Minor Infraction by Rick Dior

Masterful composer Rick Dior brings us a short, sweet, and somewhat perilous ride through both light and dark territory. Minor Infraction is scored for 9–13 percussionists, playable as a mallet/timpani-only ensemble or with a full complement of orchestral batterie and some Latin percussion.

This original composition is at once both simple and complex—A sweet yet simple melody expressed very intimately by a lone marimba starts the piece off and is soon joined by other voices in harmonious fashion. Soon after, however, we take a darker path into the woods where things become more uncertain. Complexity creeps out of the woodwork with complex time signatures, extremely fast tempi, and a three-part musical canon performed in the round. Finally, as if awakening from a dream, the piece ends as it began with the solo marimba melody.

Minor Infraction was scored for two mallets only and intended for medium to medium-advanced percussion ensembles. At just over four minutes in length, it goes by quickly but leaves a lasting impression.