Preconception

This piece “relates to the preconceived ideas people have about life’s biggest milestones.” The composer writes, “While composing this piece, I reflected on the excitement of transitioning to college, planning a wedding, buying a house, and starting a family, but I also contemplated the numerous other emotions that come with these events — impatience, nervousness, trepidation, or fear.”

The work captures the feeling of mixed emotions perfectly, shifting with ease from calm and serene to dissonant. “Preconception” is contemporary but never to the point of becoming inaccessible to listeners. The composer makes excellent use of rhythmic motifs to create a “forward learning” texture and makes use of well-thought-out grooves without being predictable.

Four mallets are used from beginning to end, so a good technical foundation is necessary to perform this piece. From a technical standpoint, it is reminiscent of Sammut or Smadbeck but remains wholly its own. I recommend “Preconception” to any intermediate player looking for a technical challenge that allows for a lot of expression.

—Joe Millea
Percussive Notes
Vol. 60, No. 4, August 2022