Christian Kilgore

A Message from the Composer

Premeditated is an advanced solo exploring new timbres when mixing a Tibetan singing bowl with a concert snare drum. I found

my personal singing bowl at a thrift store and I immediately was intrigued by all the possibilities in sounds. I decided to research the instrument and quickly learned that this instrument has no cultural ties to Tibet. Musical bowls have all sorts of origins across Asia, but the idea of a “singing bowl” is an American phenomenon that started in the 1970’s, associated with modern meditation practices. This solo quickly became a burlesque on American societal norms and Western values. With long tones quickly followed by rapid playing, the piece aims to point out the often convoluted and less than idealistic values of Western culture. Even with this serious tone, the piece colorfully explores new sounds with this uncommon pairing of instruments. The performance of this work should bring both the performer and audience into a meditative state that can be interrupted at any moment. Every gesture and motion is filled with intentionality. Everything must be Premeditated.

-Christian Kilgore