American Modern Ensemble Instrumentation

The following instrumentation guidelines should be adhered to when submitting or composing works for the American Modern Ensemble. The list of Percussion Instruments Available should also be used as a guideline by performers submitting pieces that use percussion for the MMF Chamber Series. Note that composers are not required to use all of the instruments and may compose for a subset of the ensemble instead, but additional instruments cannot be added. Please note that the ensemble's instrumentation may change from summer to summer.

Composers may use playback sound (fixed media) from their laptops in their work, which does not count as one of the instruments. Composers must bring their own equipment for performance. We will not be able to accommodate live processing due to rehearsal limitations.

We strongly encourage composers to compose for non-standardized ensembles, particularly those that utilize oboe, bassoon, harp, viola, and/or bass.

Instrumentation

NOTE: up to six performers (one each, so one clarinetist, one violinist, etc.) may be used from the following list (not including the conductor).

  • Conductor (Optional – works that don’t need a conductor will not be conducted at the discretion of the ensemble)

  • Flute (doubling Piccolo and/or Alto Flute)

  • B-flat Clarinet (doubling A Clarinet and/or Bass Clarinet and/or E-flat Clarinet—please don’t write for all of them, two at most, if possible)

  • Oboe (doubling English horn)

  • Bassoon

  • Percussion (see Percussion Instruments Available below)

  • Piano* (doubling Synthesizer**)

  • Harp

  • Violin

  • Viola

  • Cello

  • Bass (with C Extension)

Percussion Instruments Available

  • 4 1/3 Octave Marimba

  • Vibraphone (with working motor)

  • Glockenspiel (Orchestra Bells)

  • Crotales (high and low sets)

  • Tubular Chime (up to 3 singular chimes, not more than one single chime per cymbal stand, strongly recommended to not use these, or use no more than one)

  • Snare Drum

  • Large Concert Bass Drum

  • Drumset Bass Drum with Pedal

  • Large Tam Tam

  • 4 Concert Tom Toms

  • Triangle

  • Tambourine (with head)

  • Tambourine (mounted, without head)

  • Claves

  • 3 Cow Bells (High, Medium, and Low Latin Cow Bells, not Almglocken)

  • Ratchet (with bass drum mount)

  • Claves

  • Whip (Slap Stick)

  • Finger Cymbals

  • Castanets (mounted or hand-held)

  • Anvil (percussion sound effect)

  • Temple Blocks (5)

  • Police Whistle

  • Woodblocks (high, medium, and low)

  • Triangles (small, medium, large)

  • Bell Tree

  • Bar Chimes (Mark Tree)

  • Suspended Cymbals (small, medium, large)

  • Sizzle Cymbal

Note: additional, small, hand-held percussion instruments may be available if we are notified before the festival or if the composer supplies the instrument(s). Other large instruments (i.e., a full set of chimes, timpani, or a larger marimba) are unavailable. It is strongly recommended that composers not write for the marimba and vibraphone in the same piece, if possible, and be as economical as possible when writing for percussion. The smaller your set-up, the more likely your piece will be performed in the future.

*Please note that parts for prepared piano are not allowed at this time (i.e., placing anything inside the piano or marking the hammers with tape) other than plucking, gently scraping, or muting selected strings with fingers or a plastic guitar pick.
**Note regarding the synthesizer: this is an 88-key MIDI keyboard connected to an Apple Macbook Pro laptop running Apple's Main Stage. Any programming will need to be discussed with the keyboard player.

Pieces not adhering to these instrumentation guidelines will not be considered or programmed.