on lake calls…
| as we rapidly approach the delivery date for the commissioned piece by menelaos peistikos, i wanted to give some context to my side of this process with menelaos - first off, i am really excited about the consortium of players that have joined - i really feel honored that so many incredible players have trust in me to help deliver them a piece that is worthy of their investment, and i am really excited to see where they take the piece after me - working with menelaos so closely has been a treat as well, we are trusting each other in a way - i am trusting him to produce a substantial work with the goal of making a vibraphone masterpiece on par with the existing masterpieces for the marimba - he is trusting me to give him proper feedback on technique and the idiomatic logistics of the instrument and my only hope is that i am able to provide that - i may miss things, as i only have a brief opportunity before the submission deadline, but so far we are striking a unique balance of playability vs pushing the limits of the instrument, and the player by extension |
| the piece itself, lake calls, is shaping up to be a challenge both mentally and physically - it rejects the type of gestures that are popular in vibraphone literature where large leaping scales and melodic figures are broken up into fragmented bursts and harsh metal sound walls and opts instead for a more homoginized approach - large sweeping gestures are surely present, and the physicality of the patterns is intense, but they are born out of development that spins out of control and expands ever outward - there are rarely moments of rest, though there are moments that require patience and time to achieve the desired effect, testing the players ability to pace the moment and the audiences ability to listen and fully digest the sound - menelaos states that there are moments of influence from the work of takemitsu to the sounds of gamelan, juxtaposed against greek folk dance - i’ve certainly found these moments to all be challenging in their own ways but they all work so well with the melodic material he has crafted - menelaos also makes use of some bowing, motor, and mallet changes which expands the palette of the instrument, avoiding the monotonous tendencies that vibraphone can often incur |
| delivery for the piece is slated for march 1st, and we are currently on track to achieve that - the piece is done, in fact, and we are just in the process of some edits; testing the limitations to see if they are achievable, and making sure the sounds that are written are what is desired and how to best communicate that - i am so excited to begin working towards this piece and trying to bring the best out of the piece and out of myself - to those that have supported the project, thank you for your help and for committing to expanding the vibraphone repertoire with me - to menelaos, thank you my friend for you efforts and commitment to this project as well, i am excited to play this, deep night, and anything else you write for percussion |