Program Notes This work was commissioned and premiered in 2015 by Tommy Dobbs, Professor of Percussion at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith as part of a collection of new works performed by Dobbs while completing doctoral studies at Florida State University. Per his explicit requests, Amalgamation features stylistic elements of famed French percussionist Jacques Delécluse (known for his intricate ornamentation) and the popular New York percussionist Joseph Tompkins (known for his complex, asymmetric rhythms). I also wanted to incorporate a third style of which I am very fond and which I don’t believe is used as much within the classical concert hall as it can—American colonial-style rudimental drumming. The first use of the kick drum pays homage to Tompkins and his snare/kick drum solo March. The addition of the hi-hat (especially when coupled with the kick) evokes the image of a typical march instrumentation— snare, bass, and cymbals—while adding a layer of technical independence for the performer. The three sections of this through-composed work (which seamlessly transition between three tempi through the use of metric modulations) utilize 4:3 polyrhythmic relationships and quintuplets as compositional devices and important structural points in various ways.
–Luis Rivera