Nickel for Your Thoughts is a intermediate level piece for percussion sextet. Comprised of unpitched instruments that can be found in almost any band room, it begins with a methodical 5/4, which offers younger students an opportunity to count odd time signatures. Once the initial build occurs, they bring the tension of the forthcoming fast tempo. The tambourine takes over in a mock Latin 5/4 rhythm, which builds into a flourish of sound. In the middle there is an excursion into 5/8, creating a faster pace without picking up speed. The subsequent 4/4 passage leads to the climax of the piece.