Drum-e Piece No. 1 (Multi-Percussion Trio)

Drum-e Piece No. 1 is an exciting, blazing-fast work for 3 percussionists with similar drum & cymbal set-ups. The piece alternates between bombastic unison figures and moments for each player to shine.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 3
Level: Medium | Duration: 4:30

Instrumentation
Player 1: conga, snare drum, bongos, splash cymbal
Player 2: low tom, snare drum, 2 high toms, splash cymbal
Player 3: kick bass laid flat, snare drum, 2 medium toms, splash cymbal

Program Notes
Drum-e Piece No. 1 centers around the rhythms in the first two measures along with shifting accent patterns. Throughout the work, a solo line is prominent while the other two players are providing an accompaniment. During the various solo lines and accompaniment, the accent shifts to each sixteenth note of the beat. Communication between the three performers is crucial because of the constant changes within accents. There are three main sections to the piece: a loud unison opening followed by a quiet section on the rims of the drums. The final section brings the performers back to material of the opening and closes with unison patterns.

This piece would not be possible without the help of my amazing friends Ian Meiman and Justin Sherrod who performed on the premiere of the work, along with Dr. John Wooton and the entire percussion studio at The University of Southern Mississippi.
– I.M.