Author Archives: admin

Gesture Notes

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1. “Gesture” means something

What does “gesture” mean? Google it.

What does “gesture” imply about a musical sound?

2. Effective gestures are simple but interesting

Simplicity and complexity in gestures

Mozart, Piano sonata No. 16, K. 545 (1788) (listen for the up/down scale runs—where are they going?)

In what quantifiable parameters can a musical gesture exist?

Rachmaninov, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Variation 8 (1934)

Bartok, Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, mvt. 1 (1936) (skip along to points between 0:00 and 4:20)

Britten, Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, section H: Double basses (1946)

3. My favorite gesture

Stockhausen, Kontakte (1960)

Classification & Representation Notes

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1. Traditional ways: what’s vibrating? How does sound start?

Ways of classifying musical instruments

Hornbostel-Sachs classification system

2. Scientific classifications

Quantifiable ways of describing sound in terms of frequency, amplitude envelope, spectrum, etc.

More subjective, expressive ways of describing sound

A composition with a nice variety of isolated sounds to try describing: Varèse, Poème Électronique (1958)

3. Pictograms

Also called graphic scores or graphic notation. See examples here.

Technology-Based Performers

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NOTE: Not every work you find at these links will qualify for your case study project, but these are sites where you will find many applicable works. Check the specific criteria for your case study in eCampus!

ZenMan X Performance for Video at Texas A&M University

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Screen Shot 2016-08-14 at 4.59.24 PMIn fall 2010, German Cellist Ulrich Maiß collaborated with TAMU students to create a full concert of new works using technology and improvisation as part of his ZenMan touring program. (Click here to see that performance.)

In spring 2016, Maiß returned to TAMU on his ZenMan X tour. Inspired by the recent release of performance materials by cellist and performance artist Charlotte Moorman, and reflecting on the fact that her work can now be experienced only through its documentation, often scant and poor in quality, Maiß and TAMU’s students created works of “performance for video”—live performances that consider all aspects of the live moment, created with more than just pitches and rhythms, works that were necessarily written for cello (or cellist) in some way, and whose significant features can still be experienced through its video documentation.

The entire performance is below in program order. Click each composer’s name to read artistic statements and portfolios of research, development, and creative work leading up to the creation of this performance. Continue reading →

Related posts:

Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival
Weblogmusic
A Treatise on the Æsthetic of Efforte

Shankcraft, live audiovisual sampling improvisation environment

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Animal arms
At work
Like machines

An immersive audiovisual composed improvisational environment. The performance is structured to juxtapose horizontal and vertical gestures (e.g., for percussion, rubbing versus striking). All digital sound is sampled from the acoustic instrument live during the performance. All video is a live processed feed of the performer’s arms at work, exploded into full textures that immerse the audience in the sensation of the actions that are causing the sounds they hear.

Rehearsal with Sergio Castrillón, cello (https://sergiocastrillon.com/) at Korjaamo, Sound and Music Computing Conference, Helsinki, Finland

Continue reading →

Related posts:

Weblogmusic
Live Sampling with Jazz Saxophone
Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Musiker

Raveshift

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The voice of the machine / How our devices party when we’re away: Listen to the wide variety of timbres, rhythm, and textures that come out of a simple feedback loop and ONLY a 1 second delay—no other processing besides acoustic effects of the room and moving bodies around the speakers.

Developed while in residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, at I-Park, and at the Atlantic Center for the Arts again. Premiered in four channels at the Sound and Music Computing conference (SMC) in Greater Helsinki, Finland.

Here’s a demo of the four-channel version:

Continue reading →

Related posts:

Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival
Deck for Dance and Electronically Processed Found Sounds

Technical Rider, part 2 and Rehearsal and Shoot Plans

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In addition to your continuing weekly progress reports reflecting any project-specific instructions and advice given in class (mock up recordings of your pieces!), include a the following in your next progress report, due at class time, Tuesday, April 19. Progress report is due Tuesday, April 19, but since I emailed you late about this post, you can take until class time Thursday, April 21 if you need.  Continue reading →