For steelband and electronics
First performance: UA Steel and CrossTalk, March 29, 2014 at University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
First prize, 2014 James P. and Shirley J. O’Brien Endowment Composition Competition hosted by University of Arizona
(De/Con)struction in Steel and Electricity is composed for steel band and electronics. The electronics were originally performed live on MIDI percussion controllers controlling software synthesizers and samplers, but could be pre-programmed, played from a recording, or played with other types of electronic instruments.
The first part of (De/Con)struction explores how to approach making groove-oriented music based around a quintuplet subdivision. This means that unlike the majority of our music, which has beats that are divided into groupings of 2’s or 3’s, (De/Con)struction divides each beat into five sub-beats. The bass plays an ostinatto for the first half of the piece to give a strong sense of the pulse. However, about halfway through the piece, there is a transition to a 16th note subdivision. This results in the pulse of the music speeding up. After a funky middle section with space for optional solos, the themes from the first part of the piece are reimagined to exist in the new metric system. The majority of the harmony and melodies of this piece are derived from mathematical transformations of a simple melodic motif: G – A – C – D. From those four innocuous notes, much larger structures with complex harmony and beautiful melodies are built.
This performance is by the Souther Oregon University Percussion Ensemble featuring steelpannist Tom Berich as the soloist. The steelband parts were also doubled on marimbas.