Percussion Ensemble Quartets

Fanfare and Romance is a powerful concert-style piece for percussion quartet. The fanfare section is a majestic combination of unison bombast and militaristic layering. The romance section is

In Guac is Extra, John Herndon has done a fantastic job of providing an engaging piece for young percussionists to dialog with traditional Latin percussion instruments without their needing

This piece challenges students to sound as one, creating a unique experience for the audience. Calling for only 4 players, each using one tom, the piece portrays just what the title suggests, existence and

An elementary quartet for snare drum, two High Toms, Two Low Toms and Bass Drum.

In the key of D, this arrangement will also work on any mallet instrument combination. Some meter variation and well placed dynamics make this an interesting piece to teach as well as play.

From the Inside Out was written for the students at Gurrie Middle School in LaGrange, Illinois. The students continually begged for a body percussion piece, but my focus for them was developing

Of Hanukkah is an exciting percussion ensemble work which incorporates the games, music, and spirit of the Hanukkah celebration. Gradually weaving between four pieces, this arrangement

Written for cajon quartet with pedaled percussion instruments, Institutionalized is a unique and intriguing addition to the repertoire. By exploiting the many different sounds the cajon can make,

Featuring a variety of sound colors and a quasi-minimalist texture, Selva Luminosa is an intriguing work suitable for inclusion on a college or professional percussion recital.

This challenging quartet focuses on frequent interactions of polyrhythms and quintuplets, with a small instrumentation allowing for a variety of programming options.

Proving the idea that what goes around comes around is exactly right, Chris Carmean's piece has four players on one marimba with additional percussion. The players continually move around the instrument in

Entourage is the result of a bunch of drummer friends getting together and improvising based on some preset criteria, such as layers of number groupings. It is ultimately an exploration of number

Marimba Quartet No. 2 is a bright, energetic piece by Christopher Bradford. This work is full of rhythmic and harmonic twists and turns that weave an intricate but beautiful web for four players on

Time’s Arc is Anthony DiSanza’s second concerto for darabukka. Premiered at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in 2013, DiSanza uses a wide range of tempos and styles,

Tink was written for small instruments to be played with tiny implements, giving it a light but tasteful sound palette. Some sections of the piece are groove-oriented, while others are made to

Oaxacan Fantasy is a lively and colorful work for marimba quartet inspired by the music of Oaxaca, Mexico. It utilizes simple harmonies, mostly based on the pentatonic scale, in order to capture

For any class, group, or ensemble, Zavaro has crafted a four-part performance piece which uses only the human body as instrument. Slapping abdomen, thighs, and making whistle and kiss sounds, the

In Black Racer, Brian Blume has crafted an effective piece for intermediate percussion quartets to hone their chamber ensemble skills while communicating intensity and musical sensitivity. Each

This action-packed programmatic work by John Willmarth depicts an attack from the mythical sea creature, the Kraken. Release the Kraken uses all the instruments found in a standard 5-piece drumset

This collection of ten easy percussion ensemble quartets and quintets will improve the ensemble skills of developing players. Each introduces a different genre of music that is accessible to new

A fun and accessible arrangement of the classic jazz standard for keyboard percussion quartet with drum set. The walking bass line in the bass marimba gives it the perfect jazz combo feel. Perfect for

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Woodstock, New York's Maverick concert series, Garry Kvistad, his wife Diane, and the Woodstock Chimes Fund commissioned this work in three movements from Peter

Fun and furious, fantastic and forward, Funky Fugue for Five fashions friendly rhythms into a festive foray for four or five fledgling friends to fire funky feels at fans while furthering their