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SUSAN POWELL • COMPOSITIONS

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cobot (2023) 6'
percussion quartet

cobot was composed in Spring 2023 at the request of Erin Rybinski, for her senior recital at OSU. Erin asked me to write something centered around the xylophone, and this concepts fit perfectly with my research interests geared towards expanding the literature available for this instrument in both solo and ensemble settings. I wanted to explore dense “power chords” that might be possible from a single xylophone, so all players utilize four mallets throughout, covering the entire range of the keyboard. Conceptually, I was picturing industrial, factory-inspired imagery, and the visual result of the piece is somewhat akin to a working assembly line, with each player moving in synchronicity with choreographed motions. The title, cobot, is drawn from the word “collaborative robot”, which is a robot intended for direct human-robot interaction within a shared space, or where humans and robots are in close proximity.

Mako (2021) 5'
percussion quintet

Written for the Sympatico Percussion Group, Mako is titled after the shortfin mako shark and is intended to evoke the imagery of this oceanic apex predator's incredibly quick, sleek, hydrodynamic nature. Orchestrated for a suggested mixture of drums and woods from multiple cultures, Sympatico’s inaugural version of Mako included a variety of world percussion instruments such as: African djun djuns, Chinese tom-toms, Jing cymbals, Japanese shime-daiko, Mokusho woodblock, Thai Ramwong, as well as various authentic and manufactured log drums and woodblocks. The spirit of the piece conjures elements of tribal drumming via primal, relentless driving rhythms that pass quickly between performers, coupled with a ritualistic and powerful groove.

Mako
00:00 / 04:42

Mosaics (2010) 12'
solo marimba

Mosaics was composed in 2010 for a performance at the Leigh Howard Stevens Summer Marimba Seminar in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, and revised in January of 2020. Having a strong background in two mallet performance, I wanted to compose a piece that utilized only two mallets, but drew inspiration from the possibilities allowed by four mallet technique. I based Mosaics on three pieces that were pivotal in my development as a marimbist: Furioso and Valse by Earl Hatch, Caritas by Michael Burritt and Rhythmic Caprice by Leigh Howard Stevens. Each movement is dedicated to a significant teacher/mentor who have influenced me greatly in both my personal life and professional career, and with whom the three pieces are personally associated. The first is dedicated to Linda Maxey, the second to Michael Burritt and the final to Leigh Howard Stevens.

Mousse, Rinçage, Répétition (2007) 6'
percussion ensemble • nine players

Mousse, Rinçage, Répétition was composed as an opening selection for Drums Downtown IV (2007), the OSU Percussion Ensemble’s popular multi-disciplinary event. As a composer, I have always been interested in exploring and showcasing the manner in which percussionists move, placing as much emphasis on the visual aspect of the performance as the aural. This piece is the first that I’ve written, however, where the visual component completely dictated the compositional process. I wanted to create a piece that enabled the listener to visually follow the musical line, whether this occurs side-to- side, front-to-back, or randomly across the ensemble. Mousse, Rinçage, Répétition is comprised of three primary sections, appropriately fitting the title’s translation of “lather, rinse, repeat”.

Ornate Wobbegong (2017) 7'
snare drum solo (with optional bass drum accompaniment)

Ornate Wobbegong is a suite for solo snare drum in three movements, each exploring a different style of snare drum performance. The first is a representation of concert (orchestral) snare drumming, the second a pseudo multiple percussion piece on a single drum - showcasing both timbre and implements utilized - and the final movement is a rudimental solo based in the ancient style. The title is drawn from a species of shark (Orectolobus ornatus) whose description reads “dangerous, particularly when provoked, captured or stepped on.”

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