McCarty-Introduction to Percussion-P/X/M/2B/C/3T/sound effects/Narr/PN

Introduction to Percussion by Frank McCarty is scored for narrator (or narrator/conductor), four percussionists, and a pianist/percussionist. It consists of ten sections - an introductory movement, repeated at the end, and nine demonstration pieces. Each of the demonstration pieces is written in the style of music from a specific culture in which percussion was significant. Thus, through the combination of narration and musical examples, the audience is shown the origins and social uses of percussion and how the instruments came into the orchestra. Further, the distinctive and exciting talents of the modern percussionist are displayed to great advantage.

Instrumentation:
Player 1 - 3 timpani, 5 temple blocks, 3 cowbells, field drum, klaxon horn, police whistle, guiro, triangle, xylophone, marimba
Player 2 - drumset (optional), suspended cymbal, Chinese cymbal, orchestra bells, snare drum, field drum, tambourine, whip, finger cymbals, 2 rocks, wind whistle, large bulb horn, bell tree (optional), jingling Johnny (optional)
Player 3 - 3 bongos, chimes, bells, small gong, crash cymbals, field drum, castanets, 2 woodblocks, slit drum (optional), bird call, cuckoo, tambourine
Player 4 - crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, bass drum, tam tam, conga, chimes, ratchet, claves, duck quack, cowbell
Player 5 - piano, triangle, maracas, slide whistle, tam tam