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StarDancer (Perc Ens 5-8+)
Genre: Flexible Percussion Ensemble
Series: The Ignite Series
# of Players: 5-8+
Level: Medium Easy | Duration: 3:00
Publisher: C. Alan Publications | Copyright: 2020
Download mp3 | Click on images to left for score sample
Rating:
Price:
$32.00
Item #:
27600
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Notes & Instrumentation
Dedicated to the composer's young daughter who is fascinated with everything in the night sky, StarDancer alternates between light-hearted, spinning dances and more raucous, foot-stomping dances.
Genre: Flexible Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 5-8+
Series: The Ignite Series
Level: Medium Easy | Duration: 3:00
Instrumentation
Bells (may double with Vibraphone)
Xylophone (may double with Marimba)
Marimba 1 [optional]
Marimba 2 [optional]
(may share one 4.3-octave instrument)
Timpani (3 drums) [optional]
Percussion 1: Triangle, Snare Drum
Percussion 2: Suspended Cymbal, 2 Concert Toms
Percussion 3: Concert Bass Drum, Shaker, Tambourine
Program Notes
StarDancer is dedicated to & inspired by my 3-year-old daughter, Penelope, as she has started expressing greater interest in the moon and the stars. Nothing gets her out of bed faster in the early morning than asking if she wants to go look at the stars before the sun comes up. She also has a great affinity for dancing to anything that moves her. This usually means there are drums & hand-clapping involved. From the opening measures of the piece, sparkling sounds permeate the ensemble with high glockenspiel, xylophone, triangle, and suspended cymbal. As it evolves, the piece alternates between light-hearted, spinning dances and more raucous, foot-stomping dances. I just kept asking myself, “What would Penelope like to hear?”StarDancer was commissioned by the Hawaii Youth Percussion Ensemble, Caden Hong, Commissioned Project Director (Honolulu, Hawaii, 2019).
PERFORMANCE NOTES
The piece may be performed with as few as 5 players (Bells, Xylophone, & the 3 Percussion parts). If you add a 6th player, add Timpani first. If you have even more players, add Marimba 2, then Marimba 1, and then you can experiment with doubling the Bells and Xylophone with Vibraphone and Marimba, respectively. Additionally, the three percussion parts are written so they are each playable by one person or they may be split into two players each.The IGNITE Series for the Developing Percussion Ensemble
This unique series was designed specifically for young percussionists as they experience the magic of playing in a percussion ensemble. Each piece provides the director and students with great flexibility – from the number of players to the tempo to the instrumentation.
Light a fire under your students today! -
Product Reviews
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Percussive Notes New Literature Review
Once again, Nathan Daughtrey has provided the percussion community with a well-crafted and engaging work for young percussion ensembles. “StarDancer” was inspired by Daughtrey’s 3-year-old daughter, Penelope, and her interest in the moon and stars. To this end, the piece utilizes “sparkling” high sounds as well as dance-like material inspired by Penelope’s love of dancing. “StarDancer” was commissioned by Caden Hong and the Hawaii Youth Percussion Ensemble in 2019.
Its instrumentation is ideal for K–12 groups, as it allows for flexibility, which Daughtrey explains clearly in the performance notes. This is also an excellent piece for groups with a variety of experience levels. The mallet parts are typically more challenging than those for timpani and percussion. The xylophone and bells parts contain scalar passages, a good amount of accidentals, and mostly sixteenth- and eighth-note based rhythms. The optional marimba parts are less challenging, and frequently utilize double stops. The timpani part does not change pitch on any of the drums, making it ideal for a beginning player. The percussion parts are also well-written and useful in that they allow the performer to work on basic techniques for several common instruments: triangle, snare drum, suspended cymbal, bass drum, and tambourine. I recommend this work for a middle or high school ensemble.
Joseph Van Hassel
Percussive Notes
Vol. 59, No. 6, December 2021 Joseph Van Hassel on Jul 5th 2022
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