
Drum Lessons in Nottingham
Compositions
Specialist snare drum and percussion compositions for the modern art form.

Commissions
Commissions are offered for snare drum pieces and associated works. Pieces can range from simple studies and etudes to full compositions, solo or accompanied.
Copying and engraving of the final score are offered as part of the commission agreement, and are not charged as an extra service unless very specific details are required, in which case this can be negotiated.
Typically, the composer retains the rights to their work, and the commission is negotiated with regards to a particular purpose, such as a performance. However, depending on the intended function of the new piece, such things as exclusivity, publication, and recording rights can be negotiated and agreed as required.
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Pieces can be written for a specific purpose, around a particular concept or motif, or for various educational purposes. Specific instrumentation can be included, though in some cases, an external specialist will be brought in to ensure the quality of those instruments. This will be agreed and negotiated ahead of time.
If you would like to discuss the prospect of a commission, please get in touch to discuss your project in person.
Sample Works
Dekatria
Dekatria is a 169-bar snare drum piece in thirteen sections. It was composed as part of an Arts Council England funded commission, and explores the relationship between numbers and rhythmic composition.
Taking the number 13 as a starting point, two groups of accent phrases were derived pertaining to permutations of 16th notes from a string of 13 8th notes. These permutations run throughout the whole piece, and from the backbone of the accent structure. This structure is then decorated with various vocabularic and thematic ideas.
The piece is long and difficult, representing a challenge in concentration and technical control for the most advanced drummers. A full explanation of this piece's structure can be read in the paper Snare Drum Composition: Traditions, Concepts, and Approaches.
Dekatria appears in Snare Drum Compositions: Volume 1.
