Dr. Justin Bunting, director of percussion studies, will present a diverse program of music in his first faculty percussion recital at UA Little Rock.

The recital, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building.

The recital will feature “One Hundred Twenty/Everything” by Evan Chapman; “Khan Variations” by Alejandro Viñao; “Being Black” by Joe W. Moore III; “Mourning Dove Sonnet” by Christopher Deane; and “Catching Shadows” by Ivan Trevino.

“The program begins with ‘One Hundred Twenty/Everything,’ which is a multiple-percussion solo with an electronic backing track,” Bunting said. “The five sections cycle through all 120 possible permutations of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, with each number being assigned to a pitch and a rhythm. This creates an odd groove that interacts with the electronics.”

Viñao’s “Khan Variations” is one of the most technically and musically challenging pieces in the marimba repertoire, featuring a set of eight rhythmic variations based on a traditional theme from Qawwali music sung by the Pakistani singer Ali Khan.

Moore’s “Being Black” is a five-movement, multiple-percussion solo. The rhythmic content, use of repetition, and all other musical choices were made based on the dates and details of several cases including Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, John Crawford, George Floyd, and many more.

Deane’s “Mourning Dove Sonnet” is an exploration of the sonic possibilities of the vibraphone through various extended techniques such as bowing, pitch bend, harmonics, and muting.

The program concludes with a performance of Trevino’s ever-popular marimba duet “Catching Shadows” by Blue Line Duo performers Justin and Cassie Bunting.

“As I close my third year at UA Little Rock, this will be, mainly due to COVID restrictions, my first faculty recital on campus,” Bunting said. “I am incredibly excited to present this program of works for percussion for the UA Little Rock and Little Rock communities.”