Eric Zalenski - Senior Recital
This Senior Recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the B.M. in Music Education.
Three Camps
Downfall of Paris
Connecticut Halftime
These solos represent the style and spirit of snare drumming that flourished in the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries. Traditionally, these solos can be seen performed by Fife and Drum Corps. The Corps will use rope tension snare drums and bass drum and six holed fifes. These ensembles would march with the British, French, and United States Militaries as they marched to war during the Revolutionary, French and Indian, and US Civil Wars.
Keith Born, Xylophone and Bass Drum
This piece was commissioned by and composed for marimbist Robert VanSice. It is structured in four main sections. Each section is based to a degree on the material contained in the very first measure. Sometimes material is derived through a variety of structural manipulations, and other times through a more loosely organized process of transformation. The piece seemed to have an organic or earthy quality, and therefore the use of the word sedimental in the title.
Notes by Gordon Stout
Recitative
Perpetual Motion
Elegia
Finale
This piece is a standard in solo timpani literature. Two movements can be found on the Ohio Music Education Association High School Solo and Ensemble list.
The Recitative is exactly what the title suggests. Recitative is a style of delivery in which, in vocal music, the singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech. There are no bar lines and no time signature. This allows for a lot of interpretation freedom for the performer. Perpetual Motion, again, has no mystery in the title. There is no time signature and no bar lines, however, they rhythmic figures (which are steady eighth notes for the most part) are grouped according to melodic and motivic ideas. Elegia incorporates the use of four mallets and is very slow. Finale is marked “as fast as possible; with barbaric ferocity”. There are some mixed meters and interesting use of motivic development.
Mirror From Another is a collection of six vibraphone etudes, each exploring a different aspect of phrasing and sound production. Originally a duo piece from the “Double Image” album, “In Lands I Never Saw,” Midnight Star is a ballad with an eighth note feel. Each piece in this collection ends with a “vamp” or repeated figure which fades out. It is suggested when playing multiple pieces to segue or connect one piece to another.
This piece was written when I was a professor at the Centro de Enseñanza de Seperacion atistica in Havana. I had two fourth year students and wanted to compose a piece for their graduation recital. Since that time, I have developed the piece to its current form which is close to our African roots. There is also the influence of Cuban popular music.
Notes by Roberto Vizcaino
Keith Born
Eric is a Senior Music Education Major at Youngstown State University. He is from Bloomingdale, Ohio where he graduated from Indian Creek High School. There he was a member of the Marching Band, Concert Band, and Jazz Band.
At Youngstown State, his teachers include Glenn Schaft, Rob Ferguson, Josh Ryan, Nathan Douds and Elizabeth DeLamater. Eric is currently in Percussion Ensemble and Concert Band. He has played in the University Symphonic Band, the Marching Pride, the Dana Chamber Orchestra, the Wind Ensemble and the pit orchestra for the opera Amelia Goes To The Ball. Eric is also an active member of the Youngstown Percussion Collective serving as the treasurer. Outside of the University, Eric has served as the percussion coordinator for East Palestine High School, Shadyside High School, and Indian Creek High School.