Twelve Squared

A Voodoo Tone Poem in Memory of John Cage

Twelve Squared is a voodoo tone poem in eleven movements. Each movement is about 4 minutes. The last movement is 4'33" of lots of sound (in tribute to Cage's 4'33" of silence). Voodoo drumming is used to call forth Cage's spirit and the bells, chimes, and gongs are in celebration of his celestial qualities. This work is a ritual to a great man.

Grade Level: 3
Copyright: 1996
Number of Players: 12
Duration: 44:00

Listen to Recordings

Sample PDF

Instrumentation

Player 1 (3 concert toms, glockenspiel, lion's roar, claves, 2 anvils, mark tree)
Player 2 (sleigh bells, 6-toned marimbula or muted 5-octave marimba, 3 pitched gongs, Chinese gong, thundersheet, suspended cymbal & bow, rainstick, clapstick rattle)
Player 3 (cricket caller, claves, suspended cymbal, bongos, metal pipe, 2 cowbells, crank siren, pitched gong)
Player 4 (bass drum, tam-tam, triangle, bongos, maracas, 3 crotale pitches)
Player 5 (3 concert toms, glockenspiel, lion's roar, claves, 2 brake drums, mark tree)
Player 6 (tambourine, 2-pitched log drum, pitched gong, Chinese gong, thundersheet, theremin, rainstick, ratchet, conch shell, 3 crotale pitches)
Player 7 (maracas, temple blocks, suspended cymbal & bow, claves, conch shell, marine bell, 2 bowbells, buzzer, pitched gong, 2 tubular chimes)
Player 8 (bass drum, triangle, water gong, Chinese gong, bamboo wind chimes, 3 tin cans, 2 tubular chimes)
Player 9 ( 3 concert toms, glockenspiel, lion's roar, claves, 2 brake drums, mark tree)
Player 10 (vibraslap, 2-pitched log drum, pitched gong, thundersheet, 2 congas, rainstick, wind tube, 4 crotale pitches, tambourine)
Player 11 (cricket callers, claves, suspended cymbal & bow, jumbo tambourine, tam-tam, 2 cowbells, rainstick, pitched gong)
Player 12 (bass drum, triangle, tam-tam, suspended cymbal & bow, maracas, 3 tin cans, 2 tubular chime pitches)