Boy oh Boy could be an effective teaching tool to
emphasize balance, blend, and dynamic contrast. - Mark Ford Printed by permission of the Percussive Arts Society, inc.
Written for my one-year-old son Caleb, this piece opens
with a simple lullaby setting of a Swedish folk melody from the
hymn Children of the Heavenly Father.At the presto, a day begins with the block part signifying the continual
progression of time.
The texture gradually thickens as toys are strewn around the
house.The chord progression beginning five bars after letter A, spells out
Caleb’s name (Cmin, Abmin, Fmin7 substitute for “L”, Eb, Bb).The progression is then restated with a slightly busier ostinato.The hymn melody returns over new ideas in the mallet instruments, while
the snare, blocks, and hand drums continue the 5/4 patterns
into the 4/4 time signature.
A final statement of the chord progression is made at letter F
followed by the gradual thinning of the texture as the day
winds down.A short
lullaby recap closes the piece and the wood block begins again
to serve as a reminder that the next day is coming soon.
click on the
cover page to view an excerpt of the piece
