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Whirlygig by Josh Walker is a great piece for beginning percussion ensemble due to the accessible rhythms, steady pulse, dynamic shifts, and overall fun character. With a 3/4 waltz feel and reminiscent of a musical carousel, its catchy melody and contrasting textures will engage performers and audiences alike. The piece is written for six players, but by doubling the mallet parts, it can be played with ten people or more.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• Glockenspiel
• Vibraphone
• Marimba (4-octave)*
• 3 timpani
• Snare drum
*Shared between M1 & M2
Written for beginner percussionists, “Whirlygig” is a charming ensemble work for six or more players that conjures up playful memories of childhood carousel rides. The piece maintains a waltz style throughout, with the melody being contributed by the glockenspiel and marimba 1 part. The composer states that while written for six players, the piece can be performed by ten or more people through doubling of the mallet parts. This makes the piece perfect for larger programs that would like to get as many students involved as possible (although that also means having enough mallet instruments).
While technically there is not much to challenge performers, a number of pedagogical elements make this piece a welcome addition to the beginning ensemble repertoire. These include the waltz style that will expose students to a 3/4 meter as well as that particular dance style, exploration of different textures including dead strokes and timpani muffling, and the use of a variety of instrument families, from mallets to timpani and snare drum.
“Whirlygig” is a great piece for beginner percussion ensembles that will help students develop in a variety of ways, while at the same time being entertaining for audiences. This would also be a useful piece for collegiate percussion methods courses due to its flexibility and diversity of instrumentation.
—Brian Nozny
Percussive Notes
Vol. 59, No. 1, February 2021
Whirlygig by Josh Walker is a great piece for beginning percussion ensemble due to the accessible rhythms, steady pulse, dynamic shifts, and overall fun character. With a 3/4 waltz feel and reminiscent of a musical carousel, its catchy melody and contrasting textures will engage performers and audiences alike. The piece is written for six players, but by doubling the mallet parts, it can be played with ten people or more.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• Glockenspiel
• Vibraphone
• Marimba (4-octave)*
• 3 timpani
• Snare drum
*Shared between M1 & M2
Written for beginner percussionists, “Whirlygig” is a charming ensemble work for six or more players that conjures up playful memories of childhood carousel rides. The piece maintains a waltz style throughout, with the melody being contributed by the glockenspiel and marimba 1 part. The composer states that while written for six players, the piece can be performed by ten or more people through doubling of the mallet parts. This makes the piece perfect for larger programs that would like to get as many students involved as possible (although that also means having enough mallet instruments).
While technically there is not much to challenge performers, a number of pedagogical elements make this piece a welcome addition to the beginning ensemble repertoire. These include the waltz style that will expose students to a 3/4 meter as well as that particular dance style, exploration of different textures including dead strokes and timpani muffling, and the use of a variety of instrument families, from mallets to timpani and snare drum.
“Whirlygig” is a great piece for beginner percussion ensembles that will help students develop in a variety of ways, while at the same time being entertaining for audiences. This would also be a useful piece for collegiate percussion methods courses due to its flexibility and diversity of instrumentation.
—Brian Nozny
Percussive Notes
Vol. 59, No. 1, February 2021
