This Companion explores percussion instruments and music from the perspectives of performers, composers, conductors, instrument builders, scholars, and cognitive scientists. It will be a valuable resource for students, percussionists, and all those who want a deeper understanding of percussion music and rhythm.

Introduction Russell Hartenberger; Part I. Orchestral Percussion: 1. Timpani traditions and beyond Russell Hartenberger; 2. Orchestral percussion in the twenty-first century: concerns and solutions William L. Cahn; Part II. The Development of Percussion Instruments: 3. Marimba revolution: mallet instruments, repertoire, and technique in the twenty-first century William Moersch; 4. Instrumental ingredients Garry Kvistad; 5. The percussion industry Rick Mattingly; 6. Virtual drumming: a history of electronic percussion Thomas Brett; Part III. Percussion in Performance: 7. Lost and found: percussion chamber music and the modern age Adam Sliwinski; 8. Taking center stage: percussionist as soloist Colin Currie; 9. Percussion theater: the drama of performance Aiyun Huang; 10. Three convergences: a percussionist learns to conduct Steven Schick; Part IV. Composing Music for Percussion Instruments: 11. Finding a voice Bob Becker; 12. Flexibility as a defining factor Jason Treuting; 13. Thoughts on percussion and rhythm Steve Reich; Part V. Drum Sets and Drumming: 14. In the pocket: how a drum set player grooves Peter Erskine; 15. The 'funky drummer' break: ghost notes, timbre, and popular music drumming Steven F. Pond; 16. Way beyond wood and skin: drum sets, drumming, and technology Jeff Packman; Part VI. World Percussion: 17. Speaking of rhythm Russell Hartenberger; 18. African influences on Western percussion performance and pedagogy B. Michael Williams; 19. The Gamelan Beleganjur as Balinese percussion ensemble Michael B. Bakan; Part VII. Percussion and Rhythm: 20. Lessons from the laboratory: the musical translation of scientific research on movement Michael Schutz; 21. In the beginning was the beat: evolutionary origins of musical rhythm in humans John R. Iversen.