As a percussionist and composer, Eugene Novotney has performed and presented lectures and master classes in North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and Africa. He is recognized internationally as a composer of contemporary percussion music, and his compositions are widely performed as standards of the literature. His snare drum composition, A Minute of News (The Noble Snare), has been used as the test piece for numerous snare drum competitions, including the Concours International de Caisse Claire - Conservatoire National de Region de Paris (2004 & 2007; Paris, France), the VIII Jornadas Internacionales de Percussion de Ribarroja del Turia (2006; Valencia, Spain), the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Modern Snare Drum Competition (2008; Atlanta, Georgia), the Concorso Internazionale per Strumenti a Percussione e Batteria (2009; Fermo, Italy), and others. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Eugene Novotney received his Bachelor of Music Degree in Percussion from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and his Master of Music Degree & Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Illinois, with emphasis in Percussion, Composition, and Ethnomusicology.  In addition to his formal western music studies, he has studied..... (click details for full bio)

Difficulty: Easy (great for high school and college steel bands)

Bird Boy was composed by the Brazilian percussionist, Nana Vasconcelos, and was recorded by his band, The Bush Dancers, on his 1989 album entitled, Rain Dance. Bird Boy is a beautiful and unique Afro-Brazilian reggae tune. The lyrical verse uses traditional Brazilian....

Difficulty: Medium (great for high school and college steel bands)

Everything’s Alright is an original composition for steelband that was inspired by the great classics of the steelband tradition. It has a classic calypso style verse and chorus, and then follows....

Difficulty: Medium (great for high school and college steel bands)

Little Secrets was composed by the American steelpan virtuoso, Andy Narell, and was recorded on his 1989 album, Little Secrets, as the title tune. Little Secrets is a beautiful and lyrical original composition for the steelpan that moves between a standard 4/4 time signature for the....

Difficulty: Easy (great for high school and college steel bands)

Little Sunflower was composed by the seminal jazz artists, Freddie Hubbard, and has been performed by countless artists since the time of its release. This arrangement places the tune in an Afro-Cuban styling, and was inspired by the version of Little Sunflower that was recorded on the “Ritmo, Sonido, Y Estilo” album performed by....

Difficulty: Very Hard (great for advanced high school and college steel bands)

Pan Army is Len "Boogsie" Sharpe’s 2010 Panorama composition written for and performed by the Phase II Pan Groove. Pan Army placed first in the preliminary and semi-final rounds of the competition, and placed second in the 2010 Trinidad Panorama Finals. This transcription represents “Boogsie” Sharpe’s....

Difficulty: Easy/Medium (great for high school and college steel bands)

Another catchy soca from one of Trinidad's most gifted steelband composers.

Difficulty: Medium (great for high school and college steel bands)

Somebody was composed by the prolific Trinidadian composer, Winsford Devine, and was performed and popularized by the famous Calypso-Soca artists, Baron. It is a classic Trinidadian Soca tune, and was a very popular selection for many steelbands during the 1989 Panorama season, including the Desperadoes, and the eventual Panorama winners....