Joe Tompkins’ March for solo snare drum and kick drum (one player) was commissioned for the 2009 Atlanta Symphony Modern Snare Drum Competition. It is intended to be performed with a small (20–22"), resonant bass drum played with a pedal. The bass drum maintains a pianissimo dynamic throughout the work, and the performer should stand while playing. The piece employs some of the rhythms found in Guy LeFevre’s Progressive Etudes for Snare Drum – Volume 2, particularly embedded triplet figures and quintuplets over the half note. The bass drum is simply a reference point for the listener’s ear.

March is dedicated to Alan Abel, an extraordinary percussionist whose performance and teaching has impacted so many.