Shock of the New: 18 world premieres transforming the percussion ensemble through novel repertoire and new performance practices
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Research Statement
Research Background
Percussion performance is a new and rapidly expanding field of research, and has moved beyond the initial repertoire of sound-alone creative works into the realms of percussion theatre, multimedia and philosophy. Drawing stimulus from the innovations of the ‘So Percussion’ and ‘Third Coast’ ensembles, White’s research explored notions of gesture, movement, theatricality and the natural environment in percussion performance within the context of composer collaborations.
Research Contribution
White commissioned, curated and directed a total of 18 new works of knowledge, contributing additional value to the research content via composition, musical collaboration and conducting of performances. Explicitly, ‘Defying Gravity Under the Stars’ amplified the use of purposeful lighting, space and movement far more than a conventional percussion concert. ‘Stereo Action’ emphasised the intersection of music with gesture, theatre, vocalization and multimedia. ‘Super Nova’ further challenged preconceived notions of ‘percussion’ by collaborating with artists using text, poetry, electronica, concepts of tragedy, and recorded sounds from WA’s natural environment.
Research Significance
White presented 11 substantial public performances of these new works, including 5 world premieres at the Perth Concert Hall. He established a unique expressive language that is cross-genre and multi-arts, and contributed 18 new works to the nascent repertoire for percussion ensemble. The research attracted national leaders in the field for collaboration, was competitively chosen for public performance by the Fremantle Arts Centre, and was integral to White’s achievement of a 2022 Fulbright Scholar Award. All performances were sold out, and the live audience reach is quantifiable at 3,670 people. The research trajectory continues, as White undertakes Fulbright research at UCSD, and FAC's ‘OffBEAT’ series engaged White for an extension of the concepts in performances in 2022.
Non-Traditional Research Output
Live Performance
Document Type
Non-Traditional Research Output
Date of Publication
2021
Location of the Work
Perth
Publisher
Tim White
School
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
RAS ID
39854
Event Title
Stereo Action / Super Nova / Defying Gravity Under The Stars / Celebrate! / I Ching
Event Dates
March 2/19; May 11.14-15; July 30; September 28/30; October 1-2, 2021
Event Venue
Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth Concert Hall, WA Academy of Performing Arts
Additional Information
11 public performances including 18 world premieres; total performance duration and total live audience of 3,700 people
Duration
19 h
Comments
White, T. (2021). Shock of the New: 18 world premieres transforming the percussion ensemble through novel repertoire and new performance practices [Musical Performance]. Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth Concert Hall, WA Academy of Performing Arts.