Actin' Joe Cool

Description

Percussion 1, Percussion 2, Percussion 3, Percussion 4, Percussion 5 — Most of us can remember a teacher who could deliver sage advice at just the right moment,in just the right way. During the Summer, I’m contracted by various high school bandprograms to assist in teaching their Drumlines. One of the schools I’ve had the pleasure ofworking with the past several years is Pauls Valley High School. The percussion directorthere is Gunnar Long.Gunnar has the gift to whip out a quip or colloquialism at a moment's notice–at just theright time. One that still gives me a chuckle from time to time was his expression “Actin’Joe Cool.” One day near the end of a long rehearsal, one of our students wasn’t quitemeeting expectations and when addressed, decided to crack a joke in response. Gunnararmed this phrase like a sword and chinked away at the sometimes cocky armor we knewthis student to wield. I had to excuse myself from the room to prevent my loss ofcomposure from dampening the seriousness of the lecture he was imparting on hisstudents.This piece requires percussionists 1-4 to begin on unpitched percussion, transition tomarimba, and back again in an attempt to be as ostentatious as possible. There are somegymnastics needed to navigate the shared 4.3 octave marimba elegantly. Players will rotatearound each other in an almost gaudy display of ability. These flashy elements in the pieceare used to capture the essence of the expression, “Actin’ Joe Cool.” That confident, inyour face attitude that can be perfect during a performance, and not so great during alecture. "Actin' Joe Cool" channels bold attitude and theatrical flair, bringing to life the swagger of confidence that shines in performance. With dynamic shifts between unpitched percussion and shared marimba acrobatics, this piece exudes a cheeky energy that’s as entertaining as it is audacious.

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