Yoruba Rhasody Ile-Ie For Bassoon, ercussion soloist, and ourercussionists By Michael Varner As erormed on revelations: Ne Music or ercussion and Ensembles While on research in Nigeria in 2009 I had the oortunity to exerience a ide range o the unique instruments and sounds o the Yoruba eole o Nigeria in West Arica Their Music, Vocal and ercussion based or the most art, reresents their cultural identity Ater returning home I decided to comose a ork that combined many o the sounds I heard to share ith audiences the incredible musical exerience o Arica Much o Yoruba music is arables or stories that are sung by the incredibly exressive Dun-Dun or Talking drum The Nigerian Talking Drum has long ascinated musicians rom around the orld Little accurate inormation about this unique member o the ercussion amily has been knon outside o Nigeria The traditional erormers can literally seak mimicking the itches and rhythms o language The Yoruba believe that you cannot talk ully about their culture and tradition ithout seaking about the talking drum because it is a source o history, oetry, roverbs, and daily lie The drums are oten layed by a amily o musicians young and old In my comosition Yoruba Rhasody the bassoon reresents the elder member o the amily ho s lo ull voice tells the roverb The Solo ercussionist reresents the ather ho has learned the arables and can lay them back resonding to the ords o the elder on the Iya-Ilu: the lead Dun-dun The our ercussion layers reresent the young ne generation o the amily, laying reetitive arts and listening/learning the roverbs The comosition is called a Rhasody because its orm reresents a number o the most common Song/Dance o the Yoruba eole Ile-Ie reers to a very imortant city in Nigeria that is the center o the Yoruba culture and thought to be the Birthlace o the Yoruba All the atterns layed by the accomanying ercussionists are authentic to the Yoruba roverbs as are the instruments some o hich are hard to acquire outside Arica Because o that I am including suggested instrument substitutions that kee the sirit o the iece For more inormation on this ascinating culture and music visit my ebsite or my article Skin that Seaks: The Talking drums o Arica htt://utaedu/aculty/mulberry/acover I hoe you ill enjoy the music o a ascinating eole and lace! Michael Varner
Instrumentation: (or a list o ossible substitutions see belo) Bassoon Soloist ercussion Soloist Dun-dun Talking Drum Iya-Ilu layer 1: Dun-dun Talking Drum Isaaju (high sound) High Sakara (clay ottery ring ith anteloe skin head aixed) Shekere gourd 1 layer 2: Dun-dun Talking Drum Atele (Lo sound) Medium Sakara Shekere gourd 2 layer : Gudugudu (air o drums) Lo Sakara Shekere gourd layer : Wind Chimes/Mark Tree Shekere gourd Gankogui (traditional Arican Double Bell)
Substitutions: ercussion Soloist Talking Drum The Dun-dun talking drum is a very unique instrument It basically erorms rimary itches aroximately a third aart occassionally hooked ith glides beteen Thereore good substitutes can be Djembe, Conga, even traditional Tom-toms as long as the sound is toard the lo register I recommend something layed ith the hands or light ooden mallets layer 1: Isaaju: A single itch talking drum Good substitute can be a small tom layed ith single light ooden stick High Sakara: Small rame drum layed ith light ooden stick Shekere gourd 1: Shakers are available in many sizes Try to avoid south American Maraca style shakers layer 2: Atele: A single itch talking drum Good substitute can be a medium tom layed ith single light ooden stick Medium Sakara: Medium rame drum layed ith light ooden stick Shekere gourd 2 Shakers are available in many sizes Try to avoid south American Maraca style shakers layer : Gudugudu: A air o bol shaed drums Good substitute can be a air o bongo layed ith medium rubber mallets Lo Sakara: Lo rame drum layed ith light ooden stick Shekere gourd : Shakers are available in many sizes Try to avoid south American Maraca style shakers layer : Wind Chimes/Mark Tree: Used to reresent the small ornamental bells ound on the lead Dun-dun Shekere gourd Shakers are available in many sizes Try to avoid south American Maraca style shakers Gankogui Arican double Bell: use a very lo sounding resonant set o cobell Avoid the high bright South American Agogo Bells
Duration: 9 Minutes htt://utaedu/aculty/mulberry/acover Coyright Michael Varner 201
2 Yoruba Rhasody 11 F 11 l ~~~ 16 16 Ó ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ j Ó ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ j # j ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ q=109 # subito ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 2 2 2 j j l 2 ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2
l 21 21 Ó Gudugudu esress 25 25 F j Isaaju (H) b ~~~~~~~~ Yoruba Rhasody Atele (L) b F Ó 5 l
Yoruba Rhasody 0 b F b b b F Ó 5 0 l 5 5 b b b Ó 5 ß l
56 On Bassoon Cue j Ó Ó Yoruba Rhasody b j Ó b Ó 7 56 l 60 60 j b Í j Ó j b j b j l
8 Yoruba Rhasody 6 b j Ó b b 2 2 z j j 6 l 67 67 subito subito j 69 marcato b Ó Ó j Ó b j l Ó Ó
Yoruba Rhasody 9 71 b n b b Ó b b Ó l 71 75 75 b Ó l
98 # b 2 U 99 q=116 Yoruba Rhasody ~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Shake Bells" l l 98 102 102 Shekere "Vam" "Vam" "Vam" Shekere Ó marcato On Bassoon Cue On Bassoon Cue Shekere 1 R R ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shekere 2 ~~~~
1 Yoruba Rhasody 107 ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ r # R # n subito 107 l 111 111 ~~~~~~~~~ b j Ó Ó b n b b b l
20 Yoruba Rhasody 156 Sim Ó l l 156 160 160 Shekere Shekere 1 Gankogui 162 b j j j Shekere 2 j Ó ~~~~~~~~
16 Ó ~~~~~~ j Yoruba Rhasody # Ó j ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~ 21 16 l 168 168 Ó ~~~~~~~~ # Ó b Ó # Ó j b # l
22 Yoruba Rhasody 172 # b Ó b b ~~~~~~~~ j Ó Ó 172 l 176 ~~~~~ 176 b ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ó 178 b # b b b Ó Ó Ó j j j j l Ó subito
l l 28 Yoruba Rhasody 22 22 228 228 b b # # Ó b 5 b Ó b # b Ó 227 q=116 # b Ó 5 b
l l 22 22 26 26 b semre cresc semre cresc semre cresc semre cresc ~~~~~~~ # b b b j b Yoruba Rhasody # b 25 Gankogui # 29 cresc cresc
l 0 Yoruba Rhasody 20 20 Ó b b b 5 j ~~~~~~~~~ Ó Z j Ó Z Ó Z Ó Z Ó Z Ó Z
Dr Michael Varner, ercussionist and Educator Dr Michael Varner has been Director o ercussion at the University o Texas at Arlington or the ast 5 years He holds a Bachelor o Music Education rom Boling Green State University, a Master s in erormance rom The University o Michigan, and a Doctorate in erormance rom The University o North Texas Varner released his latest CD in 201 eaturing his on comositions With a long history as an educator and clinician, he has been invited to give resentations throughout the United States, aan and Euroe ocusing on develoing musical exression In recent ast years he has resented by invitation at the Euroean Music Educators Convention held in Frankurt, Germany, and Music Educators National Conventions as ell as State Music Education Conventions or Connecticut, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Kansas, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Minnesota He dras rom 0 years exerience as a erormer resenting reertoire rom every musical style including Classical, Contemorary, azz, and World beat He brings to each style o music an unequalled sensitivity and exuberance Doctor Varner recently resented a series o lecture/recital tours throughout Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma Dr Varner's erormances included resentations on aanese marimba comositions, and a demonstration o the develoment o solo marimba literature in the late 20th century Excerts rom Dr Varner's tour erormances can be vieed and listened to by odcast at the Vic Firth Website He has erormed chamber music and studio ork in the Dallas/Ft Worth area including aearances ith the Fort Worth Symhony Orchestra During his time in Michigan he as rincial ercussionist ith the Kalamazoo Symhony Orchestra and rincial Timanist ith the Kalamazoo Chamber Orchestra Dr Varner has been a member o the UTArlington Honors college aculty since 1996 As the only music aculty member to be an honors college roessor he as chosen as honor aculty member o the year or teaching excellence in 200, the irst year the Honors College named a reciient He continues to be active nationally in the ield o marching ercussion adjudicating and resenting clinics Under his guidance the UT Arlington drum line has been nationally recognized erorming at numerous marching exhibitions including the 1982, 1988, 199 and 2000, 200, and 2008 ercussive Arts Societies International cometitions He has orked ith renoned drum and bugle cors, including the DCI chamion Chicago Cavaliers and the Toledo Glassmen Dr Varner continues his interest in comosition by acceting requent commission rom university and high schools across the United States He ublishes many o his on comositions and has also released orks through Southern Music, Studio Four, and ermus ublications Varner s interest in orld music led to a sabbatical in Nigeria and Study-Abroad classes to Ghana His article Skin That Seaks as ublished in the 201 ercussive Notes ournal In 2009 he received a Faculty Develoment Leave Grant to accet an invitation rom Obaemi Aoloo University in Nigeria to ork ith their aculty and students He maintains an Artist relationshi ith Remo Heads and World Instruments, Vic Firth, Yamaha, and Sabian cymbals htt://utaedu/aculty/mulberry/acover
Ensemble Michael Varner Music Imagined diversions Contemorary Quartet eatures amilies o ercussion instruments: membranes (bongos, snare drum, toms, bass drum), metals (susended cymbals, China cymbal, hi-hat), and oods (claves, oodblocks, temle blocks, log drums) A ide range o colors and textures based around the Rondo orm using as many variants on Seven as ossible Each erormer lays the tambourine giving lots o oortunity or various Tambourine technical ork (TEXAS UIL LIST, CLASS 1 $500 Kingdom Five Dearted A rhythm oem or 9 ercussionists A antasy tale ritten in ercussion sounds, eaturing only Membranohones and Accessories in a Semi-classical vein (TEXAS UIL LIST, CLASS 1) $500 Arabian Sketches A ercussion ensemble or eight layers based on dances and rhythms rom the Mid-east The comosition or estern ercussion instruments eatures the "Doumbek" hich is a goblet shaed hand drum Mid-eastern "Zil" and "Riq" can be substituted or the Finger cymbals and tambourine i desired or a more authentic eect "Arabian Sketches" catures the "aura" o the abled Mid-east described in novels and legends Grade 5 8 layers $500 Tala Exerience the unique asects o Classical Indian music! Based on a rhythmic attern o telve beats divided into grouings o 5 and 7 subdivided into 2--2-2- Written or strictly estern instruments, Challenges the ensemble to rhythmic recision and ensemble aareness oering a small taste o the relentless energy o Indian music! Grade 5 7 layers (TEXAS UIL LIST, CLASS 1) $500 hantasm III or ercussion Ensemble hantasm III is an imaginary "movie sound track" eaturing the idest ossible variety o intriguing sounds and colors From its irst moment ith all erormers exloring every imaginable ossibility or susended cymbal through a inale o satial sixteenth notes hantasm III drives orard ith relentless energy Grade 5 7 layers $500 Celestial Elements" or 7 ercussionists and Snare Drum Soloist Written to sotlight the snare drum, each movement gives the listener a dierent vie o musical and tonal caabilities The movements can be erormed searately "The best vehicle or shocasing the snare drums sound and color that I have ever exerienced" Richard MacDonald, Director o ercussion Studies, Winona State University, Minnesota 1 Earth Relects the orchestral role and sound o the snare drum Grade $2000 2 Wind Highlights the sound color asects o the snare drum Grade 5+ $2000 Fire Aggressive "outdoor" character o the snare drum Grade 5+ $2000 Sorcery! Orchestral style ensemble ith 20th century harmony, and a driving timani ostinato 12 layers (TEXAS UIL ENSEMBLE LIST, CLASS 1) Grade 5 $000 Mushroom Sou A lashy usion comosition eaturing bass and drumset ith contrasting musical sections 11 layers, bass and drumset $000 Soul o the ne machine A contemorary ensemble or a younger grou, that eatures a ide range o colors and textures 7 layers (TEXAS UIL ENSEMBLE LIST, CLASS 1) Grade - $000 Solo The Silence Beteen Advanced Multile ercussion Solo ritten or toms, almglocken, and oera gong This is a minimalist set u that still exlores an incredible vocabulary o sounds and eects $2500 FireStorm Very Advanced snare drum solo taking the marching idiom to ne dimensions $1100 Winds o Change Advanced Concert Snare solo eaturing every imaginable sonic ossibility $1100 Challenging Horizons Snare drum collection o 11 solos rogressing rom intermediate to advanced eaturing the latest techniques combined ith good musical hrasing (TEXAS UIL SOLO LIST, CLASS 1) Grade -5 $1200 Bamboo Dragon Challenging Multile ercussion solo or concert toms, Bass drum, temle gongs, and ood block Wide variety o colors, eaturing sections requiring hand indeendence "the sounds o the orient!" (TEXAS UIL SOLO LIST, CLASS 1) Grade 5 $100 Counterane II Advanced snare drum solo highlightig both the visual and excitement o marching ercussion Grade 5 $950 Available through your local music store or direct rom: Michael Varner Music University o Texas at Arlington Music Deartment O 19105 Arlington, TX 76019 htt://utaedu/mvarner/acover