Shiver Lung II: Percussion

Contemporary, textural, and deliberately physical. The title suggests exploration of timbre and sonority rather than melodic rhetoric, with the percussion section acting as a primary voice in the orchestral conversation.

Percussionists in orchestras, conservatory ensembles, and advanced high school programs looking for contemporary orchestral repertoire that challenges both technical facility and interpretive maturity. This work suits musicians comfortable reading complex rhythmic notation and responding to nuanced dynamic and articulation markings.

• Study the full score before isolating individual percussion lines; understanding how your part sits within the larger orchestral texture will sharpen your ensemble awareness.
• Pay close attention to dynamic transitions and attacks, as clarity of articulation often defines the piece's gestural language in modern orchestral writing.
• Consider the acoustic properties of your performance space; modern percussion works are often sensitive to resonance and decay in ways that require intentional attention to instrument placement and muting.

Include this in a concert dedicated to contemporary orchestral music or as part of a program pairing twentieth and twenty-first century works. The ten-page length makes it a substantial solo or featured ensemble work that anchors a concert segment.

• Reading complex rhythmic and metric notation in contemporary scores
• Executing precise attacks and articulations at varying dynamic levels
• Understanding timbral identity and instrumental color as compositional material
• Coordinating with orchestral ensemble members on modern performance practice
• Sustaining focus and stamina through extended percussive passages