This piece was composed for the 2008 Kapolei High School 'Hurricanes' Winterline by Matthew Cadirao with battery by Frederick Mariano. It was heavily influenced by Balinese and Javanese gamelan, using slendro- and pelog-like modes as well techniques
I am a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a degree in music composition. This goes without saying but I love music (listening, composing, studying, performing).
Story behind the song
Dance of the Storms was written at the request of my friend and fellow musician Fred Mariano. He needed some music for the first annual Kapolei High School “Hurricanes†Winterline, and as the program was in its early stages, the music needed to be flexible. Eventually a few months later I finished the first movement, then the second, and finally (in less than two weeks) the third. Fred composed impressive and challenging battery parts, with my own suggestions, to fit the musical concept.
The title Dance of the Storms is really only a title, inspired by the Kapolei High School mascot, the hurricane. No dance forms, styles, or ideas were used nor consulted, but the “storm†suggested a structure of fast-slow-fast (the calm eye of the storm surrounded by fierce winds and weather). Many musical elements of the piece were heavily inspired by Balinese and Javanese gamelan (ensembles primarily made up of metal “xylophones†and gongs): Each movement, for example, uses gongs and cymbals to create a quasi-colotomic punctuation style.
The majority of the first movement was written in a key meant to emulate the seven-tone pelog scale, something difficult to do in our Western tuning system, and even approximated Balinese byar chords albeit the limited mallet ensemble. Melodically, xylophone, glockenspiel, and vibraphone combine to create a somewhat complex interlocking melody, which is later elaborated, drawing techniques from the Javanese peking, gambang, and celempung. Of great difficulty for Westerners is the concept of irama,which is related to “speed†but more precisely the space between notes of the main melody (more space generally means more elaboration). This movement goes through a series of dramatic tempo changes, where its “irama†changes as the tempo increases, and the piece feels like it drops to half-time.
The second movement, Interlude, takes a break from the loudness and intensity of the first, presenting a melody almost directly transcribed from the Javanese srepegan Kemuda (laras slendro pathet sanga). Ordinarily this piece is fast and may accompany a fight scene or dance, but here it is “Westernized†and taken out of context but in a pleasing way. It transitions into a peaceful chorale and climax, concluding with a vibraphone solo somewhat inspired by the Javanese gender.
In the third movement, the pulse is achieved with constant eight notes, emulating a strong pulse felt during Balinese gong kebyar performances. Bits and pieces of the first two movements are hinted at, but after a short drumline interlude a quiet melody (borrowed from an elaborated melody from the Javanese piece Gambirsawit Pancerana (laras pelog pathet nem) ) slowly begins a long build and increases tension in anticipation of the next section. The climax of the movement, this final dramatic section features xylophone/vibraphone glissandi, descending chords in the marimba, and battery special effects to provide a effect not unlike that of a storm unleashing its final blow before departing with a bang.
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