But We Have X Instead of Y (2016-2017)

for Percussion Quartet

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Composed November 2016 - February 2017

 

6 Minutes

 

Premiered May 3, 2017 by the Richland Percussion Group

Roland Garza (Leader), Christian Barrera, Destin Ramos, Corey Gamble

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Subsequent performances:

University of North Florida Percussion Ensemble; Dr. Andrea Venet, director - October 23, 2020

Midwestern State University Percussion Ensemble; Corey Robinson, director - April 13, 2021

Rutgers University Percussion Ensemble; Joseph Tompkins, director - April 18, 2021

University of Texas Permian Basin Percussion Ensemble; Tim Feerst, director - November 15, 2021

Fullerton College Percussion Ensemble; Dustin Donahue, director - November 22, 2021

San Francisco Conservatory Percussion Ensemble; Jacob Nissly, director - December 1, 2021

Penn State Percussion Ensemble; Dr. Lee Hinkle, director - December 2, 2021

Washington State Percussion Ensemble; Dr. Chris Wilson, director - October 25, 2022

Ohio State University Percussion Ensemble; Susan Powell, director - November 7, 2022

Temple University Percussion Ensemble; Phillip O’Banion, director - November 7, 2022

Shenandoah Conservatory Percussion Ensemble; Dr. Karlyn Viña, director - November 30, 2022

Jacksonville University Percussion Ensemble - February 3, 2023

University of Minnesota Duluth Percussion Ensemble; Dr. Henry Eichman, director - April 5, 2023

University of Northern Colorado Percussion Ensemble; Tim Feerst, director - October 30, 2023

 

Program notes:

My friend, Del Cook, wrote a piece called 'We need B not A', which was his response to what he called 'the industrialization of the percussion repertoire' and used the same instrumentation as my piece, but with different and more militaristic rhythms. My response is a response to his response (notice a pattern?). 'But We Have X instead of Y' aims to show the wealth of ideas we have in percussion repertoire all around the world, and I incorporate inspirations from music all over the world, whether it be African rhythms, the hypnotic sounds of Steve Reich or the primitive sounds from Stravinsky's 'Rite of Spring'.