Band Expressions™, Book Two: Student Edition: Percussion Book & CD

Band Expressions Book Two grounds percussion study in a systematic, standards-aligned curriculum that treats percussion as a full section worthy of genuine musicianship instruction rather than an afterthought. The inclusion of keyboard, accessory, and world percussion instruments alongside traditional concert percussion means your percussionists develop genuine facility across the full range of sounds they'll encounter in real repertoire. The 78-track accompaniment CD embedded in each student book removes the barrier of needing separate playback technology, making daily engagement with the material immediate and seamless.

Working through Band Expressions Book Two feels like discovery rather than drill; the full-color design and varied musical contexts keep students engaged across a wide range of styles and percussion colors. The CD accompaniments transform isolated exercises into genuine musical moments where students hear themselves as contributors to ensemble sound rather than performers of isolated tasks.

This book serves percussion students in concert band programs at the intermediate level who are ready to move beyond fundamental stroke technique into genuine musical literacy and ensemble awareness. It works equally well for students encountering keyboards and world percussion for the first time and those building on foundational skills from Book One.

• Balance the sound of each percussion instrument against the accompaniment by starting at lower volumes and building only where the arrangement specifically calls for it; the CD tracks reveal where each voice should sit in the mix.
• Work through exercises slowly enough that students can identify which specific instrument or mallet type the part requires before attempting it at tempo.
• Use the composer and historical notes in the glossary as context for the pieces and exercises; understanding why a particular percussion sound was chosen for a moment in music deepens both technique and musicianship.
• Rotate through different percussion instruments across rehearsal weeks so students build facility on multiple instruments rather than specializing too early in the year.

Use Book Two as your primary percussion curriculum throughout the second year of study, introducing new instruments and concepts sequentially as the book presents them. The embedded exercises and accompaniments support your regular rehearsals without requiring supplementary materials, and the historical and compositional context builds the kind of informed musicianship that deepens student engagement with the full band repertoire you program throughout the year.

• Performing on multiple percussion instruments (timpani, snare drum, bass drum, bells, xylophone, keyboard percussion, world percussion)
• Reading and executing standard percussion notation across different clefs and staves
• Matching mallet and striking technique to the sound qualities required by specific musical contexts
• Listening for balance and blend between percussion parts and other band voices
• Understanding the historical and compositional role of percussion in concert band literature