Rooted

In his program notes for “Rooted,” composer Brian Blume speaks about a number of events in his personal life that led to the creation of this piece, and acknowledges the influence of works by Bob Becker, Arvo Pa?rt, and others. Becker’s monumental work “Mudra” is the most obvious influence; as with “Mudra,” hurtling rudimental snare drum passages make up the vast majority of the soloist’s material in “Rooted,” although here the muted un-snared drum is joined by the more conventional snare drum. Although listed by the publisher as “solo percussion with audio accompaniment,” “Rooted” is unmistakably a rudimental snare drum solo with electronics, with just a faint drizzle of glockenspiel performed in 13 of its 176 measures (similar to the “Mudra” soloist’s occasional sprinkle of crotales)

However, the similarities between “Rooted” and “Mudra” only extend to their outer accouterments; whereas the charm of “Mudra” is its fusion of traditional rudimental drumming with Indian raga and tabla elements, “Rooted” wholeheartedly embraces the world of the modernized drumline by incorporating sophisticated tuplet rhythms, modern hybrid rudiments (including some tenor-esque crossovers between the two drums), and a heavily-synthesized electronic backing track that is much closer to the Stranger Things soundtrack than to Ravi Shankar.

My impression is that “Rooted” is clearly intended for performers and audiences who resonate with the modern American drumline activity, and there are moments during this challenging eight-minute solo when the music seems to be cut from the same cloth as the DCI percussion features currently being performed across the country.

Performers should make use of one or both of the click track options provided with the score in order to mesh the complex rhythmic language with an accompaniment that is more often viscous than truly solid. For technically accomplished snare drummers looking for a new challenge that incorporates modern rudimental writing in a concert piece, “Rooted” would be an excellent choice.

—Brian Graiser
Percussive Notes
Vol. 61, No. 4, August 2023