Walkabout by Chad Heiny

Walkabout by Chad Heiny is true to its name, as many of the performers “walk about” the ensemble, switching instruments throughout the piece. Heiny writes, “I wrote this piece as a means of exposing younger students to the concept of versatility, and I hope it gets them excited to learn all of the wonderful instruments in our percussion family.”

This 13-player work is split between pitched and unpitched instruments. A syncopated timpani groove and galloping bongos create the basic rhythmic energy at the beginning and persist through much of the piece. Occasional “drum breaks” provide small exposure moments for individuals, and occasionally very basic “over the barline” rhythms are encountered in the keyboard parts for added variety.

Special Performance Parts are crafted to remain on the music stand for a particular instrument, with callouts that make it easy for the different players to find their place in the music after switching instruments. For convenience, Practice Parts are also included which consolidate each individual player’s segments into a single part.

Although the intent is for most players to switch instruments at least once during the piece, it is also possible to play Walkabout without any instrument switching.