A shot of joy and fun, this is a piece ensembles will enjoy practicing and audiences will groove with right away. Suitable as an energetic opener or closer. Instrumentation includes electric guitar and drum set for a modern feel. Written for 12 percussionists but can be played by as few as four.
Concert Band | Grade 2.5 | 4:00
Performance materials available through:
Commissioned by the Pierz Healy High School Symphonic Band, Joel Pohland, conductor
For their performance at the 2025 MMEA Midwinter Clinic
About the piece
When I began writing the piece, I aimed to create something fun—even for practicing—and with a more modern rhythm section that included drum set and electric guitar. The difficult part was keeping it fairly short.
My wife ultimately came up with the title. As I was playing her the most recent sound demo before engraving, she saw the audio file was in a folder called “bounces”. She immediately said, “That should be the name of the piece: Bounce!” And it stuck. (I also briefly considered the name Let’s Gooooo! but it didn’t make the cut.) Bouncing objects inherently embody motion and energy; bouncy balls are fun for every kid at some point in childhood. Even light bouncing through a prism expresses warmth and energy with its beauty. The exclamation point could convey excitement, emphasis, or even a command (i.e., “Let’s bounce!”; conductors and performers who want to feel especially cool are encouraged to use this phrase to talk about the piece). As you listen, imagine a ball bouncing its way through a school hallway. Each hand that catches it and sends it on its way joins in the game—where will it go next?
For the inspiration for this music, and for any joy that it may bring to its performers and audiences, I give all glory to God.
Bounce! was premiered on February 13th, 2025 by the Pierz Healy High School Symphonic Band, Joel Pohland conducting.
Paul Cravens 