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Freerider by Patrick Speranza is a medium-easy percussion ensemble piece inspired by the storied free solo ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park by Alex Honnold. The piece conveys the warrior-like mentality that Honnold embraced as he prepared for and executed his climb to the peak of El Capitan. Written for 10-13 players, Speranza has created a captivating and energetic piece combining primal percussive and soaring lyrical elements that will engage both performers and audiences.
Freerider is written for a minimum of 10 players with the option of doubling marimba and vibraphone parts to accommodate larger ensembles.
Freerider ships as a printed, professionally bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or tablet viewing.
Glockenspiel
Vibraphone
Xylophone
1 marimba — low A, shared
4 timpani
Drums — bongos, concert bass drum, 3 concert toms, 2 low drums (large toms, mounted kick drum, etc.), snare drum
Cymbals — China cymbal, crash cymbals, ride cymbal, 2 suspended cymbals
Accessories — brake drum, cabasa, claves, 2+ shakers, tambourine, triangle
“Freerider” is a medium-easy work that uses a range of common percussion instruments to make a full, impressive sound. It combines interesting melodic themes and simpler, yet effective, rhythms to create an adventurous, mysterious, exciting piece of music that will no doubt become a favorite of middle and high-school students.
About the work, the composer writes: “In 2017, American climber Alex Honnold became the first person to complete a free solo ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. This daring achievement has been described as one of the greatest athletic feats in history. ‘Freerider’ is named after the route that Alex followed in his ascent of El Capitan. The music is meant to capture the warrior mentality that Alex describes in his preparation to complete his free solo ascent.”
This ensemble piece is an excellent choice for performance and learning more about music theory. The clever orchestration is somewhat flexible, as noted in the performance notes, and ensures that every player›s voice is important, as well as featured appropriately. There is an opportunity to dive into this music and have deeper discussions with students regarding the notation on the pages, not only the sounds they make: How was this composed? What is the composer›s intent? Students can also learn more about key signatures, modes (minor, harmonic minor, chromaticism, etc.), and harmonic progressions. Rhythmically, it’s interesting to see and hear how the basic rhythm groups sound when they are overlapped (sixteenth notes, offbeat-accented eighths, quarter-note triplets, etc.). Clearly, this is a wonderful piece for the developing ensemble that wants to take their playing to a new level.
—Cassie Bunting
Percussive Notes
Vol. 61, No. 2, April 2023
Freerider by Patrick Speranza is a medium-easy percussion ensemble piece inspired by the storied free solo ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park by Alex Honnold. The piece conveys the warrior-like mentality that Honnold embraced as he prepared for and executed his climb to the peak of El Capitan. Written for 10-13 players, Speranza has created a captivating and energetic piece combining primal percussive and soaring lyrical elements that will engage both performers and audiences.
Freerider is written for a minimum of 10 players with the option of doubling marimba and vibraphone parts to accommodate larger ensembles.
Freerider ships as a printed, professionally bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or tablet viewing.
Glockenspiel
Vibraphone
Xylophone
1 marimba — low A, shared
4 timpani
Drums — bongos, concert bass drum, 3 concert toms, 2 low drums (large toms, mounted kick drum, etc.), snare drum
Cymbals — China cymbal, crash cymbals, ride cymbal, 2 suspended cymbals
Accessories — brake drum, cabasa, claves, 2+ shakers, tambourine, triangle
“Freerider” is a medium-easy work that uses a range of common percussion instruments to make a full, impressive sound. It combines interesting melodic themes and simpler, yet effective, rhythms to create an adventurous, mysterious, exciting piece of music that will no doubt become a favorite of middle and high-school students.
About the work, the composer writes: “In 2017, American climber Alex Honnold became the first person to complete a free solo ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. This daring achievement has been described as one of the greatest athletic feats in history. ‘Freerider’ is named after the route that Alex followed in his ascent of El Capitan. The music is meant to capture the warrior mentality that Alex describes in his preparation to complete his free solo ascent.”
This ensemble piece is an excellent choice for performance and learning more about music theory. The clever orchestration is somewhat flexible, as noted in the performance notes, and ensures that every player›s voice is important, as well as featured appropriately. There is an opportunity to dive into this music and have deeper discussions with students regarding the notation on the pages, not only the sounds they make: How was this composed? What is the composer›s intent? Students can also learn more about key signatures, modes (minor, harmonic minor, chromaticism, etc.), and harmonic progressions. Rhythmically, it’s interesting to see and hear how the basic rhythm groups sound when they are overlapped (sixteenth notes, offbeat-accented eighths, quarter-note triplets, etc.). Clearly, this is a wonderful piece for the developing ensemble that wants to take their playing to a new level.
—Cassie Bunting
Percussive Notes
Vol. 61, No. 2, April 2023
