As I settled into my first few months at school during my freshman year, I made the quick observation that my campus is relentless with its party life. I have taken notice, in particular, of the intensity of the pregame festivities for our football program. Tailgating is something the students of this campus take very seriously. The idea for this work came to me while I was walking back to my dorm from a home football game. As I strolled past the endless muddy fields south of the stadium, everywhere I looked, there appeared to be mass graves of empty bottles, coolers, solo cups, and other party materials. The audience may notice, when viewing this performance, that all of the instruments utilized are one form or another of drink containers. I wanted to see how I could utilize these unique ‘instruments’ to conjure up sounds that would be refreshing, yet accessible. I ultimately decided that I wanted this to be a work that evokes the same feelings of excitement, intensity, and inebriation that are had by the students tailgating, partying, and attending the big games on Saturday. 

The complex mathematical and at times precariously deceptive rhythmic structure of the music paired with the intense timbre of the instruments and implements make for a unique listening experience. The initial madness is interrupted by free-flowing, almost uneasily flowing textures with a rounder and softer sound, aimed to create an intense dynamic contrast before returning to more of an aggressive sound. My hope is that this work will put the audience on the edge of their seats and feeling the same excitement that was felt by our loyal football fans this season.