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Cop Drama
All percussion sounds used in this recording were generated from Virtual Drumline software also by Tapspace.
Cop Drama is an homage to the groovy, retro sounds of classic American TV cop shows such as S.W.A.T, The Mod Squad, and The Streets of San Francisco. With a large ensemble of colorful sounds and stylized interpretation, Cop Drama is an enjoyable piece composed by Jim Casella for medium to advanced percussion ensembles.
A genre piece through and through, the rhythm section of guitar, keyboard, bass guitar, and drumset is the stylistic glue that keeps the mood intact. Combining the sounds of funky 70's cop rock, mysterious noir jazz, and modern themes in multiple meters, Cop Drama will provide some fun and entertainment during percussion ensemble concerts or indoor concert competitions.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
Anyone who has enjoyed (or been amused by) television “cop show” soundtracks will find “Cop Drama” an entertaining (as well as challenging) six-minute percussion ensemble homage for the advanced high school or college group. Scored for 12 percussion plus rhythm section (electronic keyboards, guitar, electric bass, and five-piece drumset), it is composed in three sections that capture some musical fingerprints found in most police dramas – suspenseful funky rock with stop-time rhythms (think “The Streets of San Francisco” theme), a bit of hauntingly slow swing “film noir” lounge music (complete with solo hi-hat part) and modern, mixed-meter soundscape.
“Cop Drama” captures the sound and style of its namesake very well, but requires extensive instrumentation: glockenspiel, xylophone, crotales, two vibraphones, chimes, four marimbas (two 4.3 and two 4.5) and percussion (five suspended cymbals, ribbon crasher, large zil-bell, two concert toms, bongos, congas, tam tam, djembe, snare drum, metal guiro, cabasa, three cowbells, two splash cymbals, flexatone, claves, bell tree, two sizzle cymbals, vibraslap, temple blocks, ten-inch Chinese opera gong, woodblock, and high vibratone).
It is thickly scored and may be possible to perform with fewer players (two marimbas instead of four), but four-mallet ability, familiarity with mixed meters (15/8, 7/8), and a strong sense of groove and rhythmic accuracy are a must for everyone. The guitarist and keyboardist must read notation and chord symbols, as well as be familiar with stylistic considerations (“clean” guitar solo, ability to switch between synth patches). The rhythm section is required to successfully replicate the instrumentation of the original genre.
A performance CD and pdf files of the parts are included. For those with a sense of humor and appreciation for the difficulty in actually performing this music, “Cop Drama” will be a fun, challenging piece for performers and audiences.
–Terry O’Mahoney
Percussive Notes
Vol. 47, No. 2, April 2009
Cop Drama is an homage to the groovy, retro sounds of classic American TV cop shows such as S.W.A.T, The Mod Squad, and The Streets of San Francisco. With a large ensemble of colorful sounds and stylized interpretation, Cop Drama is an enjoyable piece composed by Jim Casella for medium to advanced percussion ensembles.
A genre piece through and through, the rhythm section of guitar, keyboard, bass guitar, and drumset is the stylistic glue that keeps the mood intact. Combining the sounds of funky 70's cop rock, mysterious noir jazz, and modern themes in multiple meters, Cop Drama will provide some fun and entertainment during percussion ensemble concerts or indoor concert competitions.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
Anyone who has enjoyed (or been amused by) television “cop show” soundtracks will find “Cop Drama” an entertaining (as well as challenging) six-minute percussion ensemble homage for the advanced high school or college group. Scored for 12 percussion plus rhythm section (electronic keyboards, guitar, electric bass, and five-piece drumset), it is composed in three sections that capture some musical fingerprints found in most police dramas – suspenseful funky rock with stop-time rhythms (think “The Streets of San Francisco” theme), a bit of hauntingly slow swing “film noir” lounge music (complete with solo hi-hat part) and modern, mixed-meter soundscape.
“Cop Drama” captures the sound and style of its namesake very well, but requires extensive instrumentation: glockenspiel, xylophone, crotales, two vibraphones, chimes, four marimbas (two 4.3 and two 4.5) and percussion (five suspended cymbals, ribbon crasher, large zil-bell, two concert toms, bongos, congas, tam tam, djembe, snare drum, metal guiro, cabasa, three cowbells, two splash cymbals, flexatone, claves, bell tree, two sizzle cymbals, vibraslap, temple blocks, ten-inch Chinese opera gong, woodblock, and high vibratone).
It is thickly scored and may be possible to perform with fewer players (two marimbas instead of four), but four-mallet ability, familiarity with mixed meters (15/8, 7/8), and a strong sense of groove and rhythmic accuracy are a must for everyone. The guitarist and keyboardist must read notation and chord symbols, as well as be familiar with stylistic considerations (“clean” guitar solo, ability to switch between synth patches). The rhythm section is required to successfully replicate the instrumentation of the original genre.
A performance CD and pdf files of the parts are included. For those with a sense of humor and appreciation for the difficulty in actually performing this music, “Cop Drama” will be a fun, challenging piece for performers and audiences.
–Terry O’Mahoney
Percussive Notes
Vol. 47, No. 2, April 2009
