Mi Milagro (Download)

for percussion ensemble

Ralph Hicks

Level: Med-Easy

Duration: 2:40

Personnel: 3–8 players

State Lists: Missouri | Florida | Texas

Release Date: 2015

Product ID : TSPCE15-003DL

Price: $32.00

Item #: TSPCE15-003DL

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Description

Set in the style of Mexican marimba bands, Mi Milagro is a charming piece for young players. Ralph Hicks states that the focus isn’t necessarily on any one distinct Latin style, but rather, on the idea of a simple, fast three-beat meter meant to be felt in one. Three players share one standard marimba while the rest of the ensemble acts as a Latin rhythm section.

This piece was extracted from the larger compilation book, Beyond Basic Percussion. Co-written by Eric Rath and Ralph Hicks it contains 10 ensembles from which beginning percussion students can learn. Also helpful is the fact that this piece is flexible in its instrumentation. If you don’t have the full arsenal of players or equipment, some parts have been denoted as optional.

A portion of the proceeds from this title will go to Let Them Drum!—a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation providing recreational drum therapy treatments and performance opportunities for the special needs and assisted living communitites in The Woodlands, TX and surrounding areas.

Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.

Instrumentation

Marimba—low A
Drums (bongos, congas)
Accessories (maracas, cabasa, tambourine, triangle)

Reviews

“Mi Milagro” is heavily influenced by music of Mexican marimba bands and requires three performers to share one marimba. The bongo, conga, maracas, cabasa, tambourine, and triangle parts, while optional, are comprised of simple patterns that repeat virtually all the way through the piece. While the piece is intended for students as young as middle school, it features substantive writing, yet retains a light feel and universal appeal. Ralph Hicks masterfully crafts “Mi Milagro” to be as equally enjoyable for the performers as it is for the audience.

The marimba parts are not particu-larly difficult, but require a strong sense of pulse from each player to ensure that the rhythms all lock together. The non-pitched percussion parts add a great deal of interest to the piece and shouldn’t be overlooked because of their simple, repeating rhythms. Despite being in-tended for younger students, high school students may enjoy putting this piece together to round out a concert or use as a sight-reading exercise. University methods classes might also find it useful for discussing the marimba’s heritage or use it as a vehicle for teaching some of the Latin percussion instruments and their techniques. “Mi Milagro” is a stand-alone selection from the larger percussion ensemble method book Beyond Basic Percussion, co-authored by Hicks. There is a fair amount of educational information miss-ing in the single piece compared to the complete volume of ten works, but the publisher offers a coupon for $30 off the purchase of Beyond Basic Percussion if used within 30 days of purchase.

–Eric Rath
Percussive Notes
Vol. 53, No. 5, November 2015