Percussion Ensemble Music Composition

Percussion Evoluzione is a music composition I wrote in 2017, and I won the 2018 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award for this piece. Percussion instruments encompass some of the oldest music instruments in human history, and there are a wide variety of both pitched and unpitched percussion around the world than any other music instrument family. I did extensive research on the history of percussion instruments for this composition, and the piece portrays the gradual evolution of percussion instruments from the ancient times to the 21st century. The composition also incorporates different world music styles while using instruments developed during a certain period in history. Each movement gradually increases in complexity, beginning with the primitive instruments in the first movement and ending with an array of versatile instruments and compositional techniques in the fifth movement. Listen to the full composition here.

The first movement "The Beginning" depicts music instruments from prehistoric times such as hand claps and sticks; the sticks part is played by wood blocks instead. This movement incorporates rhythmic polyphony and creates both stability and controlled chaos, and the music is reminiscent of tribal music from West Africa and South Asia.

The second movement "Metals and Hides" uses instruments crafted from metal alloys like bronze and animal skins. This movement gives off both the tranquility and turbulence of urbanization during the Bronze Age, when humans invented bronze and learned to use animal skins for making instruments. Some of the key instruments in this movement include Sri Lankan Drums, Gong, and Cowbell, with their roots tracing back to ancient times.

The third movement "Perfect Pitch" brings in pitched percussion instruments along with unpitched percussion. Many pitched percussion instruments were created during the Iron Age, which saw the rapid commercialization of iron and other metals. Some of the key instruments in this movement are vibraphone, marimba, and taiko drums. The movement assimilates elements from East Asian music, and it includes two variations of the minor pentatonic scale; the Western pentatonic scale and the Eastern pentatonic scale.

The fourth movement "Augmented Evolution" captivates the essence of tropical music from the Caribbean. By the Middle Ages in history, pitched and unpitched percussion instruments grew exponentially around the world, and each region crafted their own unique instruments. Some of the key instruments in this movement are congas, cabasa, and guiro, which are unique sounding instruments hailing from the Caribbean.

The fifth movement "The Era of Versatility” combines 20th century avant-garde music, rock music, and contemporary music. During this time, a vast array of musical styles along with numerous other versatile percussion instruments had been created in the world. The piece incorporates four-voice and five-voice counterpoint while using extended playing techniques for each instrument.