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Hivemind by Adam Bruce is a two-movement quartet based on the idea that each player must have a perfectly matched sense of time, touch, and rhythmic interpretation, much like a marching bass drum line. The title is derived from the idea that players will need to share a collective consciousness, similar to how bees and ants share a “hivemind.”
The first movement, “Drone” plays on a rhythmic theme that is shared, displaced, and manipulated from player to player. The second movement, “Frenzy” is a fast-paced display of virtuosic timing. It also relies on the different tones that clicking sticks together can create based on the amount of pressure in one’s grip.
While Hivemind is not for the faint of heart, when performed well, it’s sure to leave audiences mesmerized and engaged!
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• Concert bass drum (or 2 concert BDs, OR 2 or 4 kick drums, depending on setup choice)
• 2 bongos
• 2 congas
• 2 concert toms
• propane tank
• opera gong
• 2 sets of hi-hats
• 2 Zil-Bels (or bell plates or metal pipes)
Adam Bruce’s two-movement work “Hivemind” is based on the idea of a shared collective consciousness among its four players, calling for perfectly matched interpretations à la marching bass drum sections. The first movement, “Drone,” consists of a developing rhythmic theme and requires absolute rhythmic precision among the performers. The second movement, “Frenzy,” is a virtuosic study in counting/timing. This movement also explores the timbres and pitches one can achieve through striking sticks together at different spots and with varying amounts of grip pressure (perhaps influenced by Warren Benson’s “Three Dances” for solo snare drum).
Bruce provides several options for sharing bass drums (or not) and suggests bell plates or metal pipes as possible substitutions should Zil-Bels not be available.
The marching-band influence of this work is clearly evident, with its rhythmically groovy, choppy passages and split/interlocking rhythms (particularly in the second movement). I recommend this for high school and undergraduate percussion ensembles looking for a fun, crowd-pleasing, and visually engaging work.
—Joseph Van Hassel
Percussive Notes
Vol. 59, No. 5, October 2021
Hivemind by Adam Bruce is a two-movement quartet based on the idea that each player must have a perfectly matched sense of time, touch, and rhythmic interpretation, much like a marching bass drum line. The title is derived from the idea that players will need to share a collective consciousness, similar to how bees and ants share a “hivemind.”
The first movement, “Drone” plays on a rhythmic theme that is shared, displaced, and manipulated from player to player. The second movement, “Frenzy” is a fast-paced display of virtuosic timing. It also relies on the different tones that clicking sticks together can create based on the amount of pressure in one’s grip.
While Hivemind is not for the faint of heart, when performed well, it’s sure to leave audiences mesmerized and engaged!
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• Concert bass drum (or 2 concert BDs, OR 2 or 4 kick drums, depending on setup choice)
• 2 bongos
• 2 congas
• 2 concert toms
• propane tank
• opera gong
• 2 sets of hi-hats
• 2 Zil-Bels (or bell plates or metal pipes)
Adam Bruce’s two-movement work “Hivemind” is based on the idea of a shared collective consciousness among its four players, calling for perfectly matched interpretations à la marching bass drum sections. The first movement, “Drone,” consists of a developing rhythmic theme and requires absolute rhythmic precision among the performers. The second movement, “Frenzy,” is a virtuosic study in counting/timing. This movement also explores the timbres and pitches one can achieve through striking sticks together at different spots and with varying amounts of grip pressure (perhaps influenced by Warren Benson’s “Three Dances” for solo snare drum).
Bruce provides several options for sharing bass drums (or not) and suggests bell plates or metal pipes as possible substitutions should Zil-Bels not be available.
The marching-band influence of this work is clearly evident, with its rhythmically groovy, choppy passages and split/interlocking rhythms (particularly in the second movement). I recommend this for high school and undergraduate percussion ensembles looking for a fun, crowd-pleasing, and visually engaging work.
—Joseph Van Hassel
Percussive Notes
Vol. 59, No. 5, October 2021
