“Murmurations” is inspired by the flocking patterns of Starlings. The snare and bass drum rhythms, along with the dynamic shaping throughout the piece, are offset by a very small amount of time and pitch. This is accentuated by the three different types of snare drums creating the opportunity to mimic each other while moving together - a murmuration. The harmonic language of the pianos offer both tight pitch clusters and widely-spread harmonic voicings presenting a tonal picture and backdrop for this natural phenomenon. Starlings use murmurations to both stay warm and to confuse predators. These uses are depicted throughout the piece primarily by changes of tempo and density of rhythm.

During the video in the middle of the piece, the percussionists are freely interpreting what each one observes on the portion of the screen aligned with their individual position on the stage. This provides the performers with their own flocking experience of improvisation and motion within the context of a group. This piece shares the same inspiration as “Vespertine Formations” by Christpher Deane. Rather than using the marimba sound, I chose textures and sounds offered by both snare and bass drums.

Available for purchase here. Published by Tapspace Publications.

“Taking influence from the flying patterns of starling birds, Adam Bruce’s newest percussion trio plays right into the ebbing and flowing nature of these flocking displays. “Murmurations” features three snare drummers, each with a bass drum, along with the option to add two written piano parts. These parts can also be added as an electronic backing track, allowing for multiple options for performance. In addition, Bruce includes an optional video track to be played during an improvised interlude.

Sharing inspiration from Christopher Deane’s iconic “Vespertine Formations”, Bruce utilizes several similar techniques to help produce shifting sonorities across the drums. Rather than using marimbas, Bruce arranged the work for three sizes of drums: piccolo, snare, and field. Each player also uses a bass drum, but this could be done with one or three bass drums. By delaying entrances and incorporating quicker rhythms and subdivisions, “Murmurations” effectively creates imagery reminiscent of starlings flowing through the sky.

All three percussion parts are uniformly challenging. In the opening, each player rhythmically shifts between triplet diddles, sixteenth notes, and quintuplets. This pattern serves as a main theme to be recalled later. The middle section features an improvised brush passage to emulate the bird patterns that can be visually included in the performance. The final major section incorporates sextuplet patterns that split between the three players `a la bass drum threes.

The piano parts are a little sparser, with occasional patterns that help drive the music forward. Light, lyrical lines float above the rhythmic textures along with punching bass lines that come together to help bring melodic life and character to the piece.

With a performance time of around 6 1/2 minutes, “Murmurations” would be a good addition for an advanced high school or university ensemble, providing a respite away from the traditional flash and flair of percussion works, while also delivering an enjoyable performance with nuance and contours.”