Southern gothic: a thesis recording project of original compositions for percussion

Percussion has frequently been at the forefront of both popular music and contemporary classical music. However, it is quite uncommon to see percussion bridge the compositional conventions and stylistic sensibilities of these disparate musical worlds.

This thesis attempts to bridge the gap between popular music, improvisation, and contemporary classical music through the use of percussion instruments. More specifically, it is an exploration of jazz and American folk music through the lens of contemporary aesthetics. The accompanying album is comprised of 11 original compositions for pitched percussion, all of which demonstrate the many similarities and differences between jazz, folk, and contemporary music.

The compositions on this album were written between 2016-2020, and represent a range of compositional techniques, stylistic approaches, and instrumentation. The ensembles featured include mallet duo, mallet quartet, small jazz combo, large percussion ensemble, and solo marimba. All of these works require technical facility and a clear understanding of the musical styles being represented. Additionally, these pieces require a contextual understanding of improvisation in each musical setting.

Southern Gothic—a studio album by Peter Naughton— is an attempt to re-contextualize the use of percussion in jazz and folk music while preserving the compositional and performance aesthetics of contemporary classical music.