Commissioned by Jeremy DeLuca and the Mt. Lebanon Percussion Program to celebrate their 40th anniversary, The Heroes Around Us draws inspiration from a poem by Kai Skye (formerly Brian Andreas): "once you begin to see the heroes around you, the ones that stand quietly and love the world with everything they are, it is hard to miss that you are bigger because of them & don't be surprised if one day you choose to stand up, too & show what happens when you live that kind of life." After a brief, expansive opening that encourages deep breathing & reflection, the piece moves into a rousing celebration filled with memorable melodies and toe-tapping rhythms that alternates between two primary themes, traveling through many textures and moods, always driving toward the exciting conclusion. Additional Information: Number of Players: 13-16 Difficulty: Intermediate/advanced Instrumentation: Player 1: Glockenspiel, crotales (2 octaves) Player 2: Vibraphone 1 Player 3: Vibraphone 2 Player 4: Vibraphone 3* Player 5: Chimes, xylophone Player 6: Marimba 1 (4 octave), low drum (optional) Player 7: Marimba 2 (4 octave), low drum (optional) Player 8: Marimba 3 (4.3 octave), low drum (optional) Player 9: Marimba 4 (5 octave), low drum (optional) Player 10: Timpani (4 drums), sizzle ride cymbal Player 11: Ocean drum, hi-hat, bongos, suspended cymbal Player 12: 4 concert toms, mounted djembe, China cymbal Player 13: Concert bass drum, multi bass drum, tam-tam (shared) Player 14: Tam-tam (shared), bell tree, claves, sleigh bells Player 15*: 2 triangles, shaker (shared), tambourine (shared) Player 16*: Concert bass drum, shaker (shared), tambourine (shared) *The piece was composed without these parts, but the addition of them enhances the orchestration.
