Program Note RECONNECTING is a programmatic composition that tells the story of participants in a unique rehabilitation program for juvenile and adult offenders with mental illness or substance abuse issues. The Treatment Court of Delaware County (Ohio) is designed to help participants gain control over their illness or addiction, to take responsibility for both their offense and their personal development, and to reconnect as healthier individuals to their families and community. The Central Ohio Symphony administers a groundbreaking therapeutic drum circle program within the Treatment Court. I traveled several times to Delaware, Ohio to conduct research for the composition. I attended juvenile and adult court hearings and met with the program's support team comprised of the Magistrate, Parole Officer, Therapist, and Treatment Services Department Head. This allowed me to gain valuable knowledge of the program and see first hand the efforts taking place to help rehabilitate the offenders. I also attended a drum circle session and was able to speak directly with the participants about their experiences in the program, as well as witness the type of drumming techniques they were learning. From these discussions and observations I created the structure for RECONNECTING which is built on the progression of the participants though the court program: their initial Offense, three rehabilitation phases, Graduation, and the Future. The three rehabilitation phases possess common symbolic elements that create cohesion within the piece. The “Call and Response” sections represent the progress of the participants through the program and their relationship with the court and wider community. In phase one there is a “Call” from the orchestra but no response from the drummers. In phase two the orchestra’s “Call” is met with a mutual “Response.” In phase three the “Call” is initiated by the drummers and the “Response” is from the orchestra. The support team theme likewise becomes more positive and nurturing with every iteration. A gavel strike, in the percussion section, represents the frequency of the court hearings in each stage of the program, and is heard less regularly as the participants are granted more independence. Each phase also contains a “Story” which is directly inspired from my observations while conducting research for the composition. In addition to “Call and Response,” other drumming techniques common to drum circle sessions that appear in the score include “Heartbeat,” “Shaker Pass,” and “Speaking” of names. The “Heartbeat” goes through several emotional transformations throughout the piece ranging from terrified to proud. The “Shaker Pass” is used in the Promotion sections to symbolize the passage of time. During the Graduation portion of the piece, the drummers announce themselves individually by improvising a musical interpretation of “Speaking” their names with the drums. This gives them an opportunity to express how they would like to be perceived on graduation day.
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Ben Goldberg
Drum Circle Note The Drum Circle parts were conceived for amateur or professional musicians. The piece may be performed with one or two Drum Circle Facilitators. If using two Facilitators, they should be divided between Drum Circles 1 and 2, and lead their respective group. The drummers move around the concert hall throughout the piece. They begin outside the rear doors of the hall (measure 30). Drum Circle 1 is located behind the closed doors that open to the right aisle of the hall. Drum Circle 2 is located behind the closed doors that open to the left aisle of the hall. The concert hall doors are opened and the drummers begin walking down the aisles toward the stage (measure 36). They proceed onto the stage and take their seats (measure 77). The chairs for each Drum Circle should be arranged in a circle (some drummers will have their backs to the audience) and located at the far edges of stage left and right. A separate set of chairs should be set up in two adjoining semi-circles around the conductor at center stage, so each drummer's profile is visible to the audience. Where the semi-circles meet, there will be drummers facing one another. The two Drum Circles walk to the center stage chairs (measure 287), and are seated to become a unified group (measure 299).
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Center stage seating Drum Circle 2
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Drum Circle 1
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