Hexachron - Matt Moore [DIGITAL SET}

Hexachron channels the raw energy and intricate architecture of progressive metal through the lens of chamber percussion ensemble. While the bulk of the piece is written in 6/4, that meter is rarely felt straight-ahead. Instead, it’s refracted through layered polyrhythms, rhythmic illusions, and constantly shifting subdivisions that destabilize the listener’s sense of time - yet somehow regularly lock into a groove that feels instinctively right.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 6
Level: Medium Advanced | Duration: 8:20

Instrumentation
Score (8.5"x11" spiral bound)

Player 1: Vibraphone
Player 2: Vibraphone
Player 3: Marimba (4.3-octave)
Player 4: Marimba (4.3-octave with optional lower notes)
Player 5: Marimba (5-octave)
Player 6: Drum Set (China Stack, Crash Stack, H-Hat, Snare Drum, Kick Drum

Program Notes
Hexachron channels the raw energy and intricate architecture of progressive metal through the lens of chamber percussion ensemble. While the bulk of the piece is written in 6/4, that meter is rarely felt straight-ahead. Instead, it’s refracted through layered polyrhythms, rhythmic illusions, and constantly shifting subdivisions that destabilize the listener’s sense of time - yet somehow regularly lock into a groove that feels instinctively right.

The harmonic language leans bright but unstable, embracing sharp dissonances, tritone-rich sonorities, and unexpected modulations that echo the genre’s love for contrast and surprise.

At its heart, Hexachron is a deconstruction of rhythmic perception—a piece where time bends, pulses collide, and six never quite feels like six.

– M.M.

CONSORTIUM
Brad Meyer & Phi Boota Roota Beta Chapter, Stephen F. Austin State University (lead)
Ben Koch, Hebron High School
Chad Floyd, Campbellsville University
Jordan Kamps, University of Illinois Chicago
Matthew Geiger, University of Kentucky
Nathan Zamora, Hendrickson High School
Ron Schermerhorn, South Texas College
Russell Ratterree, Royse City High School
Ryan Pride, McCallum High School
Sarah Burke, Blinn College
Amy Yin, Western Carolina University
Scott Gustafson, McKinney Boyd High School
Benjamin Baker, Lebanon Trail High School

Stephen F. Austin State University Percussion Ensemble (Dr. Brad Meyer, director)