What I Know

for Solo Percussionist and Scripted Looping

Download the Sheet Music (free)

What I Know (2023) is both a composition and a software. The software – along with some contact-microphones and other audio equipment – enables a performer to play the composition, and turn an ordinary piece of wood into a percussive magic trick.

Through the use of a technique I call "scripted looping", specific passages of the performer’s playing are automatically recorded, and then played back at just the right time. In other words: It's like a “looper pedal” that's controlled by digital sheet music.

Audio effects are also applied in real time; for example, in certain moments of the piece, the pitch of the audio might be raised or lowered, distorted, or delayed – and when performed successfully, it will create the illusion that the performer is making these sounds with just their hands and the table.

Information for anyone interested in performing this piece:

What I Know is both a piece of music and a software. To perform the piece live, you will need to download the software (which you can purchase here on my website). Before buying, I highly recommend that you download the sheet music, which also contains the setup instructions and a list of all the required equipment.

To be blunt: This piece is not easy to pull off. Regardless of your playing ability, the technical setup alone will be a challenge. Additionally, if you don’t already own any of the necessary equipment, it might be pretty expensive…

I promise I’m not trying to scare you off – I just want to help you set realistic expectations before you buy the piece.

Special thanks to Dr. Justin Lamb for putting together a commissioning consortium to bring this piece to life. And of course, thanks to everyone in the consortium for trusting me to write something worth playing.

Additional special thanks to Johanna Warchol for lending me a rectangular piece of wood to drum on, as well as inspiring the title of the piece. The words “What I Know” are borrowed/stolen from her project, “I just see what I know”.