Understanding phasing and synchronization in Steve Reich’s Drumming

Abstract

Steve Reich’s landmark composition Drumming (1971) calls for gradual phasing or desynchronization of parts which then resynchronizing at various offsets.  This request to drift apart presents an interesting challenge to performers who have spent a lifetime focusing on playing together.  It also raises interesting questions about how this non-traditional request is realized in actual performances.  Russell Hartenberger premiered Reich’s Drumming in 1971, and has since given nearly 1000 performances of this piece in venues around the world.  After decades of performance and coaching experience with this piece, he grew increasingly curious as to what “really happens” when phasing.  To explore this issue, we recorded him playing excerpts of Drumming with his longtime NEXUS colleague Bob Becker. Specialized triggers created by Ray Dillard allowed us to capture the rhythmic complexity of this task as played by two of its most experienced interpreters.

Analysis of their performance indicates that the separation and re-alignment of the voices was neither smooth nor monotonic.  At least one fifth of the cycle repetitions in the nominally “accelerating”voice actually slowed down.  Consequently, the musicians displayed a surprising pattern of push and pull, despite feeling as if they are functioning independently.  The complexity of these interactions is best understood through dynamic visualizations of the timing information, which will be shown in this talk.  A preview of these findings as well as an introductory video is now publicly available at www.maplelab.net/reich

Biography

Michael Schutz is University Scholar and Professor of Music Cognition/Percussion at McMaster University, where he directs the MAPLE Lab researching Music, Acoustics, Perception & Learning (www.maplelab.net).  His musical research builds on his experience as a professional musician, which includes solo recitals, freelancing, directing the McMaster Percussion Ensemble and co-founding the Canadian Percussion Network (CPN) with McGill Professor of Percussion Fabrice Marandola.  This approach of combining musical research and performance has attracted over $2 million from agencies such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the American Academy of Audiology.