ARCOMUSICAL: Alexis Lamb berimbau trio, "Palíndromo" (2013)

Over the summer of 2013 I was experimenting with ideas for solo berimbau, planning ahead for the trio that I had agreed to write for Projeto Arcomusical later that fall. One of these solo ideas became the main theme of the trio, and I used the piano to expand and define the harmonic landscape for the piece. The main theme served as the basis for an expanded model of call and response. Through the technique of hocket I created an upper line using the smaller wires of all three instruments together that fits neatly inside the main theme below. After the main theme and upper voice are presented fully, the collection of subsequent sections of the work creates a sort of set of variations (rhythmic and otherwise) of the very same theme and countermelody. My professor, Gregory Beyer, and I began Projeto Arcomusical in the Spring of 2013 under the auspices of the Undergraduate Artistry and Research Apprenticeship Program (UARAP) at Northern Illinois University. The UARAP allows faculty "to engage undergraduates in their artistic and other scholarly activities in one-to-one mentorships." Through Projeto Arcomusical, we have embarked upon the composition of a numeric series of berimbau chamber works, one per semester through the Spring 2015.