Pitch Drop (2013) – A Triangle Solo for 2 or more Triangles
The inspiration for Pitch Drop came while I was listening to a program on Radio Lab entitled “Speed.” The first story in the radio program was about the Pitch Drop Experiment that has been taking place at the University of Queensland, Australia since 1927. In the 86 years that the substance pitch (a highly viscous liquid which appears solid) has been “dripping,” no one has ever seen the drop fall and currently researchers are waiting for the ninth drop to occur. As I began to write this piece, the image of researchers waiting to see the drop of pitch fall prompted me to experiment with the sound of water and metal. I recorded over 10 triangles (including 4 of the Living Sounds Triangles) and combined them with water, tam tam, and spriangle samples in order to create the soundscape track that accompanies the soloist.
The piece begins with long, sustained sounds of water, metal, gongs and triangles. I wanted to remove all of the attacks of the triangle and allow the As the piece progresses, it becomes more rhythmic and with the use of pre-composed loops, I was able to layer parts in order to create a fuller overall sound. By the time the piece ends, it should feel as though you are walking through a Grand Father Clock store at the moment when all the clocks are beginning to chime.
Vocals on the accompaniment track were graciously performed by Beth Wightwick.
In this episode, I introduce the concept of rudiments on the snare drum. Rudiments are scales for the snare drum and we will start with the paradiddle. If you are a teacher, what is the first rudiment you teach to a new student? Why?
Last week, I featured Michel the tap dancing xylophonist. This week, I wanted to share the Teddy Brown video. He was an American entertainer who spent the latter part of his life performing in Britain. He was born Abraham Himmelbrand in 1900, and first played in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, but moved to the field of popular music in the 1920s. Be sure to read the “more info” on the YouTube page for more information.
In this episode, aka known as “Different Strokes for Different Folks (and Rudiments),” I introduce three of the strokes used on snare drum. (Go Lakers). I have also included an exercise sheet Download the free exercises sheet here.
Exploring the distance between zero and one – Live at the TEDxZurich 2011.
Jojo Mayer gives a brief synopsis on the emergence of rhythm culture and its relationship to technology and communication in the western world. In regards to this, he shares his thoughts on interacting with digital culture and cross examines the relevance of a human performance in the digital age.
Thanks to Daniel Ellis for the recommendation. Do you have a video you think should be posted on this blog? Please send your recommendations. Thanks!
BookChattr is starting soon. Come join the DrumChattr community and read Learning to Listen: The Jazz Journey of Gary Burton: An Autobiography by Gary Burton. I started the book last week and I am really enjoy it. The style of writing is conversational and the information is informative and insightful. As I was reading the first couple of chapters, I starting think about how I would like to listen to the pieces Gary talks about in the book. So I decided to put together a resource guide (similar to the Steve Schick Listening Guide Part 1 & Part 2 that I compiled when we read his book). While some of these recordings are probably not the exact recordings Mr. Burton heard, I wanted to familiarize you with the pieces. If there is something I missed or if there is another version we should listen to, please leave your comments below and I will add them to the post.
