Music Finland Core

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Ever since I was a child I've been banging on things. I can still remember my mother yelling at me for playing on everything at the dinner table. Even as a young child I realized that almost any object that you can imagine will make a sound if you hit it. So what does this have to do with Masquerades? The answer is in the title. Even though we acknowledge the exsistence of a large set of musical instruments in the world, that list is far from complete. If what John Cage said is true, that everything around us can be music, then it stands to reason that everything around us can be a musical instrument. Most of these instruments are disguised as everyday objects ie. the hand rail on the staircase, your coffee cup, washing machine, the dumpster in the back yard, etc. It's all a huge masquerade, instruments hiding in plain sight!Masquerades was composed for Awake Percussion in 201 9. The piece consists of 3 movements and 2 interludes using mostly non-tuned percussion instruments along with an audio track. The sounds of this audio track are mainly composed of perhaps the most famous masquerader in music, John Cage's prepared piano. Cage was able to turn a very respectable traditional instrument into a Frankenstein monster which no longer sounded like a piano, but more like the percussion instrument that it really is. In addition to the piano, the other material as well comes from analog sources, there are no electronic instruments used.The first movement uses only wooden percussion with the audio track. Following this is a short interlude for percussion alone in which metal instruments are introduced. The 2nd movement is mainly for metal instruments and audio track. This is followed by a short interlude, this time for the audio track alone. The final movement is for percussion using metal, glass and Chinese drums with the audio. This last movement is a type of perpetual motion, and I have subtitled it "perpetual notions" referring to how difficult it is to change people's opinion of what constitutes a proper musical instrument.

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Arranger

Movements

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Abbreviation	Instrument
Woodwind
acl	alto clarinet
afl	alto flute
arec	alto recorder
asax	alto saxophone
barsax	baritone saxophone
barhn	baritone horn
bcl	bass clarinet
bfl	bass flute
bob	bass oboe
bsax	bass saxophone
bsn	bassoon
cbsn	contrabassoon
cl	clarinet
ehn	English horn
fl	flute
hn	French horn
ob	oboe
pic	piccolo
rec	recorder
sax	saxophone
srec	soprano recorder
ssax	soprano saxophone
trec	tenor recorder
tsax	tenor saxophone
Brass
ahn	alto horn
atrb	altotrombone
barhn	baritone horn
btrb	bass trombone
cornet	cornet
euph	euphonium
fhn	flugelhorn
hn	French horn
tba	tuuba
thn	tenor horn
trb	trombone
trp	trumpet
Percussion
dr	drums
glock	glockenspiel
mar	marimba
perc	percussion
timp	timpani
vibr	vibraphone
xyl	xylophone
Strings
db	double bass
gamba	viola da gamba
str	strings
vla	viola
vlc	cello
vln	violin
Other
acc	accordion
cel	celesta
cemb	harpsichord
chords	chords
elbas	electric bass
elg	electric guitar
elorg	electric organ
elpno	electric piano
guit	guitar
harm	harmonium
hca	harmonica
hp	harp
instr	instrument
kantele	kantele
keyb	keyboard
live electr	live electronics
mand	mandolin
mel	melody
org	organ
pno	piano
synth	synthesizer
tape	tape
Vocal
alto	alto
baryt	baritone
basso	bass voice
ch	choir
chc	childrens choir
chf	female choir
chm	male choir
chx	mixed choir
cten	countertenor
mezzo	mezzo-soprano
sopr	soprano
speaker	speaker
ten	tenor
voc	vocal

Symphony orchestra
2222 4331 11 1, str = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, one other percussionist, harp and strings
Wind band
2252 3 423 21212 3 = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons - 3 saxophones - 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones - 2 cornets, alto horn, 2 tenor horns, baritone horn, 2 tubas - 3 percussionists
Big band
221 4 4, pno, guit, db, dr = 2 alto saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, guitar, double bass, drums
Additional codes
+	fl+pic = flutist doubles on piccolo
/	pno/org = can be played on either piano or organ
lib	ad libitum
obl	obligato
str	str: 65432 = specified number of string players
str min	str min: 65432 = at least 65432
str max	str max: 65432 = not more than 65432
solo	vln solo = violin is the solo instrument in a work not obviously for solo violin