In what way is it different writing for percussion instead of other instruments?
I still think about all the main elements of music, though some are definitely more prominent. For drum kit I’m primarily thinking rhythmically, rather than melodically or harmonically, but colour and overall texture are still very much a part of it. For tuned percussion, although I’ll generally be thinking about non-sustained sounds, that’s also something I think about with other instruments (e.g. harp or guitar). And with the vibes I’ve made good use of its capacity for sustained chords. Overall, rhythmic layering is where my imagination will first go.
Who or what influenced this composition?
Ensemble Bash of course! Seriously, your past recordings and videos were a key factor when I started gathering ideas. Aside from that, many influences have fed into this composition: jazz musicians such as bass player Dave Holland and pianist John Taylor; composers such as Steve Reich and Don Davis; and other contemporary percussion groups like Third Coast Percussion.
Ensemble Bash asked you to write for marimba, vibes and drum kit - what else would you have liked to have added?
Well, I did manage to sneak the glock in there too, on Stephen’s part, to add another colour. But actually, I enjoyed the restrictions of only having these instruments available. It forced me to explore more of the overall potential of each instrument than I might otherwise have done. Perhaps in an ideal world Richard and Catherine could have had a marimba each. But even then, I enjoyed the creative challenge of making the parts (and elbows!) work together.
You come from a jazz background - was it a challenge to write in a more classical way?
Although jazz and improvisation has been my background and specialism as a performer/composer, I’ve always written in other styles too. In more recent years this has included orchestral music and composing for media. Previous composing has also included educational commissions in different styles and classical Indian music. My years performing in salsa bands also had an influence on this current composition.
Do you have any advice for other composers who are asked to write for percussion?
It sounds obvious, but really get to know each instrument as deeply as you can. Do your research in terms of closely listening to great examples of writing for the instruments and studying scores. If possible, get hands-on with the instruments and try to learn to play them, even at a basic level. But the most useful thing is to talk with the players themselves. Being able to ask you all very detailed questions, and to have a back-and-forth about specific passages, was invaluable. Similarly, being able to see you rehearsing and workshop some initial ideas was so useful.
And if you have an online recording of any of your music that you’d like to share, let us know and we’ll link to that!
Here’s a link to three orchestral miniatures that I just uploaded to YouTube (even though they were recorded a couple of years ago).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwxA6_dCmGM&list=PLXxkTRwKzuPa7AXqrBY-aqvGxYo0JrrBs
