Here is an update on the indoor show that we're working on. The opening music is Debussy's Clair de Lune and Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, followed by Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King and Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel. I will be ready to upload the rest of the show next week, including Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre and more Debussy!

Bump in the Night (1st half of the show)

I wrote this pit and battery book for the Muncie Central "Bearcat Pride" Marching Band 2 years ago.

Rage

This indoor percussion show opener includes "Voiles" by Debussy and some original music. The pre-show that precedes this is in C major pentatonic and F# major pentatonic, and in this movement, the 2 scales merge to form a whole tone scale from the 1st 3 notes of each scale. The remaining 2 notes are sometimes used as passing tones. Different tonal centers are suggested by the melody, bass, and sound design at times, but the piece is atonal. This movement was performed at 2024 WGI World Championship Finals by IGNITE Winter Percussion in PIA class.

Into the Storm

Here are the first 18 measures of a choral piece that I am composing.

The War In The Air

Preshow and opening statement for a marching show I started writing today (extremely rough draft!). Having issues with VDL, so forgive the thin percussion scoring right now (nobody wants to hear midi cymbal rolls).

The whole show will be "The American Story," told in 3 movements:
I. American Bravery (The Revolutionary Period)
II. American Majesty (Westward Expansion)
III. American Band (The 20th Century)

The American Story - Preshow & Opening Statement

Movement 3 of "Rise," which will be the Southwestern Marching Spartans' 2017 field show. The show is based on Maya Angelou's poem, "Still I Rise." This movement begins with a percussion feature for the poem's aggressive 6th stanza, then an uplifting finale over the last 2 stanzas of the poem. This is the only part of the show in a major key, and it pulls thematic material from movements 1 and 2, transposing them from minor to major. It also emphasizes Angelou's use of repetition in the final stanzas of the poem.

Rise 3 - Like Air, I Rise

This is the 1st 3:00 of the 2016 Southwestern Marching Spartans show, "Music of Our Heritage." It is a medley of "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Yankee Doodle," and "The Star-Spangled Banner," custom-written for a small band with only 11 wind players and 4 percussionists.

American Bravery

A new timeout groove for my pep band in E-flat minor!

Southwestern Pep Band 2017-18

Spartan Swagger

2nd movement of this year's marching show, "Rise," with the new intro I added today. The long, quiet midi voice sections are a vocal soloist singing "No More, My Lawd," an traditional African American song recorded by a musicologist in a Southern prison in the mid-20th century.

Rise 2 - No More

I am the director of bands and choirs at Southwestern Jr./Sr. High School in Shelby County, Indiana. I arrange and write original music for my concert bands, marching band, and choirs to perform. I have arranged and taught percussion music for marching bands in Central Indiana since 2009, and have been composing original music for marching percussion ensemble, marching band, and concert band since 2012. Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing any of my pieces.

I perform drums and percussion with the acoustic jazz/blues/rock quintet Doghouse Grove, rock/blues quartet Twisted Knobs, the Indianapolis Symphonic Band, and the Holy Cross Orchestra.

I formerly held the position of director of bands at Muncie Northside Middle School and the assistant band director and director of percussion at Muncie Central High School.

Please note that some of the pieces posted here are works in progress.

Doug Gaking