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program Notes

"RECONNECTING" Notes 

by  ben  Goldberg  (b. 1976)

Picture
For more information, click here for the Reconnecting Music Outline
Reconnecting Program Notes
Click the image to watch the performance!
     RECONNECTING is a programmatic composition that tells the story of participants in a unique rehabilitation program for juvenile and adult offenders with mental illness or substance abuse issues. The Treatment Court of the Delaware County Juvenile Court, Delaware County Municipal Mental Health Docket, and Maryhaven Treatment Center are designed to help participants gain control over their illness or addiction, to take responsibility for both their offense and their personal development, and to reconnect as healthier individuals to their families and community. The Central Ohio Symphony's Reconnecting program developed the groundbreaking therapeutic drum circles for all three of these programs. I traveled several times to Delaware to conduct research for the composition. I attended juvenile and adult court hearings and met with the program’s support team comprised of the Magistrate, Probation Officer, Therapist, and Treatment Services Department Head. This allowed me to gain valuable knowledge of the program and see firsthand the efforts taking place to help rehabilitate the offenders. I also attended a drum circle session and was able to speak directly with the participants about their experiences in the program, as well as witness the type of drumming techniques they were learning. From these discussions and observations I created the structure for RECONNECTING, which is built on the progression of the participants though the court program: their initial Offense, three rehabilitation phases, Graduation, and the Future.

     The three rehabilitation phases possess common symbolic elements that create cohesion within the piece. The “Call and Response” sections represent the progress of the participants through the program and their relationship with the court and wider community. In phase one there is a “Call” from the orchestra but no response from the drummers. In phase two the orchestra’s “Call” is met with a mutual “Response.” In phase three the “Call” is initiated by the drummers and the “Response” is from the orchestra. The support team theme likewise becomes more positive and nurturing with every iteration. A gavel strike, in the percussion section, represents the frequency of the court hearings in each stage of the program, and is heard less regularly as the participants are granted more independence. Each phase also contains a “Story” which is directly inspired from my observations while conducting research for the composition. In addition to “Call and Response," other drumming techniques common to drum circle sessions that appear in the score include “Heartbeat,” “Shaker Pass,” and “Speaking” of names. The “Heartbeat” goes through several emotional transformations throughout the piece ranging from terrified to proud. The “Shaker Pass” is used in the Promotion sections to symbolize the passage of time. During the Graduation portion of the piece, the drummers announce themselves individually by improvising a musical interpretation of “Speaking” their names with the drums. This gives them an opportunity to express how they would like to be perceived on graduation day. Ben Goldberg
  • Home
  • Individual Concert Tickets
    • March 2023 Concert >
      • March 2023 Press Release
    • On-Line Concert Program
    • May 2023 Concert and tickets
    • Student tickets/Culture Pass Information!
    • Concert Parking
  • Season Tickets
  • Donate
    • Donation Page
  • Know Before You Go
  • Shuttle
  • Gray Chapel
    • Views of the stage from each section
    • Seating Chart
    • Handicap Access
  • About Us
    • History
    • Our Musicians >
      • Board Trustees
    • Jaime Morales-Matos
    • Acknowledgements
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Directions
    • Email Announcements
  • Resources
    • Community Programming
    • Drum Circles >
      • Reconnecting Program Notes
      • The Hub Article 6/25/20
      • Article in Humanities Magazine
      • Drumming Program News
    • More Services
    • Musician Resources
  • COVID Concert Requirements
  • More
    • Concert programs
    • In the News
    • Archives >
      • Season 41 >
        • Benefit in the Barn 2019
      • Season 40 >
        • Benefit in the Barn 2018
      • Season 39 >
        • Season 39 Concert Reviews
      • Season 38 >
        • Season 38 Concert reviews
        • Benefit in the Barn 2016
      • Season 37
      • Season 36
  • October 2019 Season Debut Concert Review
  • 2019 Holiday Concert Review
  • Audience Survey
  • Gift Certificates
  • July 4th Concert Location Map
  • Music Samples
  • Library Card Tickets
  • On-Line Concert Program