Actin' Joe Cool

Attending a workshop in New York City, Lias took an evening excursion to the American Ballet Theatre, where he was exposed to what he terms "the evocative and inflammatory music of the tarantella." This art form captured his imagination, and he has crafted a wind ensemble dance of punchy rhythms and swirling touches. Tarantella was commissioned for the Stephen F. Austin Wind Ensemble and was premiered by those forces under the baton of Fred J. Allen at the 2008 TMEA annual convention. A recording of the premiere performance can be heard at their website.

Instrumentation

• Percussion 1 (Bongos, shared Marimba 4.3)

• Percussion 2 (Congas, shared Marimba 4.3)
• Percussion 3 (2 Med. Toms, shared Marimba 4.3)
• Percussion 4 (2 Low Toms, shared Marimba 4.3)
• Percussion 5 (Splash Cymbal, Hi-hat cymbal, Snare drum, Bass Drum)

Most of us can remember a teacher who could deliver sage advice at just the right moment, in just the right way. During the Summer, I’m contracted by various high school band programs to assist in teaching their Drumlines. One of the schools I’ve had the pleasure of working with the past several years is Pauls Valley High School. The percussion director there is Gunnar Long.

Gunnar has the gift to whip out a quip or colloquialism at a moment's notice–at just the right time. One that still gives me a chuckle from time to time was his expression “Actin’ Joe Cool.” One day near the end of a long rehearsal, one of our students wasn’t quite meeting expectations and when addressed, decided to crack a joke in response. Gunnar armed this phrase like a sword and chinked away at the sometimes cocky armor we knew this student to wield. I had to excuse myself from the room to prevent my loss of composure from dampening the seriousness of the lecture he was imparting on his students.

This piece requires percussionists 1-4 to begin on unpitched percussion, transition to marimba, and back again in an attempt to be as ostentatious as possible. There are some gymnastics needed to navigate the shared 4.3 octave marimba elegantly. Players will rotate around each other in an almost gaudy display of ability. These flashy elements in the piece are used to capture the essence of the expression, “Actin’ Joe Cool.” That confident, in your face attitude that can be perfect during a performance, and not so great during a lecture.