Drumming 1

A Carter Beauford inspired String Quartet.

I explored this idea briefly in Freund's Orchestration class 2010-2011 with the String Quartet I wrote that year. Basically I split that piece into two: this piece and Drumming 2.

It's pretty much a string quartetification of Carter Beauford's drum solo intro on "#36", Live at Red Rocks (95).

Program Notes from Senior Recital Performance (2012)

As the title suggests, this was the first piece I attempted this business of "making pitched instruments sound like a drum set." I transcribed a two minute Beauford drum solo (#36 from Live at Red Rocks) and set it to piano originally. I later changed it to string quartet. I set this one in free atonality. It has changed quite a bit from being a "transcription," but it is still very close in particular sections. There is one instance where there is a bar with an extra eight note, which throws off the sense of beat. This leads into a very driving section. In his solo, Carter actually does this same thing and it is interesting because at the end of this section, he seemingly puts in another extra beat which begs the question, "Was I feeling the groove of that whole section wrong? Or did he just make a mistake and then intentionally make a similar one to 'get back on.'"

I've always admired Matheus, Alison, Briana, and Matt. We've all been going to Mizzou for at least three years together. In Freund's beginning Composition class, they would all offer to show up and read all of the composer's pieces. When it came to looking for great string players, I could make no other choice but these four, because of their musicianship and our history together.