The versatility of the contemporary percussionist in today’s music industry

Abstract

Similar to the Renaissance era which produced individuals who were knowledgeable, educated, or proficient in a wide range of artistic, scientific and cultural fields, today’s percussionist needs to acquired a profound knowledge and proficiency in more than one musical genre and setting. Today’s music industry is very demanding, the times when the percussionist could only fit one role and play one instrument have long gone. This is because musical styles have intermingled and various techniques have been carried on to different musical entities. The demand for a versatile percussion player who can easily camouflage him/herself in different musical environments is much sought after and is therefore imperative that the percussionist is able to play multiple percussive instruments, be a virtuoso soloist, and an able band leader to conform to different ensembles.

This study will focus on the importance of exploring different musical legacies, instruments and vocabulary that have been influenced by a much wider body of knowledge coming from the contextual framework that the artist is working in, in order to enrich the knowledge of the percussionist within the onerous music industry.

Shelley Esaak (2018) in her online article ‘The Definition of Balance in Art’, states that ‘Balance in art is one of the basic principles of design, along with contrast, movement, rhythm, emphasis, pattern, unity/variety’. I concur with this statement as I believe that only with these characteristics can an artist find complete equilibrium in understanding the subject under investigation, achieving technical weight and finding a clear visual equilibrium.

My research title encapsulates my recital and thesis through an in-depth research on different techniques used within various musical styles and settings, whilst exploring different musical language, contexts and genres.