Heads Up! is a companion piece for my earlier composition, Head Talk (1987). This new composition is an excursion into the further possibilities of a five-member percussion ensemble with only standard drum heads.  The Heads Up! ensemble is required to perform primarily on used timpani heads (or bass drum heads) and frame drums as they move around the stage.  My sincere appreciation to Mr. Ju and the Ju Percussion Group, from Taipei, Taiwan, who commissioned Heads Up!  Mr. Ju’s invitation and the many ensembles and audiences around the world who have enjoyed Head Talk made me realize that there was still a little fun left in drum heads!

Instrument List

• 5 – timpani or bass drum heads (32” to 20”).  These can be used timpani or marching bass drum heads.  The sizes may vary as long as the diameters increase from player 1 to player 5.
• 3 – frame drums – small, medium, large
• 1 – bottom snare drum head
• 1 – police whistle with a neck strap
• 1 – bass drum or timpani head with the plastic head cut off of the rim.   This rim is used to make a “paper head.”  Purchase a roll of thin white paper from an art supply store and tape the paper around the rim of the head.