Monkey Mind (2016) 8'30"
percussion quintet

From an instrumentation perspective, I sought to create a vehicle in which various instruments themselves are intertwined and connected both physically as well as aurally. Two marimbas serve not only as the melodic backbone of the work but also as surfaces on which to directly place instruments. Influenced by iconic American composer John Cage’s prepared piano works, Monkey Mind infuses prepared glockenspiel bars affixed with binder clips and rubber bands, which are placed between accidental notes on the marimba. Rattles are sometimes placed on the marimba bars creating a buzzing effect reminiscent of traditional Guatemalan and West African marimbas. Other small instruments such as synthetic blocks, tamborims, guiro, castanets, and a log drum are integrated into the overall set-up, and when combined together with the marimbas create a ‘hybrid’ or multi-percussion soundscape. A pseudo-drum set weaves together non-Western instruments alongside more familiar drum set components. This globally inspired drum set highlights instruments such as the West African djun-djun and donno (talking drum), Chinese tom-tom, almglocken (Swiss cowbells), riq (Egyptian tambourine), tamborim (Brazilian frame drum) and kanjira (South Indian frame drum). Improvisation plays a key role in Monkey Mind whereby the performers are offered several opportunities throughout the work to explore and venture away from the written material. Central to this work is the use of pitch bending, or portamento. The raising or lowering of pitch overall occurs in a number of ways, both rhythmically and harmonically. Gliding pod rattles across the keyboard instruments, bowing of marimba bars, striking then dipping crotale notes into bowls of water are just a few techniques utilized to create this portamento effect. The concept of a monkey mind is derived from the Buddhist principle that describes a state of restlessness, capriciousness, and lack of control in one's thoughts.