La Vida de la Noche by Brian Slawson

Ready for a night on the town? Transport your audience to the dance club with La Vida de la Noche (Nightlife) by Brian Slawson. This spirited, soca-style work for mallet sextet, is also expandable to fifteen players for a full percussion ensemble sound and groove.

With a single quarter note pickup in the mallets, the piece wastes no time launching into the catchy melody. The main melody is a study in sixteenth + dotted eighth rhythms (as well as the reverse), while a secondary melody switches almost entirely to triplet-based rhythms.  Interlocking parts throughout the rest of the ensemble keep the more challenging rhythms achievable.

Ensemble flexibility is baked in, as up to six percussion parts can be added to bring the soca groove to life. Crotales, chimes, and/or timpani can be added as well for extra sparkle and low end. Slawson has brilliantly scored the work in such a way as to convey the underlying groove with or without the optional percussion parts.

For both setup convenience and some extra visual effect, the two lead marimba players can share a single 4.3-octave (low A) instrument. No four-mallet technique is required.