# Mitchell Peters

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For the athlete, see [Mitchell Peters (athlete)](/source/Mitchell_Peters_(athlete)).

**Mitchell Thomas Peters** (August 17, 1935 – October 28, 2017) was a principal [timpanist](/source/Timpanist) and percussionist with the [Los Angeles Philharmonic](/source/Los_Angeles_Philharmonic) Orchestra. He composed well-known pieces for the [marimba](/source/Marimba) such as "[Yellow After the Rain](/source/Yellow_After_the_Rain)" and "Sea Refractions"; it is said that these works were composed because Peters felt that there was a lack of musically interesting material that would introduce his students to four-mallet marimba techniques.[citation needed]

## Biography

Peters began his career in the United States Army Symphony Orchestra. He later was principal percussionist of the [Dallas Symphony](/source/Dallas_Symphony) before taking the principal percussion position in the [Los Angeles Philharmonic](/source/Los_Angeles_Philharmonic) in 1969.[1] When principal timpanist [William Kraft](/source/William_Kraft) retired in 1981 to pursue his career as a composer, Peters stepped up to assume the role as timpanist, a position he occupied through the Los Angeles Philharmonic's 2005/2006 season. Peters was well known for his prodigious sight reading ability.

Peters became the applied percussion teacher at [California State University Los Angeles](/source/California_State_University_Los_Angeles) shortly after joining the LA Philharmonic. During his tenure as timpanist, he took the position as professor of percussion at the [University of California, Los Angeles](/source/University_of_California,_Los_Angeles). In May 2012, Peters retired from teaching.[2]

Peters was also a member of the Philharmonic New Music Group and recorded a wide array of contemporary works as a chamber musician. Peters held the Performer's Certificate and bachelor's and master's degrees from the [Eastman School of Music](/source/Eastman_School_of_Music), where he studied with William Street. While at Eastman, he was a member of the original "Marimba Masters." Upon graduation, he served as timpanist with the 7th U.S. Army Symphony Orchestra. As a widely published author and composer, Peter's works and instructional materials are highly regarded throughout the United States and abroad.[3] He owned and operated a music publishing company that handled percussion works exclusively. His faculty positions included the [Music Academy of the West](/source/Music_Academy_of_the_West) in Montecito from 1990 to 2002, and UCLA, where he taught percussion and conducted the percussion ensemble. In 2006 he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the [Sabian](/source/Sabian_Cymbals) Cymbal Company.[1]

After a year of declining health, Peters died on October 28, 2017, at the age of 82. In a newspaper article announcing his death, symphonic conductor [James Touchi-Peters](/source/James_Touchi-Peters)- who was also Peters' cousin- was quoted as saying, "It's not an exaggeration to say that Mitch Peters was among the dozen best timpanists in the world."[4] In a letter to Peters, the late conductor and percussionist [Frederick Fennell](/source/Frederick_Fennell) wrote, "I may make music long enough to run into a better percussionist than you, but I doubt it very much."[5]

## Compositions

### Solo works

#### Trombone

- Rondo for Solo Trombone (pub. 1972)

#### Marimba

- Sonata-Allegro, marimba and piano (pub. 1968) [Grade 3+]
- Chant, marimba (2 mallets) (pub. 1971) [Grade 3]
- Sea Refractions, marimba (4 mallets) (pub. 1971) [Grade 3]
- Theme and Variations, marimba (2–4 mallets) and piano (pub. c. 1971) [Grade 4]
- [Yellow After the Rain](/source/Yellow_After_the_Rain), marimba (4 mallets) (pub. 1971) [Grade 4+]
- Zen Wanderer, marimba (4 mallets) (pub. 1972) [Grade 3]
- Teardrops, marimba (4 mallets) (pub. 1975) [Grade 3]
- Undercurrent, marimba (4 mallets) (pub. 1975) [Grade 3]
- Waves, marimba (4 mallets) (pub. 1975) [Grade 3]
- Three Pieces for Three Mallets, marimba (3 mallets) (pub. 1978) [Grade 3]
- Dog Beach, marimba (4 mallets) (pub. 1999) [Grade 3]
- Galactica, marimba (2 mallet) (pub. 1999) [Grade 3+]
- Pastiche, marimba (4 mallets) (pub. 1999) [Grade 3]
- Starscape, marimba (4 mallets) (pub. 1999) [Grade 3]
- Barcelona, marimba (4 mallets) (pub. 2000) [Grade 3]

#### Timpani

- Scherzo for Three Timpani (1 player) (pub. 1968) [Grade 3]
- Rondino, 4 timpani (1 player) (pub. 1970) [Grade 3]
- Tribal Serenade, 4 timpani (1 player) (pub. 1971) [Grade 3]
- The Storm (Silence is Golden), 4 timpani (1 player) (pub. 1975) [Grade 4]
- Primal Mood, 4 timpani (1 player) (pub. 1972) [Grade 3]

#### Multi-percussion

- Etude #I, 4 tom-toms (1 player) (pub. 1967) [Grade 3]
- Rondo, tom-tom solo (4 tom-toms) (1 player) (pub. 1968) [Grade 3]
- Passacaglia and Trio, multiple percussion solo (1 player) (pub. 1971) [Grade 3]
- Perpetual Motion, snare drum and 4 tom-toms (1 player) (pub. 1971) [Grade 3]

### Percussion ensemble

- March of the Eagles, 5 percussionists (pub. 1967)
- A la nañigo, percussion ensemble (5 players) (pub. 1967)
- Study in 5/8, percussion quartet (pub. 1967) [Grade 3]
- A la samba, 6 percussionists (pub. 1969) [Grade 3+]
- Piece for Percussion (4 players)(pub March 27, 1969)

### Method book

- Odd Meter Rudimental Etudes, snare drum, educational work (pub. 1967)
- Stick Control for the Drum Set, Volume 1: Basic Triplet Patterns, educational work (pub. 1967)
- Etude #II, (1 player) (pub. 1968) [Grade 3]
- Introduction and Waltz, (1 player) (pub. 1968) [Grade 2]
- Developing Dexterity for Snare Drum, educational work (pub. 1968)
- Drum Music to March By, educational work (pub. 1968)
- Stick Control for the Drum Set, Volume 2: Basic Sixteenth Patterns, educational work (pub. 1969)
- Advanced Snare Drum Studies, educational work (pub. 1971)
- Odd Meter Calisthenics for the Snare Drummer, educational work (pub. 1973)
- Intermediate Snare Drum Studies (43 studies), educational work (pub. 1976)
- Intermediate Timpani Studies, educational work (pub. 1981)
- Hard Times: 20 advanced etudes for snare drum, educational work (pub. 1984)
- Elementary Snare Drum Studies, educational work (pub. 1988)
- Rudimental Primer for the Snare Drummer, educational work (pub. 1990)
- Fundamental Method for Timpani, educational work (pub. by Alfred, 1993)
- Fundamental Method for Mallets, educational work (pub. by Alfred, 1995)
- Fundamental Method for Mallets, Book 2, educational work (pub. by Alfred, 1996)
- Fundamental Solos for Timpani: 15 intermediate-level solos for the developing timpanist, educational work (pub. by Alfred, 1997)
- Fundamental Solos for Mallets, educational work (1999)
- Etudes for Snare Drum, educational work (pub. 2003) [Advanced][1]

## References

1. ["Mitchell Peters Profile"](http://www.pytheasmusic.org/peters_mitchell.html). *Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music*. Retrieved January 21, 2018.

1. Haven, CK Dexter (November 2, 2017). ["RIP Mitchell Peters, former LA Phil Principal Timpani"](https://allisyar.com/2017/11/02/rip-mitchell-peters-former-la-phil-principal-timpani/). *All is Yar*

1. ["Mitchell Peters Bibliography"](https://www.alfred.com/search/products/?t=mitchell-peters&f=mitchell-peters&sort=popularity). *[Alfred Music](/source/Alfred_Music)*. Retrieved January 21, 2018.

1. Hansen, Sarah (November 3, 2017). ["Family recalls Peters' sweet success"](http://www.republican-eagle.com/news/4353907-family-recalls-peters-sweet-success). *[Red Wing Republican Eagle](/source/Red_Wing_Republican_Eagle)*

1. ["Final Note: Mitchell Thomas Peters"](https://www.afm47.org/press/final-note-mitchell-thomas-peters/). *[American Federation of Musicians](/source/American_Federation_of_Musicians)*. December 14, 2017.

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