Snapped in Half - Brant Blackard [DIGITAL SET]

Snapped in Half (Like A Sunflower) is a work for 10 percussionists that represents the juxtaposition of something very beautiful but fragile coming to a sudden and violent end. “Snapped” can refer to a literal, physical snapping (hence the prominent slapstick part, violent shell/rim hits, etc.) but also a state of mind. While the piece does have some moments of (hopeful!) beauty, it is also inundated with an uneasy energy, sometimes frenetic or brutal and sometimes lost or wandering.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 10
Level: Medium Advanced | Duration: 11:15

Instrumentation
Score (8.5"x11" spiral bound)
Vibraphone 1 + Djembe
Vibraphone 2 + Cajón
Marimba 1 (4.3-octave) + Bongos
Marimba 2 (4.3-octave) + 2 Toms
Marimba 3 (5-octave) + 2 Toms
Marimba 4 (5-octave) + Concert Bass Drum
Glockenspiel + Disc Bell w/ Rivets, Opera Gong, Brake Drum
Crotales (2 octaves) + Doumbek, Slapstick, Tam-Tam
Percussion: Multi-Bass Drum, Tom, Conga, Hi-Hat, Small Cymbal Stack, Suspended Cymbal, Triangle in water
Drum Set

Program Notes
Snapped in Half (Like A Sunflower) was written in 2026 for the University of Oklahoma Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Connor Stevens. My desire was to write a large ensemble work where each and every part was engaging and fun to play. The title comes from something that my good friend Andrea Venet once said in passing (and in jest), though the idea stuck in my head: the juxtaposition of something very beautiful but fragile coming to a sudden and violent end. “Snapped” can refer to a literal, physical snapping (hence the prominent slapstick part, violent shell/rim hits, etc.) but also a state of mind. While the piece does have some moments of (hopeful!) beauty, it is also inundated with an uneasy energy, sometimes frenetic or brutal and sometimes lost or wandering.

University of Oklahoma Percussion Orchestra, Directed by Dr. Connor Stevens