West African drumming rhythms in contemporary piano music

The aim of “West African Drumming Rhythms in Contemporary Piano Music” was to create a coherent overall package containing a folio of original piano compositions informed by traditional West African drumming rhythms, a CD of their performances along with examples of the traditional rhythmic sources performed on traditional African instruments, as well as accompanying original scores at a publishable level. A total of eight pieces have been composed, seven of which feature literal transcriptions of traditional West African drumming rhythms. The eighth piece demonstrates compositional opportunities with free use of drum rhythms and scope for further exploration. All compositions have been analysed and have accompanying performance notes.