Tomfoolery
Medium: Percussion Trio
Publisher: Tapspace Publications
Composed: 2017
Duration: 1:45
Instrumentation:
Percussion 1: High Tom
Percussion 2: Medium Tom
Percussion 3: Low Tom
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Reviews
Written for three parts of equal difficulty, “Tomfoolery” is a trio for tom-toms that would work well with middle school students. The musical material of this work incorporates both unison figures and conversational “hocket” passages. Tom-toms are divided into high, medium, and low parts, and players frequently switch between the rim and the head of the drums. Often, the performers will perform an eighth-note ostinato on the rim of the drums, which allows for more security as accented notes on the head of the drum are passed around the ensemble. The middle section of “Tomfoolery” affords each performer a four-measure solo, providing the instructor an opportunity to focus on balance between melodic figures and ostinato figures. “Tomfoolery” is sure to be a hit among younger percussionists.
—Jamie Wind Whitmarsh
Percussive Notes
Vol. 59, No. 1, February 2021