May is for Marching Percussion & New Releases
We’re charging ahead with fresh releases for every percussionist—drumline cadences, modern duets, educational ensembles, and front ensemble resources—all ready to inspire your next rehearsal or performance.
This month at Tapspace we’re marching full speed ahead with something exciting for every kind of percussionist. From powerful drumline cadences and contemporary duets to educational ensemble works and front ensemble resources, there’s something here to energize your next rehearsal or performance. Let’s dig in!
Power Your Writing with Virtual Drumline
Whether you’re writing the next show-stopping feature or fine-tuning your front ensemble moments, Virtual Drumline 2.5 (VDL) gives you the industry standard sounds to bring your ideas to life.
With a massive library of realistic marching and concert percussion samples, VDL transforms your creative workflow–making it easier to compose, arrange, and demo with clarity and impact. It’s the go-to tool for educators and writers looking to elevate their sound this marching season.
For VDL users, library update 2.5.6 is the current, most stable version. For new users, this is the version you get automatically.
Discover Our Latest Ensemble Works
Enough!
Adapted from a concert band work, Chris Clark’s Enough! channels student stress into an aggressive, rhythmically engaging piece with interplay between mallet and unpitched percussion to challenge developing ensembles.
Strum
With a throwback pop vibe, Strumis a feel-good ensemble piece by Brian Slawson with catchy melodies, a driving beat, and detuned ukulele. It’s a fun and accessible way to kick off a concert.
Quick Cadences, Big Impact
These two collections of easy to medium drumline cadences are designed to get less groups sounding like pros—fast. With a range of tempos, loopable grooves, and optional auxiliary parts, these collections make it easy to put together funky drumline beats in no time.
Forward March! – Volume 1
Six easy to medium cadences packed with loopable grooves and pro-level sound, perfect for younger lines or quick sideline setups.
Forward March! – Volume 2
Another six funky fresh cadences with fresh grooves, quick upstarts, and nonstop energy—perfect for keeping the line moving and the crowd hyped.
The Sounds of Street Art Come to Life
Graffiti by Chad Heiny immerses six skilled percussionists in a vivid soundscape inspired by London’s Leake Street Tunnel using a colorful mix of found objects, drums, and cymbals to echo the bold, chaotic beauty of street art. Complex rhythms, shifting meters, and soloistic moments make this sextet an electrifying challenge from start to finish.
Back to Basics: Fresh Warmups for Marching Battery
First Principles for Marching Battery by Murray Gusseck reinvents traditional warmups with focused exercises designed to target key technical skills like tempo, groove, tap placement, and roll control.
This collection offers practical strategies to boost technique, promote healthy playing habits, and keep rehearsals engaging. Unlock your drumline’s true potential with these thoughtfully crafted exercises rooted in decades of percussion wisdom.
Lightweaver
An emotionally driven quartet on 2 marimbas, Lightweaver by Russell Wharton sends listeners on a journey through darkness into clarity via complex, rhythmic tension and rich harmonies.
Synchronize
A groove-driven, high energy marimba quartet built on interlocking rhythms and a bluesy melody. With bold syncopation and flashy ensemble licks, it builds toward an explosive finish.
Front Ensemble Foundations
Whether you’re in the pit or on the podium, Up Front is the quintessential guide to mastering the modern front ensemble.
Spanning 225 pages, this deep-dive covers everything from gear, technique, and exercises to arranging, transporting, and teaching strategies—an invaluable resource for educators and performers at any level.
Fresh Pairings for Percussion Duo
Motion No. 7
Nicholas V. Hall’s Motion No. 7 is a complex duet built around intricate polyrhythms and split musical lines. Players face off across a shared setup, weaving together tightly synchronized rhythms and colorful textures. A demanding, high-reward piece for advanced performers.
Trade Winds
Trade Winds by Benjamin Holmes is a flowing vibraphone duet that explores musical movement and transformation. Players pass a single melody back and forth, reshaping it across evolving harmonic landscapes. A lyrical and evocative addition to the duet repertoire.