Battle Royale (2024) Kheegan Fountain

Performed by the UNA Percussion Ensemble on the New Literature Session at the 2024 Percussive Arts Society International Convention.
Video by Anna Murase
Purchase at kfountainmusic...
My thought process for writing this piece was very much aimed towards the experience of the player/student as well as a parent's audience perspective. A big thing that I tried to keep in mind was what kept students engaged and entertained, and as primarily a general music teacher, I learned very quickly that "game-ifying" any lesson or concept is one of the fastest ways for student engagement. Another big focus that I wanted to keep in mind is how parents/audience members will see players having fun and competing with each other in an educational setting. This piece also enables students to switch instruments which would be an entertaining thing to see from an audience member perspective. Thinking of a new game was quite the challenge but I think this will be a great addition to the Middle school Percussion literature and also show an exciting avenue for the genre to go as we try to retain band numbers post covid.