13.0.0.0.0. for timpani, Lev, and video.

This piece was written for virtuoso percussionist Peter Jarvis, who premiered it on February 27, 2008 during the New Jersey Percussion Ensemble's 40th anniversary concert at William Patterson University. Mr. Jarvis subsequently performed it at SUNY Purchase College Conservatory of Music, and at the 11th Biennial Symposium on Arts and Technology: New Creativity, held during February 28 and March 1, 2008 at Connecticut College.

The Maya based their calendrical system on a methodical study of the apparent movement of celestial objects such as Venus, the sun, the moon, and the Milky Way (the "Tree of Life"). They also developed the only full writing and numerical system in the Americas, which they used to record their observations in extremely accurate astronomical tables. These predicted, among other things, lunar eclipses and seasonal solstices, and resulted in a very complex time-keeping system of several interlocking cycles such as the Haab (365 days), the Tzolkin (260 days), and the Venus cycle (584 days). Their Long Count system recorded larger cycles of time, consisting of 13 cycles of 144.000 days each. 13. 0. 0. 0. 0. refers to the end date of the Long Count's last cycle -- which will be the winter solstice of December 21, 2012. The Maya recorded their history and knowledge in books known as codices, most of which were burned in the 16th century as part of the process of conversion to Christianity. The three codices that survived were taken to Europe, where they are known today as the Dresden, Paris, and Madrid codices.

Pictures amd video clips of Peter Jarvis performing 13.0.0.0.0. can be accesed from the multimedia page, or from the links below:

Peter Jarvis performs 13.0.0.0.0. at William Patterson University.

Peter Jarvis performs 13.0.0.0.0. at SUNY Purchase College Conservatory of Music.

11th Biennial Symposium on Arts and Technology: New Creativity.