Bruce-Hivemind (SP)-P

Hivemind by Adam Bruce is a two-movement quartet based on the idea that each player must have a perfectly matched sense of time, touch, and rhythmic interpretation, much like a marching bass drum line. The title is derived from the idea that players will need to share a collective consciousness, similar to how bees and ants share a “hivemind.”

The first movement, “Drone” plays on a rhythmic theme that is shared, displaced, and manipulated from player to player. The second movement, “Frenzy” is a fast-paced display of virtuosic timing. It also relies on the different tones that clicking sticks together can create based on the amount of pressure in one’s grip.

While Hivemind is not for the faint of heart, when performed well, it’s sure to leave audiences mesmerized and engaged.

This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.

• Number of players: 4
• Difficulty: Intermediate/advanced
• Instrumentation:
• Player 1: Concert bass drum or kick drum (shared w/player 2), opera gong, hi-hat
• Player 2: Concert bass drum or kick drum (shared w/player 1), propane tank, bongos
• Player 3: Concert bass drum or kick drum (shared w/player 4), 2 Zil-Bels (or bell plates or metal pipes), 2 congas
• Player 4: Concert bass drum or kick drum (shared w/player 3), 2 concert toms, hi-hat