Clockbox by Boccherini arr. Brian Slawson

Arranged by Brian Slawson, Clockbox is a medium-easy percussion octet for young performers drawn from the second movement (”Andantino”) of Luigi Boccherini’s Symphony No. 1 in D, Op.12. Clockbox features very basic rhythms and phrasing structures but challenges players with various accidentals throughout and overall musical structure. The piece begins in the key of D harmonic minor, where many of the accidentals in the piece are found. Later the key changes to the relative major (F major), which could be a good introduction to the topic of relative keys. At the end of the F major section, a first ending is present directing players back to the beginning to perform the short work once more. This is a quick piece to put together while providing students with an educational musical experience.