COMPOUND AUTONOMY

FOR percussion ensemble • 2010 • 6 MINUTES • advanced

Written for 15 percussionists, piano, and bass guitar, Compound Autonomy is a complex work which aims to integrate a variety of autonomous lines into a unified fabric. As layers of polyrhythmic motives combine, the piece becomes more complicated, but still aims to maintain a genuine groove.

The subtitle of the piece is basically a simple description of its primary components. The main ostinato is an ongoing 4-3 pattern of a minor third interval (C, and E-flat), translating as the syllables "Do" and "Me" in solfége. Sibe is the Swiss German word for "seven," the meter of the piece. This is simply a tip of the hat to one of my favorite musicians, Zurich composer and pianist, Nik Bärtsch, whose music inspired this piece.

Score published by Tapspace.