Stringing it all together with Susie Ibarra

Susie Ibarra keeps a rolodex of worldly sounds at her disposal. The percussionist and drummer plays, records, and processes a number of eclectic instruments into loops and one-shots that clang and click for any genre or sound. In her words:

“For this session I brought my Yamaha maple custom 4 piece drumset and snare with wooden rims, an array of Paiste cymbals from flats, rides, crash, china and hihats, and a single and a double bass drum pedal. I brought my Philippine kulintang 8 rowed gongs, 8 rowed sarunay xylophone and wooden akayo xylophone. Alongside that I brought my Chinese opera gongs, small cymbals, Tibetan cymbals, shakers made of nuts and shells from Indonesia, Japan, Peru, Brazil, bells from Israel, Indian brass bells, Tibetan bells, Nylon and Wire Brushes, and an assortment of mallets and sticks from Vic Firth.

'One shots' are very different than recording an entire composition. Whether the composition is recorded in parts or from start to finish, it’s very different than a one shot. A one shot could be used as an accented moment, an event. In some way, I feel like it is the execution and science of delivering each sound and attack of each sound for the recording. I could think of it as providing a palette of colors for people to play with, or micro-organizing attack and sonority of each note/instrument and aesthetic. When recording a composition, I am thinking about what is needed to make it sound as great as it can in that session. It is more about the song or composition, phrasing, ensemble playing, solo moments, or embellishments, alongside playing rhythms and grooves.

Loops might feel more organic and lend themselves naturally to drumming and percussion playing. Yet playing these relatively short make it like a musical study, phrase or motif or gesture while in motion of rhythm.”