Sync by Gabriella Reyna

Sync is a vibraphone duo by percussionist and composer Gabriella Reyna and is her first work published with Liquidrum Publishing.   Program notes from the composer about the work: My goal for this piece was to tell the story of two people who know each other so incredibly well, that they fed off each other’s energies, finished each other’s sentences, mimicked each other’s mannerisms, and more. I thought the best way to achieve that would be to have the two performers share their instrument, in this case, a vibraphone, so that no matter what they played, they would ultimately be creating one shared sound. I also sought to achieve that feeling harmonically and rhythmically. For the majority of the piece, the two parts create tonal and blended harmonies. In the few instances where dissonance and “crunch” is experienced, the two parts always quickly find their way back to their “home” tonal center. This “technique” was inspired by Jacob Collier. Rhythmically, I looked more towards Steve Reich, who uses a lot of repetition and “splits” between parts to achieve a consistent overall composite rhythm. This is evident especially in the last section. Although the two parts are playing different rhythms, the overall rhythm that is heard throughout is sixteenth notes, stressing again that no matter what the other person is playing, the two parts connect and remain in sync.  I composed this piece for my good friends, Michael and Cassidy. I’m so grateful to them for asking me to write this piece for them and for their continued friendship and support!  Total duration is ca. 4:45 Instrumentation: shared vibraphone Specs: 1 score, 2 parts, 11h x 8.5w About the Composer: Gabriella Reyna is a percussionist, educator, and composer who has a strong passion for artistic collaboration. Throughout her career, Reyna has collaborated with composers: Jason Treuting, Ivan Trevino, Chris Cerrone, Jordan Jinosko, Omar Thomas, and Frank Ticheli. Her performance highlights include performing with the Baylor Percussion Group at PASIC 2018 and performing with the UTSA Percussion Ensemble at PASIC 2024, both in Indianapolis, Indiana. In July of 2023, Reyna attended the So Percussion Summer Institute in Princeton, New Jersey, where she was able to learn from members of So Percussion, collaborate with percussionists & composers from all over the world, and be a part of three world premieres for percussion chamber pieces. In the summer of 2024, Reyna served as an Assistant Percussion Coordinator at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan, working under Keith Aleo. There, she ran the logistics for all percussion moves on campus and had the opportunity to perform under the baton of Dr. Steven Davis, Director of Bands at UMKC Conservatory, as well as collaborate and perform with percussionists Keith Aleo, Kramer Milan, Karlyn Viña, Ethan Strickland, Bella Scotti, & Emilio De Leon. Lastly, during her time in Interlochen, she was also able to perform with the Traverse City Philharmonic. Reyna attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas to pursue her Bachelor of Music in Music Education. During her time there, she had the pleasure of learning from Todd Meehan, Chris Sies, Ivan Trevino, and Edward Taylor. In May of 2025, Reyna earned her Instrumental Performance Graduate Certificate from the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she was a student of Paul Millette & Sherry Rubins. During her time at UTSA, Reyna also frequently performed with the Mid-Texas Symphony, where she serves as their Education Coordinator. In August of 2025, Reyna will continue her studies at Pennsylvania State University working towards her Master of Music Performance degree. There, she will study under Dr. Lee Hinkle, and serve as a Graduate Assistant for the university’s Blue Band. www.greynamusic.com