The Alliance of Black Orchestral Percussionists held its week-long intensive, ABOP-in-LA, from June 23 through June 27, at First Presbyterian Church of Altadena and the Beckmen YOLA Center in Inglewood. The immersive week of activities included master classes, workshops, a mock audition, rehearsals, and a performance. This year’s intensive program was centered on specific core repertoire, which was showcased throughout the week. The core repertoire consisted of:
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 1, III. Menuetto
- Benjamin Britten: Four Sea Interludes, IV. Storm
- Antonín Dvořák: Carnival Overture (excerpt)
- Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations, Variation VII. Troyte
- Zoltán Kodály: Háry János Suite, VI. Entrance of the Emperor and His Court
- Sergei Prokofiev: Lieutenant Kijé Suite, I. The Birth of Kijé
- Ottorino Respighi: The Pines of Rome, I. The Pines of the Villa Borghese
- William Schuman: Symphony No. 3, Part 2, Toccata (excerpt)
- Dimitri Shostakovich: Age of Gold Suite, III. Polka
- Peter Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite, Russian Dance – Trepak
- Peter Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, IV. Finale, Coda
ABOP-in-LA Activities
Score Study Workshop
Led by ABOP Mentor Raynor Carroll, this session reviewed the scores of the week’s core repertoire while listening to the respective audio recordings. The study focused on how the timpani and percussion parts fit in with the orchestra.
Details included the length of notes, muting, dynamics, phrasing, cues, balance, mallets, missing indications, etc.
Bach on Marimba
ABOP Mentor Wesley Sumpter critiqued each protégé on their selected J.S. Bach solo on marimba. The solos were chosen by the protégés and performed during the week’s mock audition.
Wesley emphasized musicality and phrasing while stressing the importance of touch and sensitivity.
Changing and Clearing
a Timpani Head
ABOP Mentor Raynor Carroll demonstrated the process of replacing a plastic timpani head and how to achieve a clear and focused pitch. Protégés learned helpful hints and suggestions along with a list of recommended supplies to aid in the process. Points mentioned included:
- Inspecting the new head
- Preparing the drum
- Removing tension rods, counter-hoop, and the old head
- Cleaning the bowl, counter-hoop, and drum
- Lubrication
- Centering the new head
- Applying tension
- Stretching the head
- Setting the range
- Fine-tuning (clearing) the head
- Future maintenance
Tambourine
ABOP Mentor Torrell Moss led a session on all things tambourine: head, jingles, size, double-row, single-row, rolls, position, hand/knee, etc.
Repertoire presented by the protégés included works from the core repertoire for the week: Dvorak Carnival Overture, Britten Storm, and Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite.
Mallet Selection
In this master class, ABOP Mentor Raynor Carroll discussed how to narrow the choice to options that benefit the instrument in relation to the composition, the ensemble, and the performance space.
Instruments included in this session: timpani, bass drum, xylophone, glockenspiel, and marimba.
Mock Audition
For this session, each protégé performed a J. S. Bach solo of choice on marimba (typically a violin or cello work) and played excerpts from the core repertoire. The panel listening provided immediate feedback to each protégé, commenting on musicality, dynamics, phrasing, overall presentation, tempi, etc.
The panel for this mock audition included musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic:
- Dale Breidenthal, violin (retired)
- John Lofton, bass trombone
- Raynor Carroll, percussion (retired)
Freelance musicians:
- Adrienne Lee, violin
- Sharron Ray, viola
And two Southern California conductors:
- Charles Dickerson, Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles
- Simona Grossi, Loyola Law School Orchestra
Conductors Workshop
This workshop, open to conductors of all levels, was led by Raynor Carroll. It focused on practical information for conductors, offering valuable insights into mallets, sound production, ensemble dynamics, principal duties, and optimal set-up.
The protégés showcased a diverse array of percussion instruments, including timpani, bass drum, snare drums, cymbals, tam-tams, gongs, tambourine, triangle, castanets, woodblock, glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, and chimes.
Areas of focus:
- Timbres of each instrument
- Choosing the appropriate mallets
- Practical considerations and limitations
- Achieving better ensemble: within the section and the orchestra
Throughout the session, conductors and protégés engaged in a dynamic exchange of questions, answers, and thoughts on percussion and its role in musical performance. Continued dialogue was encouraged, with additional ABOP workshops planned for the future.
Joint Concert
ABOP-in-LA concluded with a free joint concert including the ABOP protégés, members of the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, and members of the Loyola Law School Orchestra. Maestros Charles Dickerson and Simona Grossi led the ensemble in a variety of short works featuring ABOP’s protégés and the core repertoire of the week. The performance also featured a world-premiere performance of USC composer Bakhari Nokuri’s exciting new work, Afrospire.
Program:
Afrospire by Bakhari Nokuri
Carnival Overture (excerpt) by Antonín Dvořák
Symphony No. 1, III. Menuetto by Ludwig van Beethoven
The Pines of Rome, I. Pines of the Villa Borghese by Ottorino Respighi
Age of Gold Suite, III. Polka by Dimitri Shostakovich
Lieutenant Kijé Suite, I. The Birth of Kijé by Sergei Prokofiev
Háry János, VI. Entrance of the Emperor and His Court by Zoltán Kodály
INTERMISSION
Four Sea Interludes, IV. Storm by Benjamin Britten
Symphony No. 3, Part 2, Toccata (excerpt) by William Schuman
Enigma Variations, Variation VII., Troyte by Sir Edward Elgar
Nutcracker Suite, II. c) Russian Dance – Trepak by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 4, IV. Finale, Coda by Tchaikovsky
ENCORE
The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa
Thank You!
A special thank you to our wonderful supporters: Kim Noltemy, CEO and President of the LA Phil; Kenny Park; Ella Fitzgerald Foundation; Black Swamp Percussion; Cooperman; Freer Percussion; Innovative Percussion; Insoundmallets; Majestic Percussion; Malletech; Marimba One; Remo, Sabian; Vic Firth; and Zildjian.