SIX DRUMSETS

As this piece of music has emerged over the last nine months, it has
become more and more apparent to me that it’s origins lie in my experi-
ences with Japanese traditional music. Although several American
musicians are listed as influences in the musical notes that follow, Six
Drumsets could not have been conceived without the musical studies
that I pursued while on extended stay in Japan during the winter of 90/
91. I'had the tremendous good fortune to spend that time studying with
the legendary drumming groups Kodo, O Gion Daiko, and O Edo
Sukeroku Taiko. These three groups present an orchestration of
multiple drummers (performing on taiko, the Japanese traditional
drum) in the most stunning compositional and performing context
imaginable. I am in great debt to these drummers, and the Uchida
Foundation, which made my studies possible.

Past: In the Glow of the Fire. The first movement is composed around
the basic rhythm of a folk song of the Garifuna tribe of Belize called
“Paranda”. This broken 16th note rhythm is stated early in the piece by
drumset 5, and is reconstructed one note at a time by drumset 2. This
“reconstruction” is displaced by three 16th notes, creating a canonic
relationship between the two drumsets. This same process takes place
in part two of “Past”, but this time orchestrated on cowbells and
woodblocks. This process of thematic statement, displaced reconstruc-
tion (and many other techniques heard in Six Drumsets) is greatly
inspired by renowned composer Steve Reich whose philosophy of “music
as a gradual process” permeates “Past”.

Present: Nothing Like This Ever Was. The second movement is based
on linear movement and phrasing. Simply stated, linear movement on
drums occurs when the performer only plays one note at a time, and
avoids the layering common to most drumming. In “Present”, this idea
is stretched to apply not only to an individual drummer, but also to the
entire group playing “linear tag” with the main theme. The concept of
linear drumming has been pioneered and taught for years by drummer
extraordinare Gary Chaffee, whose teachings have greatly inspired
“Present”.

Future: Tomorrow Transformed. The third movement features six
simultaneous themes performed on six DrumKats. The themes are
stated and developed in the minimalist fashion creating a kaleidoscopic
of interlocking melodies and textures. The electronic nature of Future
is inspired by, and in debt to, the ethereal textures and atmospheres of
film composer Mark Isham.

The Dreamtime. Using both electronic percussion and acoustic drums,
The Dreamtime introduces new themes and returns to former ones to
bring Six Drumsets to it’s conclusion.