The word “percussion” usually brings to mind performances like “Stomp,” where artists bang metal objects together to make noise.
Contrarily, Elon University’s percussion ensemble brought a whole new level of professionalism to Yeager Recital Hall April 10. The ensemble’s director and music professor, Jon Metzger, understands the presumptions, but emphasizes how untrue they are.
“[When they think of percussion], everyone thinks of hitting things,” Metzger said. “But we’re playing some soft and subtle music.”
Throughout the course of the performance, the ensemble covered an array of different moods and emotions. The opening piece, “Agnus Dei,” was one of the softer pieces of the night, played on marimbas, while the fast-paced “Accidental Migration” sounded more like an action movie score.
Metzger credits the improvements of the quality of the percussion music to the decades where it grew popular as an art form. This enhancement paved the way for the more complicated and intricate pieces his ensemble performed during the show.
“The quality of literature for this ensemble has greatly improved in recent years,” Metzger said. “The music is very demanding. The marimba, for example, is very difficult and requires incredible skill.”
But not all the music was specifically written for percussion ensembles. For example, the piece “O Magnum Mysterium” was originally written for a vocal choir. Nevertheless, with the various instruments humming in sync with the precision of any practicing orchestra, the audience could not tell the difference.
This chance to showcase percussion as an art form is something in which the performers reveled. Senior Colin Gartner said he enjoyed the chance to show that percussion instruments do not always have to be the background noise in a greater orchestra. They can be the major players, too.
“Percussion is usually considered a small enhancement instead of a feature,” Gartner said. “But this show lets us shine [as percussionists] and we get to use a variety of instruments.”
The night was more than just proving percussion’s legitimacy to the community; it was a night of sentimental moments. The ensemble’s concert included two former members, Evan Small and Mariana Poole, who performed as alumni with their old ensemble. Mariana Poole was featured in “Accidental Migration” with impressively sweeping marimba solos.
It was also the last show for seniors John Mullen, Brittany Williams, Colin Gartner and Andrew Kidd. After performing the piece titled “ICJ” on steel drums and marimba, junior Ian Rosen hugged Gartner and Mullen tightly, a heartfelt sign that the graduating members would be missed.
The audience in Yeager Hall clapped exuberantly with the ending of each piece, culminating with a standing ovation at the end. Freshman Dylan Williams, an audience member who came to fulfill a cultural event requirement, admitted she was pleasantly surprised to see what a percussion ensemble is all about.
“I didn’t know anything [about percussion ensembles], but I was really impressed,” Williams said. “I thought percussion meant a lot of banging, but it was peaceful [at times]. It was very artistic with a lot of different sounds.”
As the Elon percussion ensemble took its bows on its show and its season, it remained clear that in the Department of Music, percussion is not just a bunch of loud noises. It is an art form to be celebrated for its own beauty.