Together Again

TOGETHER AGAIN
When classes were moved online in March, it meant the end of ensemble rehearsals. My students at the University of Central Arkansas had to leave behind many pieces they had been preparing for concerts, recitals, and the annual UCA Percussion Festival.

We understood how important it was to stay safe, but we also felt our sense of loss growing as the weeks went by. In the middle of April, as the dates for what would have been our percussion ensemble concert and the Percussion Festival approached, I felt the need to do something. So I contacted my students and asked if they would be interested in one last performance together. Their enthusiastic response inspired Together Again.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Everyone sent me a list of instruments they had access to at home. Some had marimbas of their own, while others had marimbas (mostly without resonators) on loan from the school. There were some drum sets, tambourines, egg shakers, and even a toy glockenspiel. Some students only had practice pads. After finding out what was available, I started writing a short piece that would bring us all together again.


Each student received their part via email along with an audio track with a click (at 112 bpm). They recorded their parts using phones or computers while listening to the track in their headphones. The videos were then edited together to create one final performance by the Spring 2020 UCA Percussion Ensemble.

ABOUT THE PIECE
Together Again is built on the theme of UCA BEARS (Ut, C, A, B, E A, Re, Sol). Flowing around this theme are small parts of basic warm-ups (scales and sticking patterns) we do every day in the practice rooms, along with a motive that turns up in many of my pieces representing friendship, love, and kindness.

We often feel alone in the practice room as we warm up and work on technical and musical challenges. But if you are a student at a school like UCA, you aren't truly alone. You are actually surrounded by others, "alone" in their rooms, doing the same thing. More sounds drift in from the rehearsal room next door, and from the studios across the hall. I think we can all admit that someone working on their xylophone scales next door has driven us absolutely crazy as we worked on our soft marimba rolls. But right now, I think we would all give almost anything to have someone next door driving us crazy.

SEE YOU SOON
Together Again is a celebratory piece. It celebrates the friendships music creates and the hope that we will all be together again, in the same room, as soon as possible. Thanks to my students for making this happen. They are awesome, and seeing us all playing together (from over 20 separate rooms) makes me very happy. I hope you enjoy it too and that you'll be able to join us for another performance soon.