Echolocation (Perc Ens 10)

Echolocation is a driving intermediate work for ten percussionists by prolific composer Cody Holmes. This atmospheric piece translates the biological sonar of bats and dolphins into a rhythmic journey featuring bright metallic textures and interlocking keyboard motifs. This is a great piece for a percussion section looking to strengthen individual player and ensemble listening skills, and would be a captivating piece on any concert!

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 10
Level: Intermediate | Duration: 5:00

Instrumentation
Score (8.5"x11" spiral bound)
Crotales: 2 octaves, bass bow
Glockenspiel
Xylophone
Chimes
Vibraphone 1
Vibraphone 2
Marimba 1: 4.5-octave
Marimba 2: 5.0-octave
Timpani: 4 Drums
Percussion 1: Finger Cymbals, Slapstick
Percussion 2: 4 Concert Toms, Impact Drum, Temple Blocks (shared w/ Percussion 3)
Percussion 3: Temple Blocks (shared w/ Percussion 2), Triangle, Snare Drum, Crash Cymbal

Program Notes
Echolocation is an intermediate percussion ensemble written for 10 percussionists. In nature, echolocation is a biological sonar used by animals such as bats and dolphins to navigate and "see" their surroundings by emitting sound waves and listening for the echoes that bounce back. Cody Holmes’s composition of the same name translates this scientific phenomenon into a rhythmic and atmospheric journey for percussion ensemble.

The piece begins with bright, high-pitched metallic textures and a pulsing keyboard ostinato—representing the initial "pings" of a sonar signal. As the work develops, these simple motifs are reflected across the ensemble, layering and interlocking to create a dense, driving soundscape. The middle section introduces a more robust battery presence, signifying the momentum of movement through a dark or complex environment.

Throughout the piece, Holmes utilizes shifting syncopation and dynamic swells to mimic the way sound travels, reflects, and eventually returns to its source. The music finally resolves back to its original clarity, suggesting a successful navigation through the sonic landscape.

Echolocation was commissioned by Bryan Waites, Lee Willis, and the Sartartia Middle School Percussion Section.