Writings

by Daniel Adams (originally published by HoneyRock), available through Steve Weiss Music​

Presented at the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy at the University of Memphis, TN.

Presented at the National Conference of the College Music Society, Long Beach, CA.

Presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors (NACWPI) at Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX.

Presented at the National Conference of the College Music Society (CMS) in Rochester, NY.

Presented at the virtual National Conference of the College Music Society.

“Four Drums, One Player: The Artistic and Pedagogical Merits of the Unaccompanied Concert Tom-Tom Solo,” Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, Volume 70, No. 1, Fall, 2022.

“Chaos, Ritual, and Proportion in Rolf Wallin’s Stonewave for Percussion Ensemble,” Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, Volume 64, No. 2, Spring, 2017.

“Indeterminate Passages as Temporal and Spatial Components of Three Selected Compositions for Snare Drum Ensemble,” Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, Volume 62, Number 1, Fall 2013.

“2009 PAS Composition Contest Winners,” Percussive Notes, Volume 47, Number 4, August/September 2009, p.86-89.

“2007 PAS Composition Contest Winners,” Percussive Notes, Volume 45, Number 5, October, 2007, p. 92-94.

“Texture, Transition, and Form in Askell Masson’s Rhythm Strip for Snare Drum Duo,” Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, Volume LV, Number 3, Spring, 2007, p. 10-15.

“Rhythm and Timbre as Interdependent Structural Elements in Askell Masson’s Compositions for Solo Snare Drum,” Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, Volume LIII, Number 4, Summer, 2005, p.14-23.

“The Drum Set as a Solo Multiple Percussion Performance Medium,” Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, Volume LII , Number 4 Spring, 2004, p. 4-13.

“Spoken and Intoned Text as Structural Elements in Percussion Ensemble Compositions,” Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, Volume L, Number 4, Summer, 2002, p.4-13.

“Structure and Style in Nexus Portfolio for Snare Drum,” Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, Volume XLIX, Number 3, Spring, 2001, p. 14-24.

“Recent Solo Timpani Compositions and the Influence of Elliott Carter’s Eight Pieces for Four Timpani,” Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, Volume XLVIII, Number 3, Spring 2000, p. 4-17.

“Extended Performance Techniques and External Sonic Resources as Compositional Elements in Selected Timpani Solos by John Beck,” Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, Volume XLVI, Number 3, Spring, 1998, p.9-16.

“Spoken Text as a Compositional Element in Unaccompanied Snare Drum Solos,” Journal of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, Volume XLII, Number 2, Winter, 1993-94, p. 4-11.

“Color Hearing and the College Ear Training Curriculum: Help, Hindrance, or Irrelevance,” Currents in Musical Thought, Volume II, 1993, p.53-68.

“The Compositional Use of Striking Implement Specification,” Percussive Notes, Volume 31, No. 6, August, 1993, p.86-92.

“Women Composers and The Noble Snare,” Journal of the International League of Women Composers, October, 1992, p. 1-3.

“Surface Area Contrast as a Compositional Element in Elliott Carter’s Moto Perpetuo,” Texas Southern University Research Journal, Volume III, No. 1, August, 1992, p. 12-16.

“The Compositional Use of Timbre in Selected Solo Multiple Percussion Works,” Interface, Volume 21, No.2, 1992, p. 117-134.

“The Timbral Topography of the Noble Snare,” Percussive Notes, Volume 29, No. 5, June, 1991, p.58-63.

Adams is a co-author of the Miami entry appearing in the Grove Dictionary of American Music, second edition, and on Grove Music Online.

​Daniel Adams is the author of two entries published in the Oxford University Press “Encyclopedia of African-American History 1896 to the Present.” The titles of the articles are “Composers” and “Miami.”

Note: “Composers” begins with the early contributions of Harry T. Burleigh and other early twentieth century African-American composers who wrote music based on Negro spirituals. The article traces the development of African-American music through the twentieth century and addresses the unique challenges and obstacles that Black composers faced in presenting their music to the general public. The contributions of William Grant Still, Scott Joplin, Ulysses Kay, Hale Smith, and others are discussed and a section on African-American women composers includes mention of Florence Price and Margaret Bonds. The article concludes by acknowledging the diverse influences on modern African-American classical music.

“Miami” discusses the social, political and cultural aspects of life in the city since its incorporation in 1896. There is discussion of educational desegregation, Jim Crow laws in Miami Beach, and the historic entertainment venues in Miami’s “Colored Town” where musicians such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Josephine Baker performed. The tense relations between law enforcement and Miami’s black community is discussed with a particular emphasis on the 1980 riots that followed the acquittal of four police officers accused of beating black motorcyclist Arthur McDuffie to death. The article concludes with a discussion of African-Americans’ co-existence with Miami’s diverse immigrant population.

The library of the Percussive Arts Society, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, has established the Daniel Adams Collection. The collection is an archive consisting of the composer’s sketches, notes, and several original manuscripts. Additional information is available at the PAS website.