American Dream, An

“An American Dream” is a programmatic work that calls for ten percussionists plus an offstage trumpeter who also performs a few suspended cymbal rolls. The work begins with a traditional sounding drum cadence followed by most ensemble members moving to mallet parts of varying difficulty. There is also a timpani part that includes clearly marked pitch changes, a snare drum part similar to what one might find in an intermediate concert band piece, and a bass drum with cymbal attachment part. These parts also vary in their difficulty, making “An American Dream” ideal for a group with different experience levels.

The musical material is made up of patriotic tunes familiar to Independence Day concertgoers, including “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Taps” (played by the offstage trumpet). The keyboard parts are written for two mallets and utilize many essential techniques, including rolls, double stops, scalar material, and arpeggiated passages. There are several key changes, which help make this an ideal pedagogical piece for less experienced performers. “An American Dream” would certainly work very well on an Independence Day or American patriotism concert.

—Joseph Van Hassel
Percussive Notes
Vol. 61, No. 6, December 2023