A choir is rehearsing a piece of mine for voices (approx. 30 people, SATB), piano, violin, and snare drum. In a fast/loud section, the snare drum overpowers the chorus. It's probably too late to change the snare drum part itself, but are there any things we can try to help improve the balance?
Would a particular set of sticks help, or would something heavy placed on the head help? I've seen jazz drummers put their wallet on the snare for this reason. Could something be put inside the drum to deaden it?
The drummer is a skilled performer, so I don't think it's a feature of a young player simply playing too loud.