Sheet music available from Tapspace at https://www.tapspace.com.

Tapspace Concert Literature

Standard Candles (John Herndon)

"Cloudburst" is a percussion ensemble with flexible instrumentation that is playable with as few as 4 players or as many as 12. It portrays images of soaring over skylines with dazzling sunlight and flurries of clouds spread out across the bright blue sky.

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Cloudburst (Perc Ens 4-12) - Robert Clayson

Bluecoats 2022 'Riffs and Revelations'

(O)r(B)it (Korry Friend)

Plane of Existence was composed by Carson Chlup

Plane of Existence is a representation of the space between life and death, taking you where your soul goes after you pass and what the journey is before you arrive at your destination. This piece is intended to give off an ethereal feeling, taking the listener beyond the different ‘Planes of Existence’ to hopefully experience what it would be like to travel to a realm beyond our comprehension.
Starting with the initial transition of the soul after death, slow and somber, then giving a glimmer of light in the dark æther leading us to an unstable yet exhilarating section. Next, is a river-like plane, flowing into what feels like a waterfall of realities. Following this leap of faith, the listener is taken to a massive amalgamation of all the previous Planes of Existence. Finally, concluding with where your soul is meant to go. The piece intentionally ends inconclusively, and is to be open to interpretation based on the listener's beliefs.


Plane of Existence was written for the Stephen F. Austin State University Percussion Studio’s 2022-2023 Freshmen Class. 
-Carson Chlup

Written from Nov 21st, 2022, to March 23rd, 2023.

For business enquiries, you can reach me here,
Carsonchlup1@gmail.com

Written with Sibelius Ultimate.
Using sounds from Tapspace Virtual Drumline 2.5.

Plane of Existence - Carson Chlup - Percussion Ensemble

Shattered Hearts was composed by Carson Chlup

Shattered Hearts is the embodiment of broken relationships, Whether it be romantic, family, or friendships, Shattered Hearts takes us through the stages of love, heartbreak, and the attempt of moving on.

It starts out in a quick and radical manner, representing the sparks that light up when your heart feels something towards someone. We then go through a very slow, open section with a very limited amount of instruments and melodic lines happening, representing the vulnerability we put ourselves through for love, then entering a corral witch expands upon that prior sparse section with an overload of feelings, those same feelings being overwhelmed using the depth of instrumentation for a euphoric moment.

We then get into the energetic part of the piece, this phase of the piece is designed to move fast, phrases being short as to represent how fast time flies when you’re in love. These joyfully heartfelt sections don’t last though, we then get a hint of concern, feeling something that we don’t want to feel, the feeling that something has changed. We constantly try to fight for it, working to preserve what we have built, but we are met with this giant climax followed by immediate darkness, this sudden shift is meant to represent your heart sinking, representing the start of heartbreak.

The next chunk of the piece is slow, painful, exposed, and is meant to be uncomfortable. This is meant to represent the lowest a human can feel, the worst feelings imaginable. This part is supposed to hurt, and it’s okay to let it. This section shows how hard it can be to just exist, We slowly build on instrumentation, but it just never feels quite right, never as good as it once was, there’s something missing. The section ends with a very exposed vibraphone solo, representing that even after trying to push through it, that hole in your heart will always be there, and the damage has already been done.

This next section is meant to feel like you’re in some state of limbo. You should be past the grieving stage, but for some reason you’re still hurting. This chunk takes us through familiar melodic lines from both sections of the piece, trying to bridge the gap between happiness and sadness, we speed up in tempo going through various states of mind, mimicking how the mind can be in so many places at once.

We then get to the last chunk of the piece, starting with a reprise of the beginning in a different key, symbolizing the similarities and differences between people you chose to love. We then get into a more hopeful tone, intentionally shifting the tonal center to represent the first step taken in moving on. We explore new feelings, and revisit familiar ones. At the climax of the piece, we build into this massive open power chord, representing the differences from the other climax, unlike last time, this climax doesn’t end in darkness, It ends in melancholy; sad without having a reason to be sad. 

The end of this piece is a slow fade out, it's emotional for reasons you wouldn’t expect in a story like this, but that’s the point, everyone's story is different. Purposefully ending with the melody from the beginning in a different key, symbolizing that even when they’re gone, there’s still a part of them with you. The ending is meant to be open to interpretation, take it how you will and make your own conclusions, it purposely doesn’t end on a perfect resolved tonic note, but an octaveated 3rd to symbolize that life is open ended, we will never truly have a finished story, and that’s okay.

This piece is meant to make the listener and player feel something, encouraging them to make this story their own. Everyone's story is different when it comes to love, and the goal of this piece is to allow all facets of it. Like aforementioned, this story can be about anything, whether it is romantic, family, or friendships, you get to decide what “Shattered Hearts” means to you.

Shattered Hearts

Shattered Hearts - Carson Chlup - Percussion Ensemble

Plane Of Existence (Carson Chlup)

Negative Space was composed by Carson Chlup

Negative Space in art design is defined as “The empty space around and between the subject of an image”. When writing this piece, I tried to use this concept in as many ways as possible. To name a few examples, The setup is made almost completely symmetrical and mirrored, The performers are constantly moving around the set up and sharing instruments, Compositionally I use a lot of different techniques to create a variety of contrasting sections; such as frequent change of the Tonal Center, Modes, Mix Meter Sections, Metric Modulations, Manipulation of Space and Time, Polyrhythms, Splits between parts to pan to opposite sides of the setup, Timbre Changes, and many more effects and techniques that you may be able to pick up on.

My ultimate goal in writing Negative Space was to create something that is both fun and enjoyable for the Performers and Listeners, As well as expanding my abilities as a Composer. The constant use of Modal changes, Fast runs, Energetic sections, and so many more musical techniques helps in turning the exhilarating soundscape of Negative Space into what it is.

Negative Space was written for the Stephen F. Austin State University Percussion Ensemble. - Carson Chlup

Written from November 6th, 2024, to April 12th, 2025.

Socials:
Performance Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_2DT-5ironSYXjX5YhbeA
Score Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@CarsonChlupScoreArchives
Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/carsonchlup
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080792447792
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/carson_chlup/

Official Audio on Score Channel
https://youtu.be/3e9pZxRX8TQ
Official Video on Performance Channel
*Upload Date TBD*


For business enquiries, you can reach me here,
Carsonchlup1@gmail.com

Written with Sibelius Ultimate.
Using sounds from Tapspace Virtual Drumline 2.5.

Negative Space - Carson Chlup - Percussion Ensemble (Score + Audio)

Beyond the Clouds (Jim Casella)

Cyclone is an ambitious piece by Jim Casella, was written to feature a quartet of marimba players who play on two marimbas that face each other. The parts are all playable with two mallets, and players are frequently called on to reach across to the marimba opposite them. Also, marimbists embark on a literal "cyclone" around the instruments, swapping physical positions with one another and running around the instruments towards the inevitable swirling climax.

Inspired by true accounts of a friend's recent expedition of Mt. Everest, this quartet is accompanied by seven multipercussionists and piano. It depicts both determination and danger, with an implied circular motion by way of quick, repetitive, six-note figures. Complete with echo effects of grandeur and spaciousness, Cyclone is an energetic, cinematic work that becomes relentless and violent. The faint of heart need not apply!

Sheet music available at http://www.tapspace.com


Cyclone (Jim Casella)

This is my second completed marching show, This was my second chance at writing something big and I focused on writing harder stuff for the Woodwinds And Brass this time! I call this show Dark Wind!

Movement One
This piece uses excerpts from The Wrong Side of the Tracks & Shock and Awe. I chose these two pieces for the first movement because I originally was just writing a percussion ensemble, and then I realized how well brass could fit into it! So I did some re writing and soon enough I had a basic rough draft for the first movement of a new show.
Original Pieces 
Cavaliers 2019 CD audio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T2W9LRITQA
Shock and Awe (Jamieson Carr)
https://soundcloud.com/tapspacepublications/shock-and-awe-jamieson-carr#t=0:00

Movement Two
This Piece uses excerpts from Go Ahead & Hearts of Courage. I decided to use these pieces because at the time of writing this I really loved the piece "Go Ahead" by Alan Silvestri, and I really wanted to expand my writing abilities beyond Percussion. So I made sure to focus on the Brass and Woodwinds a lot more on this one. I wrote the rough draft for this peace in about 17 hours and eventually I ended up accidently writing the same melody from "Hearts of Courage".
Original Pieces
Alan Silvestri - Go Ahead (From "Avengers: Endgame"/Audio Only)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4ZqjZ160Hg
Two Steps from Hell - Heart of Courage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRLdhFVzqt4

Movement Three
This piece uses excerpts from Metamorph & Crystal. When writing this I knew I needed something that would sell the whole show, and I knew exactly what piece I was going to use, I was planning on using a version of the opener from The Blue Devils 2017 show Metamorph. But I ended up using a part of their closer that was based on the piece "Crystal" by Simon Dobson. 
Fun Fact! - I sent this to one of my good friends Carson Alsabrook to do a second draft over the battery parts so I could focus on the Wind, Brass, and Front Ensemble parts and he did a fantastic job! Although I did change a few things, most of the revisions he did made it to the final score!
Thanks Again!
Original Pieces
Blue Devils 2017 -METAMORPH - Marimba Head Cam - Masato Kobayashi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM18LYkBxNU
2017 Blue Devil Encore Performance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOMjdUhkH5E
'Crystal' - Simon Dobson (Euneirophrenia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF8c-CR0eew

Movement One: (0:00)
Movement Two: (2:13)
Movement Three: (5:14)

Dark Wind By Carson Chlup
Part 3 Battery Co-composed By Carson Alsabrook

Dark Wind - FULL SHOW

Music Education Major and Music Composition Minor at Stephen F Austin State University.

Dark Wind - FULL SHOW

Carson Chlup - Score Archive

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