On Thin Air

John Willmarth

General Info

Release Date: 2020
Publisher: Tapspace
Difficulty: Elementary
Duration: 00:02:50
Price: $34.00

Instrumentation

Player 1: Glockenspiel
Player 2: Vibraphone
Player 3: Xylophone
Player 4: Marimba 1
Player 5: Marimba 2
Player 6: Chimes & Suspended Cymbal
Player 7: Timpani
Player 8: Snare Drum & Hi-hat
Player 9: Ride Cymbal & Woodblock & Tambourine
Player 10: 2 Concert Tom-toms
Player 11: Brake Drum & Triangle & Sleigh Bells
Player 12: Mark Tree & Suspended Cymbal
Player 13: Hand Cymbals
Player 14: Bass Drum

Description

John Willmarth’s On Thin Air depicts what it might feel like to fly. The music evokes images of gliding, breathtaking views, and soaring high above the clouds. It is meant to evoke a sense of freedom, hopefulness and wonder in the listener. While the piece is written for younger groups with limited experience, it still communicates through a contemporary musical voice. The piece would also work well for more experienced middle school and high school ensembles with limited time to assemble and rehearse. Furthermore, to accommodate ensembles of different sizes and instrument capacities, five of the seven individual percussion parts are optional.

Commercial Recording

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Review

“On Thin Air” is a versatile piece that can meet the needs of a variety of different ensembles. Set almost entirely in eighth and quarter notes, the composer seeks to evoke “images of gliding, breathtaking views, and soaring above the clouds.” While suited for a younger ensemble (beginning high school) or a group rehearsing with limited time (honor band festival or a college sight-reading session), the music is convincing and uses clever compositional techniques to get the most out of limited material without seeming trite or tired— sounding similar to a Pixar or Disney soundtrack.

The non-pitched instruments provide a solid base of interlocking quarter- and eighth-note rhythms, over which the xylophone and two marimba parts play similar, repetitive figures, using a limited range of pitches. Slower-moving, sustained gestures are scored in the glockenspiel, chimes, and vibraphone—often presented in unison rhythm. The timpani part is perhaps the most soloistic, providing punctuations and interaction with the rest of the ensemble.

John Wilmarth provides a wealth of performance notes that will ease the mind of non-percussionist directors, such as which parts can be omitted, instrument substitutions, and permission to modify any parts to meet the needs of individual students. Pedagogy aside, the fact that this short piece (2:30) can be subjected to so many different approaches and still maintain its listenability and integrity is a testament to the composer’s craftsmanship.

— by Jason Baker

Works for Percussion

Vibraphone Solo

Waltz for a Windy Day

Snare Drum Solo

Time on my Hand

Timpani Solo

And They're Off

Multiple Percussion Solo

Ode to the One-armed Drummer
Rocktopus

Percussion Ensemble

Beware the Jabberwock
Now the Day is Over
On Thin Air
Release the Kraken
Rhythm Rocket
Tentacles (Willmarth)
Trinidad Tidings
Waves (Willmarth)