The Cambridge Companion to Percussion
Cambridge Companions to Music Series

Percussion music is both the oldest and most recent of musical genres and exists in diverse forms throughout the world. This Companion explores percussion and rhythm from the perspectives of performers, composers, conductors, instrument builders, scholars, and cognitive scientists. Topics covered include percussion in symphony orchestras from the nineteenth century to today and the development of percussion instruments in chapters on the marimba revolution, the percussion industry, drum machines, and the effect of acoustics. Chapters also investigate drum set playing and the influences of world music on Western percussion, and outline the roles of percussionists as composers, conductors, soloists, chamber musicians, and theatrical performers. Developments in scientific research are explored in chapters on the perception of sound and the evolution of musical rhythm. This book will be a valuable resource for students, percussionists, and all those who want a deeper understanding of percussion music and rhythm.

Introduction Russell Hartenberger; Part I. Orchestral Percussion: 1. Timpani traditions and beyond Russell Hartenberger; 2. Orchestral percussion in the twenty-first century: concerns and solutions William L. Cahn; Part II. The Development of Percussion Instruments: 3. Marimba revolution: mallet instruments, repertoire, and technique in the twenty-first century William Moersch; 4. Instrumental ingredients Garry Kvistad; 5. The percussion industry Rick Mattingly; 6. Virtual drumming: a history of electronic percussion Thomas Brett; Part III. Percussion in Performance: 7. Lost and found: percussion chamber music and the modern age Adam Sliwinski; 8. Taking center stage: percussionist as soloist Colin Currie; 9. Percussion theater: the drama of performance Aiyun Huang; 10. Three convergences: a percussionist learns to conduct Steven Schick; Part IV. Composing Music for Percussion Instruments: 11. Finding a voice Bob Becker; 12. Flexibility as a defining factor Jason Treuting; 13. Thoughts on percussion and rhythm Steve Reich; Part V. Drum Sets and Drumming: 14. In the pocket: how a drum set player grooves Peter Erskine; 15. The 'funky drummer' break: ghost notes, timbre, and popular music drumming Steven F. Pond; 16. Way beyond wood and skin: drum sets, drumming, and technology Jeff Packman; Part VI. World Percussion: 17. Speaking of rhythm Russell Hartenberger; 18. African influences on Western percussion performance and pedagogy B. Michael Williams; 19. The Gamelan Beleganjur as Balinese percussion ensemble Michael B. Bakan; Part VII. Percussion and Rhythm: 20. Lessons from the laboratory: the musical translation of scientific research on movement Michael Schutz; 21. In the beginning was the beat: evolutionary origins of musical rhythm in humans John R. Iversen.

Russell Hartenberger is a Professor at the University of Toronto and has been a member of both Nexus and Steve Reich and Musicians since 1971. With Nexus, he created the soundtrack for the Academy Award-winning full-length documentary, The Man Who Skied Down Everest. With Steve Reich and Musicians he has recorded for ECM, DGG and Nonesuch Records, and performed on the Grammy Award-winning recording of Music for 18 Musicians. His awards include the Toronto Arts Award, the Banff Centre for the Arts National Award, a Juno nomination, and induction into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.