Drumset project 1: A quality social repertoire
Pieces for drumset and unspecified (melodic) instrument(s)


Rules:

1. There may be one or more voices of pitch material; multiple voices maybe played on one instrument (e.g., piano) or multiple instruments. Smaller or variable ensembles are preferable (i.e., some of the voices are optional, or there could be a option single voice version, etc.). It should be expected pitch material might be transposed to accommodate the range of different instruments.

2. Drumset will include ONLY:
bass drum
snare drum
hi-hat

3. Each piece should have two primary authors - one will write the drumset part, the other will write the melodic material. Either part may be taken from an existing piece of music, including existing works from this project.

4. Very few or no dynamics, articulations, or other such markings should be included in the score.

5. The performers will be co-authors of these pieces and will provide dynamics, articulations, phrase markings, small tempo variations, timbral choices, etc. as they feel fit. A note in the score should encourage performers to do so.

6. None of the parts should be especially difficult to execute. Virtuosity should not be an important element of the work.

7. It is expected these pieces will not be very long - probably between one and five minutes.

8. Title should probably be chosen by the author who comes second, i.e., if the drum part is written first, the title should be decided by the author of the melodic material. I suppose a joint decision would be best. Either way.


The composers may use the following Note to Performers or write their own:

Note: Melodic material may by transposed to different octaves or keys to accommodate the range of the available instruments. Performers are encouraged to be free and creative with dynamics, articulations, phrasing, timbral choices, etc. both within and in addition to those prescribed by the composers. Small alterations to melodic part to accommodate the available instrument (e.g., adding rests for wind instruments to breathe) are expected. The drumset part is intended for a drumset of bass drum, snare drum, and hihat, but may be transcribed to other sounds.


Purpose of this project:

1. Detach composition from sound.
All of the restrictions above will focus each author's creative energies into the more basic elements of musical composition. Sound becomes such an overwhelmingly important (yet fleeting) element in most percussion music, and there is a certain purity of timbral, rhythmic, dynamic, and sonic function with the bass/snare/hihat setup, making it the perfect medium for such a project. And of course, the unspecified melodic instrument and lack of notated articulation, dynamics, etc. contribute to this end.

2. Encourage performers to freely interpolate their own personality into serious music.
Charisma of performer is vital to most successful popular music; in some cases the value of the final musical product is almost entirely a result of the personality of the performer rather than the intended notes and rhythms (e.g., James Brown, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Tom Jones). Most concert art music appropriately discourages that type of performer-inclusion in favor of the composer's vision.

3. Erase the responsibility and common understanding of ownership of a piece of music.
The task of composing a work one feels is representative of his or her intentions is often a considerable undertaking. This format of co-ownership of the composition is intended to allow each author to just go and write some nice music without the usual artistic suffering. Also, it will be interesting to see what composers are able to accomplish with so little control and what will change as the work changes performers and instruments.

4. Playing music with friends is fun.
I think those of us who play tons of very difficult and/or serious music all the time forget that people actually sometimes get together and play music and it's fun and easy. This project is designed to produce a quality social repertoire which can function both on stage and drunk at my house.