Dean Drummond, keeper of the Harry Partch Instruments dies

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 27 Apr 2013 6:41 am

My neighbor for many years Dean Drummond died recently : http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/18/arts/ ... obituaries

Dean was a protege of Harry Partchs and was the curator and keeper of the Partch instruments. It was so cool to go to his house and actually see those instruments in the flesh. Dean wrote many pieces for the Partch instruments and performed them around the area.

A few years ago he was able to find a home for the instruments at one of the local colleges.

It is amazing the life journey's some of us take.

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 27 Apr 2013 7:57 am

wanna play some of the instruments?

go here:

http://musicmavericks.publicradio.org/f ... artch.html#

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 27 Apr 2013 8:51 am

That is an interesting link. For those not aware of Partch, he was a true American Individual. On the one hand, he created a microtonal musical system with 32(?) notes to the octave. He then built the instruments necessary to play his music, which included a lot of slide based instruments.

But on the other hand, he rode the rails and used to receive letters from hobos he met in his travels which he used as the source material for a series of musical works.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 27 Apr 2013 8:52 am

For those that want a real experience, listen to Partch's Delusion and the Fury, which features Dean Drummond on the recording.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 27 Apr 2013 11:03 am

That's too bad. I wonder where the instruments will end up? They are the most incredible things.

Years ago, I saw a very expensive but beautiful book with wonderful photos of all of Partch's creations. I regret not buying it, because I've never seen it again. I have many recordings of Partch's music and he was simply on another level.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 27 Apr 2013 12:16 pm

I believe the are at Montclair State University. He was able to place them there a decade or so ago and he taught there. I know that was a concern for him. I think they were at Suny New Paltz but they didn't want to take them. I think Montclair stepped up to the plate to give them a permanent home.

John Alexander · Post by **John Alexander** » 27 Apr 2013 4:06 pm

I was fortunate to have seen one of Partch's performances when he was at UC San Diego in the late 60's. Either during intermission or afterwards he invited the audience to come walk among the instruments, which were quite awesome to see up close. I was in high school then, and a friend and I had already been listening to Partch's music on vinyl, so it was a real treat to have him come to town, and eventually perform in person.

Bill it is my recollection also that Partch's microtonal scale was 32 tones to the octave. I remember being intrigued that he had somehow mapped that system onto a convention keyboard in the case of two pump organs. The recording I recall was of a long piece that included singers as well as the instruments, and the theme of the lyrics involved riding the rails . . .

Edit: Found it on YouTube. It was this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23iT28bZx2g . The last time I heard this was about 45 years ago!

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 1 May 2013 11:03 am

On the one hand, he created a microtonal musical system with 32(?) notes to the octave.

His scale was/is 43 tones per octave. Harry was one of my heroes. Because he wanted to use a scale with more than 12 tones, starting back in the 1920's, he had to design and build the instruments that could do a 43 tone scale. Then, because he needed to have players, he had to develop a music notation system they could understand and read. Basically, Harry built his "musical world", from the ground up.

There was a story, back when he first was getting started, where he had gone to a classical music concert. The audience was listening to the same things they had been listening to, over and over again and as he looked around, about half of them had fallen asleep. Time for something different.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 1 May 2013 2:10 pm

chas smith wrote:... a classical music concert. The audience was listening to the same things they had been listening to, over and over again and as he looked around, about half of them had fallen asleep. Time for something different.

... you mean leave early so you can sleep in your own bed?

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 1 May 2013 7:42 pm

One of the main reasons I went to SUNY Purchase Conservatory was that some of the Partch instrument collection was there. Dean used to leave me alone in the room with them along with my pedalsteel. It was amazing. People get all focused on the notes with Partch but to me the magic is in how the sounds and frequencies physically affect the air. You literally feel the music. I don't think that recordings can communicate the composers intention. I went to every concert, workshop and rehearsal possible.

The screwy thing was that the school had no idea of what they had. Dean had to fight to keep his space and eventually lost out to the vocal dept. The conservatory tossed him out so that a batch of pitbulls with lipstick would have another place to gossip and screech as loudly as possible.

Its a sad world watching the guys who had such a profound role pass on. Dean Drummond was fighting the good fight.