A Big Floating Blue Ball (Percussion Quintet)
[NOTE: This is a digital edition of this work. If you want to purchase a print copy, follow the button at the bottom of the page.]
“A Big, Floating, Blue Ball” opens with a mournful and reflective vibraphone solo, sharing a haunting and lyrical melody. This is followed a B section that features the “junk” percussion quartet, mimicking Latin percussion sounds using various found objects. Throughout this middle section, the players are given the freedom to include their own personalities in the work with open solo/ improvisatory sections. Finally, the piece closes with a recapitulation of the opening solo. During these closing thoughts, the “junk” percussion instruments are left on the vibraphone bars in such a way that certain tones are hindered, leaving an empty feeling of incomplete melodic lines.