Trash Cancerto (An Uncanny Work in a Classical Style): Percussion 1
An Uncanny Work in a Classical Style
By Timothy Loest
Grade: 1
Item: 98-PC-DB1317_PC1
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Description
Feature your percussionists in this "uncanny" novelty! Timothy Loest uses ordinary waste containers (such as metal trash cans and plastic wastebaskets) to create the extraordinary! The visual effects will be priceless with the choreographed sticking that uses all parts of the trash can. For added entertainment, have percussionists dress up as custodians! Sure to win your audience over in an industrial-strength way!
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Additional Details
Series:
FJH Beginning Band
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-PC-DB1317_PC1
More about this title
About the Composer: Timothy Loest
Timothy Loest has spent over thirty years in the classroom at F.E. Peacock Middle School in Illinois, where he learned firsthand what young musicians need to succeed. His compositions and arrangements have reached audiences far beyond the concert hall, appearing on network television shows from The Tonight Show to Good Morning America. In 2017, his piece Cloud Gate drew over 5,000 listeners at Chicago's Millennium Park, and that same year he earned the Illinois Grade School Music Association's Cloyd Myers Memorial Award for Excellence in Music Education.
Loest's catalog spans publications with Warner Bros., C.L. Barnhouse, FJH Music, and MakeMusic, and he co-authored several influential method books including Measures of Success and Warm-ups and Beyond. His founding of Fanfare Music Press in 2022 reflects his ongoing commitment to bringing quality compositions to young ensembles. A graduate of Illinois State University and Northwestern University, Loest holds membership in ASCAP and regularly accepts commissions through his website.
Why we love this
The choreographed sticking patterns transform your percussion section into visual performers, giving non-traditional musicians a legitimate spotlight without requiring advanced technique. Grade 1 accessibility means every player can execute convincing percussion hits, while the novelty factor generates the kind of audience engagement that reminds everyone why live music matters.
What to expect
Playful and mischievous, like watching a percussion ensemble discover music hiding in the janitorial closet. The industrial clang and rattle of trash containers creates absurd joy, turning everyday objects into legitimate orchestra voices.
Who it's for
Directors programming community concerts, family matinee performances, or pops shows where novelty repertoire balances more serious concert fare. Bands looking to feature percussionists in a piece that demands creativity and personality, not virtuosity.
How to get the most out of it
- Spend rehearsal time on sticking patterns before worrying about precision; once students internalize the choreography, the musicality follows naturally.
- Assign the custodian costumes with purpose: they become part of the performance narrative, not just a gimmick.
- Record a quick video of your sticking formations during rehearsal and share it back with the section so they can self-correct visual alignment between rehearsals.
- Contact your local hardware or restaurant supply store about loaning authentic trash containers; real equipment sounds better and commits the audience immediately.
How to use it
Place this as an opener or second item to set an energetic, unpretentious tone for your concert, or program it midway through to shift the mood and invite the audience to relax. Pair it with one substantial classical arrangement and one additional light piece to build a balanced pops program that appeals across generations.
Skills your students will build
- Rhythmic precision with non-traditional instruments
- Spatial awareness and ensemble choreography
- Confidence performing visual comedy without losing musical integrity
- Mallet control and striking technique on varied metal and plastic surfaces
- Ensemble cohesion through synchronized sticking patterns