As One

One thing I love about watching percussionists play is the visual experience; the way that the players move their sticks, the way they find the groove in the music, and the way they interact with each other is something that is really entertaining to me. When I wrote “As One” I wanted to not only capture a sense of unity between the two percussionists, in way of having two rhythms be played by both players, that when played together produces a more unified rhythm, but also heighten the visual experience. The manner in which the drums are set up means that the players have to be extra careful to stay out of each other’s way, which leads to interesting, and perhaps unorthodox sticking patterns, which adds visual interest. The musical content of this piece is quite straightforward, as it implements a ritornello-esque technique to signal the transition between different “episodes” throughout the work. This recurring pattern uses the main theme, which was presented in the first four bars of the piece, and builds upon it adding a more complex colour to it. After numerous episodes have been presented, each with their own unique rhythmic qualities, the ritornello pattern returns a final time and makes room for a highlight from each episode, the piece finishes with a variation on the recurring pattern, and ends with fierce confidence.