This solo performance will feature an original composition by Los Angeles-based percussionist T.J. Troy, presented on his hybrid drumset, combining Indian, Arabic, Persian, and Flamenco styles and instrumentation within the contemporary drumset paradigm.

Mr. Troy’s performance practice combines seemingly disparate stylistic approaches into a single, cohesive, and individualistic thread. At the heart of this expression is the intersection between Western notation and compositional structure (including contemporary and alternative forms) and the highly stylized traditions referenced above, which rely less on notational systems and more on refined stylistic knowledge (i.e., tone production, groove, and feel sensibilities), giving rise to authenticity. Mr. Troy’s blend of skills is uniquely suited for studio and live performance contexts, in which a single player is asked to both read complex notation and perform with stylistic authenticity on a variety of instrumentation. Mr. Troy regularly accompanies artists from across the Middle Eastern and Levantine regions, including regional artists touring the U.S.

The work (approximately 10–13 minutes in duration) leans heavily into aesthetic concepts of form and features Mr. Troy’s World Hybrid Kit: a five-piece drumset comprised of cajón (with foot pedal), mounted djembe, frame drum, katem, and snare drum, alongside hi-hat and cymbal arrays, shakers, and more.

The work features a combination of techniques drawn from North Indian, Arabic, Persian, and Flamenco traditions, fused through Mr. Troy’s formidable improvisational vocabulary. It moves between groove settings in the aforementioned stylistic vernaculars alongside pre-composed sections reminiscent of John Bergamo’s rhythmic masterwork Piru Bole and Swapan Chaudhuri’s kaida development rooted within the Lucknow gharana of North Indian tabla playing.