Mackey, Steven: Micro-Concerto

for Percussionist and Mixed Quintet

Composer's note: "Several years ago I attended The Percussive Arts Society National Convention. There I witnessed a ninety-minute clinic on state of the art techniques for playing crash cymbals. I confess that there was something humorously esoteric about the event, but I left inspired to imagine particular ways to coax sound out of pieces of wood, metal and skin instead of simply hitting things. It also woke me to the fact that the first step in writing for percussion is to invent the instrument and a playing technique. Percussionists tend to have an adventurous attitude about this: if they can reach it with an arm or leg, or hold it in the mouth it is fair game. I'm fascinated by the one-man-band mentality of juggling contrasting timbres produced by a gamut raging from finely crafted instruments to kitchen utensils, and hobby shop paraphernalia. In addition to providing a virtuoso "vehicle" for the percussionist, Micro-Concerto also explores a variety of more complex roles that the individual can play in relation to the ensemble. " - Steven Macey, 1999 -