Lemon Speed
solo percussion and percussion quartet
Download a sample MP3 music clip
Composer: Clif Walker
Publisher: Innovative Percussion, Inc.
Instrumentation: Field drum, bass drum with foot pedal, glockenspiel, vibraphone, xylophone, marimba (4 octave), hand drum (djembe/doumbek/conga), frame drum or riq, single G timpano, sizzle cymbal, splash cymbal, suspended cymbal, chimes, temple blocks (5), single G crotale, bell tree
Program Notes: About the piece: another kid inspired piece: sorry. I write a lot (a lot!) of serious
introspective music meanwhile, I am surrounded by a house full of SOUNDS, Colors!
and Legos belonging to my three healthy kids so I’m going “happy” (don’t worry
Pensive, I’ll be back).
After seeing Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope) my then 4 (now 8) year old daughter
asked, “you know how fast we are going to go?” Expecting “light speed” we were really
impressed when she smiled and offered “lemon speed”.
John Adams meets Bob Becker in a Candy Store, in Disneyland, on Christmas, when
Ellen and a class of excited Kindergarteners invade. Is that Pat Metheny behind the counter?
Written for Dr. Adam Groh, the piece is a quick, chaotic tornado in a bright shiny
package. Fast tempos, short phrases, happy chords, and abrupt progressions: good clean
fun = “lemon speed”.