Zodiacal Cloud

Jason DeCristofaro

General Info

Year: 2021
Duration: 00:04:00
Difficulty: Intermediate
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Cost: $15.00

Instrumentation

Glockenspiel

Program Notes

Zodiacal Cloud was the result of Jason DeCristofaro wanting to write a mallet percussion piece for an exceptionally talented drum set student in the percussion studio at Warren Wilson College. The student was new to mallet percussion, but had fast hands and good rhythmic independence from drum set playing. Jason DeCristofaro set out with the goal of writing an ostinato/groove-based composition for the student congruent with his drum set skills, while also helping him to become more familiar with the notes on the marimba.

Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic happened, requiring the student to leave campus halfway through the semester, right as he was making progress on marimba. With no marimba at home, and limited space in his car to take an instrument, Jason DeCristofaro let him borrow an old glockenspiel of Jason DeCristofaro. With almost 5 months before he could return to campus, Jason DeCristofaro wanted to write a piece for him to practice on the glockenspiel that would be challenging enough to provide motivation.

The title of the composition is inspired by a faint but beautiful glowing light I noticed on the horizon during the twilight hours in spring 2020. The light was ethereal and enchanting to my eyes, but Jason DeCristofaro did not know what caused it. After a little research, Jason DeCristofaro learned it was caused by the “zodiacal cloud,” a large cloud of dust particles on the edge of our solar system. Sunlight reflects off the cloud, created the particles to scatter and create the beautiful, ethereal column of light one can see out in areas with low light pollution. The constant flow of repeated notes throughout the composition is designed to emulate the journey of the light particles across light years, as they bounce off the dust cloud and reach the observer’s eyes on earth.

Recent Performances

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Works for Percussion by this Composer

Lullaby for a New Century
Lunar Glimmer
Trio for Flute, Marimba & Piano
Zodiacal Cloud