Osti Music Foundry - Mackey - Concert Band - Gr. 3

Composer: John Mackey
Format: Score and Parts
Instrumentation: Concert Band (Percussion feature)
Level: 3

Winner of the 2011 CBDNA Young Band Composition Competition

The idea with Foundry was to make a piece that celebrates the fact that percussionists have this ability to make just about anything into an "instrument". Snare drums and bass drums are great, but why not write a whole piece featuring non-traditional percussion --- things like salad bowls and mixing bowls and piles of wood?

In some cases, I was specific about what instrument to play (timpani, xylophone, etc.). With many of the parts, though, I only described what sound I wanted (play a "clang" --- a metal instrument, probably struck with a hammer, that creates a rich "CLANG!" sound), and allowed the percussionist to be creative in finding the best "instrument" to make the sound I described.

It won't be surprising that Foundry, for concert band with "found percussion", much of it metallic, ends up sounding like a steel factory. The composer thanks the required 1012 percussionists for allowing his ridiculous requests to continue. Clang.
Duration: 4:00

Sound sample performed by the Texas State University Symphonic Winds,
conducted by Caroline Beatty