Etude for Percussion Trio
Instrumentation: 3 percussionists
Duration: 6-7'
*Winner of the 2019 UNI Student Percussion Composition Competition*

Video from March 4, 2020
Performers: Zoey Cobb, Eric Green, Isaac Schwartz
Program Notes:
This piece was written in an attempt to create a satisfying musical product out of a few compositional ideas I have been experimenting with. Some of the techniques utilized in the piece include playing with permutations on mallet instruments, polymeters, and polyrhythms built around divisions of 4, 5, 6, and 7. The etude was also largely influenced by Paul Lansky’s Threads, and the instrumentation, as well as many of the textures, came in response to that piece. I particularly enjoyed the variations in weight and density that can be found within the many combinations of percussion instruments found in this trio. While this might be an “etude,” I hope that player and listener alike might still find this to be an enjoyable musical experience.
Completed: October 2019
Performance History:
March 4, 2020
Zoey Cobb, Eric Green, Isaac Schwartz, percussion
Isaac R. Smith Senior Recital
Davis Recital Hall, University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls, Iowa)
November 20, 2019
UNI Faculty, percussion
UNI Percussion Studio Fall Recital
Davis Recital Hall, University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls, Iowa)
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Recording History:
November 19, 2020
UNI Faculty, percussion
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