Napali by Ryan Loud

Ryan Loud’s Napali began as a simple jazz lead sheet but eventually grew into a fully orchestrated piece where two worlds are combined: the world of percussion ensemble and a small/medium-sized jazz rhythm section. Mr. Loud was compelled to write this piece through a trip to the Napali coast in the Hawaiian Islands, where the beautiful vistas and hiking trails provided him with inspiration for the sweeping and melodic sounds of Napali.

Additionally, this piece provides percussion students with a unique opportunity to work on improvisation, a skill often overlooked in modern day percussion pedgogy. Included in this piece is an “Improvisation Concepts” sheet that uses a transcription of Mr. Loud’s vibraphone solo heard on the accompanying audio files. There is text explaining the various options for constructing your own solos! The original lead sheet with accompaniment is provided as well.