is a stately German dance in 4/4 and focuses on the popular rudiment, the paradiddle. Sarabande (The Wave), the second movement, is a slow Spanish dance in 3/4 that explores the whole tone and chromatic scales. The third movement Gigue (The Twist), is a lively English dance in 6/8 time that breaks down expanding and contracting intervals. The last movement, Boureé (Thumbs Up Shimmy), is a lighthearted dance in 4/4 time and explores the full range of the keyboard instruments.
If available, dads should be encouraged to participate in the performance by dancing along to the music and using the subtitles of each movement as inspiration for their dance moves.
Dad Dances comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• Glockenspiel
• Xylophone
• Chimes
• Vibraphone
• Marimba (low A)
• 3 timpani
• Drums (4 concert toms, bongos, snare drum, Concert bass drum, congas)
• Cymbals & Gongs (ride cymbal, hi-hat)
• Accessories (tambourine, brake drum, ratchet, mark tree, 2 woodblocks, temple blocks, castanets, 2 cowbells, sleigh bells, finger cymbals, agogo bells, triangle, claves, vibraslap, maracas, slapstick)
Stylized after the dance suites of the Baroque era, “Dad Dances” is a lively, entertaining work for young percussion ensemble that creates a number of learning opportunities for the performers in addition to its entertaining concept. While each movement’s title is from the Baroque era (“Allemande,” “Gigue,” etc.), Clif Walker couples each of these titles with a modern equivalent (“The Robot,” “The Twist,” etc.).
Ensemble directors will enjoy the variety that Walker provides for the performers in terms of instruments used as well as stylistic differences between movements. Numerous accessory percussion instruments are used, allowing for younger players to gain experience on an assortment of instruments. All of the instruments scored for are common to most band programs, making the piece accessible to just about any program that has the number of performers required.
Each movement varies its style in line with the Baroque dance, so each movement has a different meter and tempo. Walker also diversifies each movement tonally, be it through a different key or using different scales such as the whole-tone scale.
“Dad Dances” shines the most in the pedagogical value it holds. Each part is well crafted and appropriate for younger players while also containing compositional depth. A good example is the first movement, which focuses on the paradiddle, placing it creatively throughout both the mallet and unpitched percussion parts. The fact that each movement allows for students to learn a bit of history and stylistic context is a bonus.
Directors looking for a rewarding ensemble piece for their younger players should absolutely check out “Dad Dances.” Its pedagogical value as well as the entertainment provided to performers and audience will make this a staple of your percussion ensemble library.
—Brian Nozny
Percussive Notes
Vol. 59, No. 5, October 2021
Modeled after Baroque-era dance suites by composers such as Bach and Handel, Clif Walker’s Dad Dances is comprised of four individual movements for percussion ensemble, each styled after a type of dance common in the 17th century. The individual dances also focus on a specific skill set often used in percussion and are also subtitled with a more modern style of dance.
The first movement, Allemande (The Robot) is a stately German dance in 4/4 and focuses on the popular rudiment, the paradiddle. Sarabande (The Wave), the second movement, is a slow Spanish dance in 3/4 that explores the whole tone and chromatic scales. The third movement Gigue (The Twist), is a lively English dance in 6/8 time that breaks down expanding and contracting intervals. The last movement, Boureé (Thumbs Up Shimmy), is a lighthearted dance in 4/4 time and explores the full range of the keyboard instruments.
If available, dads should be encouraged to participate in the performance by dancing along to the music and using the subtitles of each movement as inspiration for their dance moves.
Dad Dances comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• Glockenspiel
• Xylophone
• Chimes
• Vibraphone
• Marimba (low A)
• 3 timpani
• Drums (4 concert toms, bongos, snare drum, Concert bass drum, congas)
• Cymbals & Gongs (ride cymbal, hi-hat)
• Accessories (tambourine, brake drum, ratchet, mark tree, 2 woodblocks, temple blocks, castanets, 2 cowbells, sleigh bells, finger cymbals, agogo bells, triangle, claves, vibraslap, maracas, slapstick)
Stylized after the dance suites of the Baroque era, “Dad Dances” is a lively, entertaining work for young percussion ensemble that creates a number of learning opportunities for the performers in addition to its entertaining concept. While each movement’s title is from the Baroque era (“Allemande,” “Gigue,” etc.), Clif Walker couples each of these titles with a modern equivalent (“The Robot,” “The Twist,” etc.).
Ensemble directors will enjoy the variety that Walker provides for the performers in terms of instruments used as well as stylistic differences between movements. Numerous accessory percussion instruments are used, allowing for younger players to gain experience on an assortment of instruments. All of the instruments scored for are common to most band programs, making the piece accessible to just about any program that has the number of performers required.
Each movement varies its style in line with the Baroque dance, so each movement has a different meter and tempo. Walker also diversifies each movement tonally, be it through a different key or using different scales such as the whole-tone scale.
“Dad Dances” shines the most in the pedagogical value it holds. Each part is well crafted and appropriate for younger players while also containing compositional depth. A good example is the first movement, which focuses on the paradiddle, placing it creatively throughout both the mallet and unpitched percussion parts. The fact that each movement allows for students to learn a bit of history and stylistic context is a bonus.
Directors looking for a rewarding ensemble piece for their younger players should absolutely check out “Dad Dances.” Its pedagogical value as well as the entertainment provided to performers and audience will make this a staple of your percussion ensemble library.
—Brian Nozny
Percussive Notes
Vol. 59, No. 5, October 2021
