Ghost in the Xerox Machine Percussion - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1945897

Ghost in the Xerox Machine is based on the concept of ‘gremlins’ that always seem to get into photocopier machines, and cause paper jams within the machine.The piece has been divided into three themes: the gremlins possessing the photocopier, the gremlins causing havoc within the machine, and the eventual release of the gremlins from the machine, allowing the user to continue photocopying.

The piece utilises the mysterious atmospheric sounds of resonating wine glasses, and wind chimes, to create a haunting initial impression. When reading the score, the top line of the Wine Glasses refers to the white wine glass, and bottom line refers to a red wine glass. The wine glasses are struck gently with the handles of the soft mallets (approximately slightly lower than half-way down the wine glass) to create a bell-like sound. The bass drum is then struck with the soft mallets to signal the end of this theme, as well as to indicate the possession of the machine.

The “gremlins theme” changes from the initial ethereal theme, to a more menacing and physical incarnation of theme. This is much more faster and energetic, using tri-toms and hi-hat cymbal to create a jungle-drum style rhythm. To represent a gradual theme of becoming progressively chaotic, the rhythmic patterns are initially more conventional and simplistic, but then gradually becoming more complex and unconventional until the point of chaotic climax. Imagine the gremlins bouncing around the machine, causing gradually increasing amounts of havoc within the machine until the point where the chaos causes the machine to no longer work, and start to paper jam. The paper jam is fixed, and the gremlins gradually disappear. The snare drum represents the sound of the photocopier working and the gremlins returning back into the ethereal.