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My submission for the Portland Percussion Group's 2016 call for scores. Written for four players on two 5.0 octave marimbas, "Nucleation and Growth" is inspired by the transformation of metals from liquid to solid on the microscopic level. It's a combination of my two passions, and I had a lot of fun writing it!

Marimba Quartet: Nucleation and Growth

"...exhale//inhale..." is my final project for the Composition with Computers course I took this past semester. It is written for MIDI controller (preferably an electronic drumset) and tape. All of the sounds and MIDI patches were synthesized or otherwise generated from scratch, using a combination of granular synthesis and Musique Concrete techniques.

The piece is divided into three parts. The intro, or "...exhale", consists only of the tape part. It is slow and ethereal, and is meant to be slightly disorienting. The background is constantly morphing, with different textures and musical ideas either suddenly interjecting or fading in and out. 

The second part, "//", begins as soon as the performer enters with the MIDI controller around the 1:21 mark. This section has a clearly defined pulse, outlined by a 5/8 ostinato that is referenced throughout the section. The MIDI patch I made for this section consists mainly of short, pitched sound clips from the intro, modified slightly to give them a more percussive character. The performer plays along with the tape, adding the additional challenge of listening to the background track to blend dynamically and stay in time. 

The section eventually builds to a chaotic and dissonant climax, distorting the listener's sense of time and structure. The original ostinato returns shortly, and with one last energetic flourish of notes from the performer, transitions into the final section, "inhale", which is simply the "exhale" section played in reverse. 

There isn't really a concrete meaning to this piece. It's meant to be cyclical, ending the same way it began, which is where the inspiration for the title came from. In times of stress (like when you have three finals to study for and you're cramming to finish your final piece), we're often so worried about all of the tasks we need to complete that we forget to take time to relax and breathe. I see this piece, especially the performance section "//", as an encapsulation of that feeling of overwhelming helplessness that occurs when we forget to step back, breathe, and reset. 

This piece was very challenging to write, as I had to use a number of new digital production techniques. After telling my professor I wanted to write for electronic drum set, he recommended that I avoid using actual drum sounds, which was another challenge while composing this piece. In the end, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, and I hope you all enjoy it as well!

Eli Mills