Summary of Dissertation Recitals: A Survey of Percussion Performance in Solo and Collaborative Settings

Three percussion recitals formed the core of a doctoral dissertation, each reflecting a different facet of the musician's career: interpreting existing works, collaborating in a chamber ensemble, and creating original compositions. The first recital featured solo works exploring resonance and sustain across diverse percussion instruments. The second recital showcased the chamber ensemble Latitude 49 performing pieces written for the group. The third recital premiered the composer's own work, Sensate | Sublimate, which combines acoustic percussion with electronics and digital visuals to create a multi-sensorial experience, drawing on research into psychedelic studies and altered states of consciousness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

As part of the dissertation process, three percussion recitals were given. The work below represents the programming and research related to those dissertation recitals. The different focus of each recital represents the pillars of my career as a contemporary musician, reflecting the dimensions of my musical output and research interests. These include my work as an interpreter of other’s work, a collaborative artist, and a creator of original content. The breadth of the music performed on these recitals is not only indicative of my eclectic interests as an artist, but also the demands made on the modern percussionist. The first dissertation recital focussed on solo works composed by a multitude of composers of varied backgrounds and musical languages. The repertoire chosen for this recital demonstrated various treatments of resonance and sustain across an array of percussion instrument collections. This focus on resonance acts as a thread throughout the three dissertation recitals, culminating in the third recital’s focus on the enhancement of resonant properties of the instruments. Additionally, the first recital’s performance represents my duty as an interpreter of standard and modern repertoire, as well as a commissioner of new work for the medium of solo percussion. The second dissertation recital featured my chamber ensemble Latitude 49 in a performance of works specifically written for the group over the past decade. This ensemble has been a significant research vehicle throughout my career since its founding in 2012. The works on this recital featured my abilities as a chamber musician within a collaborative setting, formed by the ensemble members and the living composers we champion. The third dissertation recital included a world premiere of an original work of mine, titled Sensate | Sublimate. This work represents my creative output as a composer, focussing on combining acoustic percussion instruments with electronic sounds. The subject matter of Sensate | Sublimate revolves around my research interests in psychedelic studies and the connections to musical perception as well as listening mechanisms within altered states of consciousness. This performance included digital and analogue technologies to enhance the sonic aspects of the performance as well as a series of digital abstract visualizations, creating a multi-sensorial experience. The scope of this dissertation represents my primary discipline as a percussionist as well as my cognate research in consciousness and music composition.