The Beekeeper

marimba, woodblocks, loop pedal, fixed media

Sample Score 1

Sample Score 2

This work is a study of Echae Kang’s 2016 song ‘Something Cold’, examining its structural framework, gestural nuances, and the interplay of energy, density, and timbre. The work closely engages with Kang’s use of the looper pedal to create interwoven sonic layers, reflecting its melodic contours through graphic notation. Different instrumental layers are represented through varied mallet types, while folk techniques—such as string chopping and percussive bowing—are adapted for marimba with the inclusion of woodblocks. This influence is interwoven with that of a Beekeeper/folk fiddle player who first introduced me to ‘Something Cold’.

The fixed tape, accompanying the marimba and looper pedal performance, was sourced from field recordings from the aforementioned Beekeeper’s farm in Tasmania. These audio samples feature bee colonies, contributing a bioacoustic dimension and personal connection to the work. The complex harmonic structure of the buzzing was transcribed to inform the marimba’s pitch material. Through the looper pedal, the performer becomes one element within a hive-like sonic ecosystem, simultaneously shaping and responding to their own layered sound world while engaging in dialogue with the recorded bee sounds.

The graphic score is designed to reflect the aesthetic and intricate balance of order and chaos found in hive activity, capturing its dynamic energy through visual representation. The cover art, created by Madeleine Harris, was developed in parallel with the composition, fostering a mutually influential creative process.

‘The Beekeeper’ by Madeleine Harris: Subtractive monotype print