Drumming 2
String Quartet inspired by the Marching Mizzou drumline.Similar to Drumming 1, I took this piece from the String Quartet I wrote the year before. After taking the Drumming 1 part out of the String Quartet, I was left with this piece. I then repeated the opening section to fill out the form. Overall I'm really happy with how this piece turned out. It's not too difficult to play (unlike Drumming 1) and sounds nice.
In 2016 I recorded my own version played on slightly different instruments. I think one day I'd like to make a solo piano version.
Program Notes from Senior Recital Performance (2012)
First off, I have written three short "Drumming" pieces to date and they all have a similar purpose: to emulate the groove and energy that comes from someone playing the drums with only the use of pitched instruments (say a clarinet, violin, or marimba as opposed to a snare drum or cymbal). I got this idea from listening to Carter Beauford (drummer for the Dave Matthews Band). His style is very melodic and intricate. In other words, he uses his large drum set in a way that I hear a "singable" melody. The exact pitches aren't relevant, but with the sheer shape of the pitches, one can get a sense of which percussion instrument would be playing it (I.E. low, loud cello double stops might be the bass drum). This principle combined with specific rhythms, articulations, and extended techniques underlines the purpose for these pieces.
So, Drumming 2 (for String Quartet) was specifically written for Dr. Stefan Freund's Orchestration class that I took a year ago. The opening is rhythmically close to a Marching Mizzou Drumline piece that I used to challenge myself to see how much I could "sing along" to. Most of the material is a constant development of that first idea. The exception is a short interlude when all of the strings are pizzicato. The cello plays a solo while the other three playing their instruments in a similar fashion to a guitar. It is in the style of the song Two Step by the Dave Matthews Band. My approach for this composition was quite different from my other pieces. During the Snow Apocalypse of 2011, I was enjoying time with some of my wonderful family members Clay and Francie (as they lived very close to campus). After they went to bed, I would stay up a bit longer and sketch on manuscript the rhythmic outline for this entire piece (keeping the M2 drumline piece in mind). The outline consisted of dynamics, form, rhythm, and shape (I.E. how high or low the pitches should be about). The pitches were finally specified and are inspired by Kanye West's song "Flashing Lights."
