Duration: 7:00-9:00+, varies heavily

Maximal Minutia is an experimental composition designed to test the expressive and creative boundaries of structural improvisation. The piece strikes a delicate balance in pacing, ultimately determined at the discretion of an audience performer.

The ensemble is divided into five smaller groups of instruments, and each group has a series of short musical phrases to be repeated a number of times; the large-scale composition is the simultaneous composite of these five groups. The durations of these musical segments is determined by an audience member, who is selected before the beginning of the piece. Their job is to strike the five percussion instruments (playable without experience) that lie at the front of the stage in any order, as visualized on the easel. As they strike or play one of the instruments (and the ensemble conductor offers the cue), a new motive arises from the corresponding group of instruments, bringing subtly ever-changing complexity to the performance.

At different points in the piece, there are different instructions for the audience performer on what percussion instruments to strike; this is all articulated on a large easel manned by an ensemble member (easel guide) at the front of the stage, visible to the audience performer, conductor, and rest of audience. With a thorough understanding of the piece’s structure, the easel guide will keep track of what instruments are played and determine when to flip pages. This role requires communication with the conductor and the audience member to keep the ensemble aligned.