UNM's percussion ensemble will do more than keep the beat at Keller Hall tonight.
When most people think of percussion instruments, they might envision drums, symbols and chimes used mostly as background sound supplementing an orchestra.
When Scott Ney, director of percussion studies at UNM, thinks of percussion he hears the sound of breaking glass, clinking water glasses, and umbrellas and table tops played all together with no accompaniment. These are not average orchestral instruments, but the show Ney and his students are putting on Thursday night in Keller Hall isn't an average musical performance.
Directed by Ney, the UNM Percussion Ensemble and the UNM Marimba Band are using found objects, computers and narration, in addition to traditional percussion instruments, to give the audience a different perception of what a percussion ensemble is.
"It's pretty intense, but fun," Ney said.
He said he chose nine different pieces, and his students have worked on them four hours a week since the beginning of the semester. Ney chose different styles of percussion music that vary from ritual drumming to ragtime tunes. One of the pieces was originally written for piano and then transcribed into percussion notation.
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"It's different, some pieces are real traditional and others are avant garde," Ney said.
"It's pretty exciting. You can't really compare it to something - you have to just see it."
Composer and UNM Valencia instructor Daniel Davis composed a piece that will be played by three percussionists. Davis will add his own narration to this work Thursday night.
Ney said the ensemble will be playing both world and contemporary percussion and in addition to the found objects, will be using some standard percussion instruments like snare drums, conga drums, symbols and mallets'I.
Students auditioned to get into the percussion program in the Music department and once accepted, they became eligible for the Percussion Ensemble and the Marimba Band. Ney said two or three other students auditioned for the performance groups this year because they had a strong background in percussion and in reading music.
Ney said this select 13-person ensemble offers something for every kind of music lover.
"There is something for everybody, and there's probably stuff that they haven't seen before."
The What, When and Where
Who: UNM's Percussion
Ensemble
When: Tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Price: General Admission $7
Where: Keller Hall
Tickets and info: 925-5858
