Sketrig – Solo (Vibraphone, Snare Drum, and Kick Drum, with Live Electronics)
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Sketrig is a percussion solo written for vibraphone, snare drum, and kick drum with live electronics. The piece draws upon popular music and contemporary percussion inspirations for an expansive sound environment created by electronics blending with the acoustic sound of the instruments. To promote accessibility, the piece utilizes relatively inexpensive technology with two contact microphones that are used in multiple ways. The microphones are taped to the heads of the snare and bass drums to “listen” to the instruments, allowing the instruments to trigger different electronic components throughout the work. The microphones also record certain moments in the piece and later play back processed sound of the acoustic instruments. Utilizing only the two contact microphones, and no additional pedals or microphones, streamlines the required electronic setup and hopefully removes some common technological barriers. A number of the electronic layers have randomized elements (panning, volume, how often they play, etc.) to help them feel more organic and to make it so the piece is never the exact same from one run-through to the next. In addition to the audio that is recorded live during the piece, several of the sound samples that are utilized are manipulations of various shuttle and space recordings released by NASA. The title is just a mashup of the two words in the working title I was employing while writing the piece (“trigger sketches”); however, Sketrig also sounds like the name of some type of satellite (i.e. “Sputnik”) and so I suppose this piece is more space-themed than I planned.
Intown – Steel Band
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The third-prize winner of the O’Brien Endowment Composition Competition, Intown was composed for steel band and electronic percussion instruments in 2014. It has now been re-arranged for acoustic steel band only and is published by Elision Publications. The piece takes inspiration from early minimalist aesthetics and is an audience-friendly contemporary composition.
Mia – Solo Marimba
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Mia is an intermediate-level marimba solo that was written for my niece and incorporates a tuneful melody and lively character. A hand drum accompaniment, or ankle bells on the soloist, could be added for even more fun!
Heliotrope Bouquet – Scott Joplin and Louis Chauvin, arr. Wier – Solo Marimba
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Written for piano solo in the early twentieth-century, Heliotrope Bouquet is a slow drag two step. The slower tempo makes the piece possible for a solo marimba performer, unlike many other ragtime piano works. This is an advanced arrangement with many rapidly changing intervals and wide reaches.