Belwin Beginning Band, Book One (featuring the works of Michael Story): Combined Percussion Book

Story's commentary on the conductor's recording transforms this book from a collection into a masterclass. Hearing the composer explain his intentions, his harmonic choices, and his pedagogical reasoning gives directors language to use with their students and deepens everyone's engagement with the music. The eleven titles span styles and moods, so your percussion section gets genuine variety in a single book rather than similar material repeated across pieces.

The percussion parts shimmer with color across eleven contrasting moods. Whether accompanying the grandeur of 'Roman Fanfare,' the rhythmic swagger of 'Sax to the Max,' or the delicate chimes work in 'Sakura,' your section feels integral to each piece rather than filling in gaps. The writing respects percussion as melody-makers and storytellers, not just timekeepers.

Percussion students in beginning to early intermediate bands who need clear, well-written parts that match the sophistication of Story's wind writing. Directors seeking a single combined percussion book that covers standard beginning repertoire without boring advanced players or frustrating developing ones.

• Listen to Story's comments on the accompaniment recording before rehearsal. His specific guidance on balance, phrasing, and character will help you identify what to listen for in your own section.
• Mark your part with the instrumentation cues from the full score. Knowing when mallet changes occur and which parts double melody lines will improve your ensemble awareness.
• In march movements like 'Battle Creek March' and 'Roman Fanfare,' lock the snare drum with the bass line to establish a solid harmonic foundation for the entire band.
• For rhythmically complex passages, isolate the percussion line and count in smaller subdivisions first, then gradually integrate it with the wind parts at tempo.

Use these eleven titles strategically across your concert season. Open a fall concert with the march energy of 'Battle Creek March' or 'American Fantasy,' program 'Sakura' or 'Toyland' for a winter show, and close spring performances with the festive celebration of 'Carnival in Rio' or 'Christmas Bits and Pieces.' Since they're all from a single composer, programming multiple Story pieces in one concert creates musical coherence and gives the audience a chance to recognize his distinctive voice.

• Independence in rhythmic figures while maintaining ensemble coordination
• Mallet technique across pitched and unpitched percussion
• Style-specific articulation and dynamics (march style, Caribbean rhythms, traditional Japanese phrasing)
• Part reading in various time signatures and key areas
• Listening and responding to a musical line rather than following cues rigidly