Electronic tap dance.
Music created using electronic “tapping” sounds. Each tap uses the same timbres, in different registers, creating an ensemble of tap-like instruments. The synthesizer instruments were set so that none of the amplitude envelopes have a sustain portion, similar to the sound made by walking or running, or a hammered string, or a soft mallet striking a hard surface.
Although the music is electronic, it is not the standard “pop” electronic music genre. The style is eclectic, a blend of classical form and melody combined with minimalist backgrounds, all performed on a software synthesizer (BasicSynth) designed and programmed by the composer.
Tap 1 – Bah Roke
A “baroque” motif, but broken into pieces. The opening rhythm motif echoes the opening of Bach’s D Minor concerto, two sixteenth notes followed by an eighth note. Beyond that short rhythm, this is nothing like a baroque concerto. It is (mostly) contrapuntal, but utilizes a minimalist idea of slow development of texture over time. There are no “themes” or “melodies” and no contrasting sections. It is broken, relying on the slow buildup and release of texture to create a sense of movement.
Tap 2 – Sparkling Sweeper
It sparkles. It sweeps back and forth, up and down. Inspired by watching the winter Olympics curling competition, the constant back-and-forth reminds me of the athletes sweeping to alter the direction of the stone as it glides across the sparkling ice. The intermittent chords break the motion as the stone collides into other player’s stones.
Tap 3 – Son of a Clave
The “son clave,” an Afro-Cuban rhythm that is the basis of much Cuban and salsa music, played with varying accents. To a purist, this would likely be considered “cultural appropriation” of the worst kind. The son clave rhythm is typically used as a background, steady rhythm that then has a melody played, or improvised, over it. Here, the son clave rhythm is given a primary role, first heard as the 2-3 pattern in eighth notes, then combined with the 3-2 pattern in quarter notes. After this opening, a melody is imposed over the combined patterns, then repeated using an additional voice to create a thicker texture. In the ‘B’ section, the clave rhythm is transformed into an accented ostinato over a thematic development accompanied by the elongation of the son clave rhythm.
Tap 4 – Pulsator
Using a fast repetition (a pulse) creates something like a sustained sound. The sound made by a tap dancer was the inspiration for Tappit. This means the composition cannot include any sounds that last for more than a short time. But by using a fast pulsating motif, the piece can seem to have longer sounds that swell from soft to loud, much like a wind instrument.
Tap 5 – Bounce Again
An echo unit produces a complex layering of sound that seems to “bounce” around. A “rondo” of sorts, but the pattern is short, only a few notes long, with a switching between motifs that proceeds by layering texture.
Tap 6 – Carousel
Like a carousel, going ‘round and ‘round, the longer you watch the more things you notice. Starting off fragmented, slowly building in texture and gathering speed, until a melody springs forth.
Tap 7 – Run Away
It’s no use to try avoiding things that repeat. Constant, repetitious runs combined with a slow accumulation of steps become the initial impulse of the tapping. But not just repetition, an elongation as well, and a fragmentation that sounds in call-and-response antiphony to a subsequent four-part counterpoint figure.
Tappit is available for download from various streaming services.
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0B75JY64Y
BasicSynth 