New Performance Dates and Shadow Play Updates

I just received confirmation that the University of Trinidad Percussion Ensemble, directed by fellow Mizzou alum Josh Watkins, will be performing my percussion ensemble Four African Dances on April 16th. This will be the first time my music has been performed in South America and needless to say I am very excited to hear this wonderful group perform my music.

The next item of business is an update on the progress of Shadow Play. I spent the weekend dreaming up blueprints for the Encounter section and I think I have come up with a pretty clever layout. What I wanted to do with this section of the piece is for each performer in the duo to maintain their own musical identity, which in this case represents their "shadow" but have them switch roles.  I also wanted to use diminution on a large scale so I started subtracting consecutive eighth notes (using mod 8 math I subtracted 1 eigth note from 8/8 then 2 from 7/8. 3 from 5/8 and so on). From there I grouped the odd meters (for instance 7/8 and 5/8 make 12/8 or in my case 6/4) into a four bar pattern of 4/4, 6/4. 4/4. 6/4 but still keeping the odd groupings with the larger meter structure. After that I applied the same approach to form and came up with a 36 bar structure. By mere accident I stumbled upon the discovery that if I simply subtract 1 bar at a time (going simply from 8 bars to 1 rather than the mod8 approached mentioned earlier) I would still get a 36 bar chunk of music. So all of this leads up to the idea that each part will occupy the same space but their musical role, material, and structure will be unique to them. Here is a formal diagram if you are more of a visual person.

Also, in this section both performers are using different versions of the octatonic scale for harmonic and melodic roles which the players will switch halfway through the section. Since the performers are going to be dealing with different meters changes and formal structures occurring at different times I decided I will use the low C of the tenor pan to mark formal division in the piece, much like the use of a gong in Balinese gamelan music (one at the beginning of the section, then agin in the middle, and at the beginning of the new section (Merge). Another device I am borrowing from gamelan music is the use of "follow the leader" type kotekan patterns.

That's a lot of info but not alot of music so I should get back to my desk (after I watch Walking Dead of course) and hammer this thing out.