Dr. Marcus Reddick and the students of Mercer University’s percussion ensemble have been putting in long hours as they prepare for their upcoming concert October 23.
The concert will feature a variety of musical numbers across various styles, including 20’s-esque ragtime and a Caribbean style steel drum piece.
“It is very exciting to have this blend of styles and to be able to showcase all of our extremely talented students. The most interesting thing is that all of the pieces have been composed in the students’ lifetimes; they are very contemporary pieces in that sense,” Marcus Reddick, director of the percussion ensemble, said.
Students that will be performing in the percussion ensemble have also had the unique opportunity to arrange a piece themselves for the concert.
“I thought it would be interesting to let them arrange a piece on their own, and let them have that experience,” Reddick said.
The students are arranging “Afta Stuba,” originally written for a solo marimba, into a piece for the entire ensemble to play.
“It really is impressive. They have been working really hard, and it is incredible to see what they have done with the piece,” he said.
Additionally, “Afta Stuba” is part two of a musical duo. The percussion ensemble performed part one of the duo “Stubernic” six years ago, and Reddick is excited to follow up on the performance.
A piece performed on only six tambourines will also be featured, along with a “show-off” piece featuring three students on one marimba. A group of students have also been honing their skills on the steel drums in order to perform “Soul Sauce,” a contemporary piece with a Caribbean twist.
The concert will be held at Langley Hall in the McCorkle Music Building on October 23 at 7:00 p.m. For more information, please visit music.mercer.edu.
Percussion Ensemble prepares to showcase contemporary pieces
The concert will be held at Langley Hall in the McCorkle Music Building on October 23 at 7:00 p.m. For more information, please visit music.mercer.edu.
