"SyNc" for Solo Snare Drum by Gene Koshinski

"SyNc" was commissioned by 42 percussionists, led by Tracy Wiggins. "SyNc" has a duel meaning - as in the synchronization of multiple musical ideas (and multiple instruments/implements) and a play on the Spanish word “cinco” meaning “five.” The significance of “five” permeates the piece as nearly all of the musical ideas found in "SyNc" are rooted in this number. This piece “syncs” the wonderful timbral possibilities of the snare drum with sounds that come to life when interacting with it.
Performed by Gene Koshinski
Video by Marc Hill
Audio by Gene Koshinski and Don Schraufnagel
MALLETS: Innovative Percussion WBR2 Wire Brush, Plastic Chopsticks
GEAR: 14x5 Reference Pure Snare Drum, Remo Controlled Sound SD Head (coated), Meinl Kalimba
SyNc was commissioned by and written for:
Tracy Wiggins, lead consortium member
Bob Adney
Chase Banks
Matthew Bronson
Jeff Calissi
Benjamin Charles
Annie Chernow
Jeremy Craycraft
Henry Eichman
Tim Feerst
Jianpeng Feng
Benjamin Fraley
John Frederick
Samuel Gould
Adam Groh
Dave Hagedorn
Matthew Halligan
Andy Harnsberger
Craig Hauschildt
Scott Herring
Lee Hinkle
Colton James
Jacob Kight
Terry Longshore
Devon Melillo
Dan Moore
Jerry Noble
Phillip R. O'Banion
Nick Petrella
Michael T. Pratt
Aaron Ragsdale
Shane Reeves
Alyssa Resh
Tom Sherwood
Michael Taylor
Truman Percussion Society
Joseph Van Hassel
Jon Weber
Brandon West
Tracy Wiggins
Brian Zator
Nebojsa Zivkovic

[@nmtkawb]

I was listening to several musics on this channel and was like "OMG I love all the writings from Gene Koshinski. But who is this performer? He seems to understand the pieces so well." And then saw "Performed by Gene Koshinski" Of course.

[@d1oftwins]

When you added the snares while playing the Kalimba on the drum it sounded like a guitar pedal distortion. A very unexpected and exciting surprise I must say, you have a very unique way showing us how mush creativity there is in a seemingly simple instrument. Take that with the knowledge that I am not a musician, merely a fascinated bystander.

[@timonoosthuizen3614]

Don't know if anyone noticed. But he let's the marble circle the snare 5 at a time. Extending the theme of 5 even to the marble.

[@3H3H3H]

Gene is a polyrhythmist and polyinstrumentalist and drummer, the genius of Gene and combine elements of the drums with minimal instruments, endless creativity, hugs dear, you're show brother. 🎵💜🥂😊🤗😉🫂🔵💙🌎🌎😎👌👏👏👏🎵🥂🌌🫐🎵

[@maragale1944]

Nobody: Me while the instructor is talking:

[@DanMoorePercussionist]

Terrific performance Gene! Happy to have been a part of this commissioning project.

[@genekoshinskimusic]

So awesome to have you involved Dan! Hope you're well, my friend.

[@masonschofield5901]

1:55 the four over three exchange between the Kalimba and brush on the snare reminded me of deadmau5. This is truly a phenomenal piece of music. I find myself going back to this every month to hear it again.

[@atlassolid5946]

I've decided to perform this one at my senior recital!

[@wkingston1248]

Wow what brilliant use of snare buzz. Having the kalimba tuned to the resonant frequency of the snare wire is genius. I loved this! Also i got two different experiences by watching the video and just listening alone. Kinda crazy on how the way we interact with a peice of music impacts oer experience.

[@keithklassen5320]

I'm not sure he tuned the kalimba to the drum. The snares just move along with the head, they have no resonant frequency themselves as I understand it. If they had one, they'd impart it to the drum sound which would make playing with pitched instruments quite difficult.

[@wkingston1248]

@@keithklassen5320 Resonance of snare wire, is exactly what causes snare buzz which can be a pain just like you mentioned . Actually every thing has a resonant frequency to it, also referred to as sympathetic vibration. Pitched instruments can and do cause snare buzz but is generally not a huge problem because they are far enough away. The most common offender is generally a tom at the exact right frequency. Many instruments like the sitar are designed around this and have string(s) dedicated for sympathetic vibration to sound.

[@guitarplayer9000]

WiSpKing While you are correct on the fact that everything has a resonant frequency, you don’t have to tune anything to a snares resonant frequency to make it buzz. In fact, make a noise loud enough next to a snare drum (particularly another drum or a low bass note) and it’ll start buzzing no matter what the noise is tuned to. Also it’s incredibly difficult, if not impossible to tune a kalimba after it was tuned wherever it was made.

[@PostLagone]

@@wkingston1248 it's the snare side head that resonates, not the wires themselves.

[@delicious_crepes]

This is what new music sounds like. Amazing fresh stream of ideas, Gene. The world must hear you

[@Tacch_Design]

I love the ball while he plays the little box

[@Woodtyper]

As a drummer since 1967, I've always considered the snare drum one of the most versatile of instruments, precisely because you can do the things Gene so ably demonstrates here, including the use of the kalimba! The snare-on and snare-off option has not been explored to this degree in my experience. Also, try this. I've taken tight fitting nitrile work gloves and put dabs on hot glue on the finger tips and the side of the thumb to come up with some interesting sounds and percussion techniques. Try it sometime. But Gene's work here demonstrates how to make a drum musical, and something other than just an obnoxious loud bang! Way to go, Gene!

[@Jayspale]

LOVE this Gene!

[@d.lawrencemiller5755]

So many sounds from one drum! 😍

[@snoopy9428]

凄い落ち着いた感じの音をスネアで表現するのって凄い👏

[@alexfont]

Simply... awesome!!

[@torgafyr]

Encore un chef d'oeuvre merci Gene !

[@jimmyshrimbe9361]

Wow! Absolutely wonderful! Thank you for sharing

[@0ptymista]

otwierające głowę patenty, dziękuję!

[@matthewv789]

Love your compositions and performances! I think it’s the freshest and most inventive percussion work I’ve come across.

[@DontBFlat]

An absolute genius. I never would have thought to throw that marble around the snare rim to get that texture.

[@teelucksarvesh9209]

Terrific idea! Sounds amazing!

[@lionelarthur]

Magnifique ! D'inventivité, de maîtrise, de musicalité. Respects pour ce travail, cette création, musicalement vôtre.

[@CaseyCangelosi]

fantastic!!

[@genekoshinskimusic]

Thanks man!

[@SteelRhythmSteelDrumBand]

Very cool, Gene! Congrats!

[@AaronAnaya]

This is absolutely amazing!

[@HMoradiComposer]

absolutely brilliant! Masterful playing as well to go along with it

[@gallionade]

this is like if David Lynch took up snare

[@ferdinandstrat]

This is the best kind of unexpected ASMR material, mostly cos it sounds beautiful, grounded and somehow otherworldly

[@martinhansen2184]

Great video and music. I love it.

[@MarcoLiguigli]

Original idea! I like it!

[@jonathanwalther]

Marbelous!!

[@jonathanwalther]

One year later: thanks for the likes! I feel glad to have discovered the percussion ingenuity of Mr Gene Koshinski. Thank you so much Gene and keep on playing.

[@yzhk3036]

Fantastic!!

[@donbrooks8479]

I love your creative mind and talent!

[@sdhynes]

Damascene conversion, genuinely unique and stunningly musical!

[@MausLab]

Amazing!

[@JakHart]

That was magic.

[@chszh3737]

目瞪口呆肃然起敬啊！卡辛斯基👍

[@tsf5-productions]

Well Damn!! Why didn't I ever think of being as creative as this guy?! (I guess I didn't have "the right marbles"... or, lost a few) Like the one he did with the "door stopper"... just amazing what a person who wants what is going on in his head in ways to make "the music" more entertaining.

[@americanpercussioninstruments]

NICE !!!!!!!! Gene

[@joonyeolpark2375]

Bravo👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@martonszives5264]

Genious!

[@pablodelvalle]

Amazing work! Congrats

[@mason11198]

Amazing ending!

[@MrGravicaper]

Великолепно!!!

[@crimsonjimi5174]

Extremely creative work. Kind of reminds me of King Crimson's Larks Tongues in Aspic.

[@g32.recitales]

Esto es majestuoso. This is majestic.

[@leo47443]

Bravissimo.

[@thierryklein6851]

Super composition .......

[@montlejohnbojangles8937]

Delicious as usual.

[@Trynottoblink]

These are incredible, I like the drums but this is a whole new side of percussion I’ve never seen.

[@zenarobinson3851]

love it!! :-)

[@LaureanoCantarutti]

Amazing composition! Congratulations from Córdoba, Argentina :)

[@ramonkey2939]

That’s pretty cool man

[@ryanmmeredith]

Wow! This is some awesome stuff, really! Definitely not what I was expecting from a Snare Solo but everything is a pleasant surprise from you Gene! Really beautiful! btw, what kalimba are you playing on?

[@genekoshinskimusic]

Thanks Ryan! It's a Meinl Medium Black, Extra Wide Tongues.

[@123wordbird321]

i feel very calm now

[@eddydefanti7690]

bravo Gene .

[@rodboudreau3982]

So much on so little. Fantastic

[@laurent5084]

Great imagination to be able to compose this.

[@leo47443]

Super.

[@peperillo]

creative

[@olivecool]

this sounds like :))) and :(( and :| all together it’s beautiful

[@rorycraig]

The sound of the kalimba in combination with the sound of the snare sounds very music like a balafon.

[@ShockzG5]

very interesting composition but very neat

[@NarvasolQuirupira]

Expert

[@jonmackenzie]

the kalimba with the snares on sounds like something from a hainbach piece, as if it's a lofi recording, bitcrushed or distorted or something. very nice

[@ImClaypool]

This might be the trippiest shit I’ve ever seen

[@xenontesla122]

Cool! The sound of the kalimba with the snare reminds me of the sound of traditional mbiras with buzzers. Was that an inspiration?

[@cameronreed1021]

This sounds more like an asmr segment

[@mason11198]

if ASMR was actually good lololol

[@sivadepilif]

The first bars reminds me the rhythm cell of joe's morello "far more drums"

[@juancatania1272]

wwwoooowww

[@rouxsauced200]

Question- did you tune the kalimba any differently than how it's packaged?

[@keithklassen5320]

It's definitely not tuned to a Western scale. Whether there was any intention to its tuning, I'm not knowledgeable enough to say.

[@Musicmonk84]

And he acquired this talent BEFORE quarantine?

[@rosspercussion]

What planet is this on? Super cool

[@weeblewooom]

is there sheet music available????

[@gabrielepetrucci1081]

01:57

[@e8315402]

ASMR!!

[@GoddamnAxl]

Hmm 🤔 i should’ve listened to this eyes closed first. I could never guess how this song is played

[@bobbythomas1805]

So cool! Can you tell me what exact Meinl Kalimba you are using?

[@bobbythomas1805]

Or better yet, is it crucial to use that exact one when performing?

[@genekoshinskimusic]

You can use any kalimba you want - tuning is improvised. I use the Meinl wide extra tongues model. It is much louder than most kalimbas and small enough to work around. It's really inexpensive too...

[@bobbythomas1805]

Awesome! Thank you.

[@MattMusicianX]

This looks awesome as heck. =D But I can't hear it very well. Pump up the volume on your recording.

[@GerSHAK]

Disagreed. Gene's recordings are so beautiful and dynamic. Any more recording volume would mean less dynamics. This is perfect for listening with good audio equipment.

[@ritchienegrea5779]

This is nuts. W hell ?

[@olic9461]

For "Solo" snare drum

[@stevenqirkle]

Well that was something different

[@guardsdepot]

I've always wondered what bored shed-builders get up to..................

[@senoreverything6366]

Would it be possible to buy sheet music for this?

[@genekoshinskimusic]

It’s available through my online store: www.genekoshinski.com

[@senoreverything6366]

@@genekoshinskimusic thank you, I'm performing it at my district solo and ensemble today!

[@3oore]

But can you blast beat at 280 bpm, at the least....... This is a true master class in music, period

[@micahhays1537]

I love these solo's, they are really a work of art and are quite beautiful, however I believe we should be labeling them as multiple percussion. More than half of the piece is a kalimba and a marble just on top of a snare drum, and while it makes use of the snare drum in several different ways, it demonstrates very very little snare drum abilities. I'm also honestly just tired of Swerve and pieces like it, (which are beautiful and amazing still,) taking my number one spot in regional competition.

[@tissuepaper9962]

Is winning a competition more important to you than pushing the boundaries of your instrument and music in general?

[@micahhays1537]

TissuePaper thats not what im saying at all! I love Gene’s pieces, they are so fun to watch and always blow my mind, im just saying that should be labeled differently, as to keep it fair in competitions

[@oscargill423]

See, this is what we musicians and ADHD peeps hear when we tap on every surface known to man.

[@olic9461]

HOLY CRAP, THAT FLIP AT 5:25 *got the time wrong

[@matthew1550]

where?

[@olic9461]

m. mesi it's more like 5:25 my mistake, where he palms the kalimba and flips it sideways

[@hR-gw3re]

This guy should make a film called "50 shades of snare"

[@carloscastenada1]

its not a solo. its a composition, on snare drum!

[@louiscypher7090]

I thought Gene Krupa was dead?

[@elias833]

Strangest solo I’ve ever seen.

[@buster9877]

way too cool..... make a song using knives the challenge is don’t pop the drum;)

[@MrDemby1]

its like minecraft music lol

[@o7k4vokb0ksp5n2]

How I calculate how good my music taste is: # of views / amount of time on internet. The smaller the quotient, the better it must be. I am not sure if this is a joke. If I can place a time signature on it, it's definitely bad. My air conditioner radiates in the key of Gb