30 (2012)
Percussion ensemble of up to 12 players: Three interlocking pieces for one, four, and seven players. Consortium commission by Southern Oregon University (lead commissioner); as well as Griffith University, Queensland Conservatorium, Australia / Ba Da Boom Percussion; University of Southern California; University of Kentucky; Oberlin College Conservatory; University of Tennessee / nief-norf Project; Juilliard Conservatory; University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Francis Marion University; Humboldt State University; Glendale Community College, Arizona; University of Guanajuato, Mexico; Central Washington University; University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point / Amphion Percussion; Lawrence University; University of Nebraska, Omaha; Lewis & Clark College; Sam Houston State University; University of New Mexico; McGill University, Montreal; the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet; University of California, San Diego / red fish blue fish.
The First Decade (2012)
Amplified solo percussion. An autonomous piece extracted from 30 for percussion ensemble.
The Second Decade (2012)
Percussion quartet. An autonomous piece extracted from 30 for percussion ensemble.
The Third Decade (2012)
Percussion septet. An autonomous piece extracted from 30 for percussion ensemble.
30, a work for large percussion ensemble, was written for my wife, Joan, on the occasion of our thirtieth anniversary. The piece is dedicated with tremendous gratitude to percussionist Terry Longshore whose generous friendship, dedication, and artistry have been a beacon for years. It was commissioned by a consortium of twenty-one enthusiastic ensembles.
The work consists of three independent pieces that may be played individually or simultaneously: The First Decade for solo percussion; The Second Decade for percussion quartet; and The Third Decade for percussion septet. As a compositional puzzle I wrestled with the challenge of crafting pieces that would fit together as a meaningful whole, but, when unpacked, produce independent musical ideas of different meaning. The works are also tiered in difficulty: the solo is highly virtuosic; the quartet is demanding for players of intermediate experience; and the septet can be readily played by novice percussionists.
Many thanks to my creative and intrepid percussion friends throughout the world, particularly the extraordinary consortium of individuals and ensembles who co-commissioned 30.
Consumption | Why Consumption?
All seven versions of the piece appear on the accompanying CD 30.