Bakken Overture by Brian Nozny

Written for entry-level percussionists, Bakken Overture by Brian Nozny is an energetic and groovy percussion quartet for commonly found drums and auxiliary percussion instruments. The piece boasts relatively simple parts that allow a variety of skill levels to participate in a percussion ensemble setting. The piece’s part assignments are flexible in that the director can choose instruments that are on hand or accessible within the guidelines of the intended instrumentation. Additionally, the piece can be expanded to eight players (or more) by doubling each part. Bakken Overture is an excellent teaching tool for educators to give students a fulfilling introduction to percussion ensemble.