Carnival Dawn: An Approach to Cross-Cultural Musical Fusion in Times of Change

Abstract

Carnival Dawn is a work for percussion ensemble written by British composer Adam Walters in response to a pre-pandemic commission by American percussionist Joshua Watkins. Originally intended to be performed live, Walters and Watkins, colleagues on the music faculty at The University of Trinidad and Tobago, reconsidered and refashioned the piece during the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to make it appropriate for online participation by music students. This article describes the national musical context, examines elements that moulded the composition such as aspects of Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival culture and western classical sonata form, and discusses the educational benefits of bespoke new music commissions. It also details the ways Carnival Dawn utilised current technological possibilities to become a vessel for student participation and collaboration that has the potential to connect people musically during times of social distancing occasioned by a pandemic.  Accompanying this paper is an audio recording of Watkins playing the musical examples notated in the text below. Additionally, Watkins’ recording of the first section of the Carnival Dawn reference track can be heard at the following link, which includes a scrolling score: https://youtu.be/ILXl3W6RFo8.