Program note

Grooves and Ruts incorporates the repetitive figures, or “grooves” that form the skeleton of most contemporary popular songs. But unlike in a popular song, where the music moves suddenly and effortlessly from one groove to another (when a verse ends and a chorus begins, for example), the grooves in this piece are treated as ruts. Their repetitive nature is a serious obstacle to the progress of the movement. The focus of the piece is seeing what happens musically to get the ensemble out of one groove and into another.

Grooves and Ruts was commissioned as part of Stephen’s fellowship at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. Stephen wrote the piece under the instruction of Michael Gandolfi and Martin Bresnick.

Performances