Nevin-Steel Heart (SP)-B/2V/opt. steel dr./3M/BG/P

Steel Heart by Mike Nevin is a medium-advanced percussion ensemble piece blending traditional mallet writing with the bright timbre of steel pan and a driving rhythm section. Originally conceived as a solo, this arrangement expands the work into a dynamic ensemble setting that captures the warmth and spirit of island-inspired grooves.

The piece may be performed with or without steel pan—the solo line can alternatively be played on vibraphone—offering flexibility for diverse program needs. Optional auxiliary percussion parts and acoustic effects allow for creative instrumentation and scalability for varying group sizes.

This piece ships as a fully bound score or as an instant PDF download for printing or tablet viewing. Individual parts come exclusively in PDF format.

Additional Information

• Number of players: 9-12
• Difficulty: Intermediate/advanced


• Instrumentation:
• Player 1: Glockenspiel, brake drum
• Player 2: Steel pan* (low C single tenor or double seconds/double tenor with possible adjustments)
• Player 3: Vibraphone 1
• Player 4: Vibraphone 2
• Player 5: Marimba 1 (4.3 octave)
• Player 6: Marimba 1 (4.3 octave)
• Player 7: Marimba 1 (4.3 octave, opt. 5 octave)
• Player 8: Bass guitar (or malletSTATION/MalletKAT)
• Player 9: Drum set
• Player 10: Chimes, 2 shakers, shekere
• Player 11*: Bongos, timbales, ocean drum, cowbell, small crash cymbal (15” or 16”)
• Player 12*: Mark tree, triangle, woodblock, mounted rock tambourine, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, concert bass drum, surdo (or floor tom)