The Furman University Percussion Ensemble
Fall Concert
Special Guest Artist/Composer: Tom Rarick, Director of Percussion - Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps, United States Air Force Ceremonial Brass (retired)
6pm, Sunday, April 6th, 2025
Daniel Recital Hall
Kars 1 (2015/2023)
Tigran Hamasyan arr. by Ksenija Komljenović & Antek Olesik
Notes
Kars 1 is featured on Tigran Hamasyan’s 2015 album Mockroot, released by Nonesuch Records. The album showcases Tigran on synths, keyboards, and vocals; Sam Minaie on bass guitar; and Arthur Hnatek on drums and electronics.
Lyrics (translated from Armenian):
"The mountains [are full] of green grass, oh dear
My heart is full of longing, oh dear
My sweetheart, tired of me (oh dear),
is coming home along the field (oh dear).
The fortress of Kars is ruined, oh dear
[And] my sweetheart is sleeping under it [i.e. the ruins], oh dear
The mountains [are full] of green grass, oh dear
My heart is full of spring, oh dear."
Movements (2019)
Pascal Leboeuf
Composed for the 2019 Só Percussion Summer Institute "Movements" is a percussion quartet for four sideways toms that contains elements of improvisation, choreography, and a series of technical exercises to highlight the skills of the performers through a range of unorthodox performance techniques. The title "Movements" may refer to:
- Physical Movements: The musical content upon which "Movements" is based comes from exploring the relationship between sound and physical movement. For example, in order for a performer to reach opposite ends of a sideways tom at a fast tempo, the performer must rock from side to side. When four performers do this together, the result is a visual experience not unlike choreographed movement. In this way, the choreography informs the music and the music informs the choreography.
- Political/Social/Artistic Movements: Purely performative elements of choreography are also included such as the raising of a mallet to the sky (in imitation of a clenched fist). This simple physical movement is widely used as a salute to express unity, strength, defiance, or resistance a group of people working together to advance their shared political, social, or artistic ideas — in other words, a [political/social/artistic] movement.
- Compositional Movements: Finally, the title represents a movement in the context of a piece of music: a subsection of the larger composition. "Movements" is comprised of a series of technical exercises, each with its own focus. Techniques explored include scraping the sides of the drums, blowing air into the drums, hocketing with polyrhythms, improvisation, performative/choreographed elements, and others.
"Movements" is conceptually flexible—a metaphorical soap box. As is traditionally the case in jazz. improvisation, the meaning behind the music is an abstract truth defined by the individual performers, and it will mean something different with every performance.
Special thanks to Sõ Percussion, whose seminar at Princeton University in the spring of 2018 served as a jumping-off point for this music; to Keshav Batish and Donnacha Dennehy whose kind suggestions informed the music; and to Kristian de Leon, Jamie Dugger, Robert Rockman, and John Zazo who workshopped and premiered "Movements" at Princeton University on July 20, 2019 as part of the So Percussion Summer Institute
Bell Patterns (2020)
Victor Caccese
Notes
Bell Patterns was written for percussion quartet, and is scored for one vibraphone and four tuned desk bells. The piece was composed using a simple numbers sequence. The harmonic interplay and composite rhythms that result however are quite complex. Each member of the quartet is assigned a different number (2, 3, 4 and 5). Different rhythmic cells are constructed using these numbers, and are then looped on top of each other.
While writing this piece I began to explore how two or more rhythms of different speeds could layer on top of each other to create composite melodies and rhythms. When two rhythms of different speeds are played simultaneously they often are characterized as sounding dissonant. This is also referred to as a polyrhythm. It was my goal with bell patterns to find the lowest common subdivision of four seemingly dissonant rhythms, then slow them down to the point where they all share a similar consonant pulse. Further, when you assign certain partials of one player’s rhythm to a bell sound for instance, and the rest of their pitches on a vibraphone, you are able to more clearly perceive a macro and micro pulse happening simultaneously. The juxtaposition of these slow and fast rhythms is woven throughout the form and functions as the primary compositional structure in the work.
Sidechained (2025 - workshop premiere)
Omar Carmenates
Notes
Written for the fantastic trio, 3D Percussion
Reminder: Grow, Reflect, Repeat (2024)
Nick Zoulek
Notes
"Reminder: Grow Reflect Repeat" started from the sound of voice memo recorders. Whether on a phone, a digital recorder, or a tape recorder, there is something visceral about the quality of the sound that brings up feelings of nostalgia. It's a quality of sound that is so persistent in my memories and reflection process that it has become synonymous with growth.
From there, I wanted growth and reflection to be a character in a three-act video piece where the interactions between music, sound design, and visuals each have a role in the story. Visually, I prioritized the idea of scale and growing over time. I’ve been lucky to live in a number of different cities. The process of growing in a new community is a beautiful thing. Chicago has become a new home for me, and I wanted to depict that process of growth in a surreal manner, still rooted in day-to-day repetition.
Musically, the saxophone is my home, and I often try to create multiple layers from a single instrument. In a piece about individual growth, I wanted to take a similar approach and focus on multiple repetitive layers from a solo instrument. Third Coast Percussion inspires me in so many ways, but I think anyone watching them perform is immediately enthralled by the way they draw out so many sounds from any single instrument. In a piece about layers of personal growth, multiple layers of solo marimba was a perfect fit, interacting with the character of tape recorder sounds. "
Commissioned by Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting as part of Third Coast Percussion's Currents Creative Partnership, a program supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Sidney K Robinson, the DEW Foundation, and the Sargent Family Foundation.
Scroll (2023)
Tom Rarick
featuring: Tom Rarick, Josh Roper, Harrison Gelber
Notes
Scroll features a trio of quasi-rudimental snare drum soloists accompanied by a six-member percussion ensemble. Intertwining the marching and concert worlds, the piece begins with a militaristic sensibility, is grounded by an insistent harmonic motion and descending arpeggiated piano gestures, and journeys toward a more modern and angular conclusion. Scroll unfurls in a manner that mirrors my own musical experience and highlights my long-standing friendships and collaboration with the visionaries behind this project, Dr. Brian West and Hector Gil. Scroll was commissioned by Hector Gil and the Vista Ridge High School Percussion Ensemble for their feature concert at the 2023 Texas Music Educators Association Convention. This piece was composed with fellow soloists Dr. Brian West and Hector Gil in mind and is dedicated to my father – my first and most impactful percussion inspiration.