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Zoe, excellent points about the improv 'vs' composed ideas. -Very much agree! :) As for empty scores, I too have been using this technique, (starting in 2002 at the First Women's Looping Festival) with a Repeater and an MC-505. Unfortunately, much of the PC looping software I've seen has accessibility issues with my screen reading software, so I am still using the 505, but still totally enjoy the spontaneity of doing empty scores live, as I feel it really lends a great feel to the music. I also really wanted something a bit different than the 'let's see how many loop layers we can add on top of eachother!' lol! Thanks for the post and have a great evening!... Smiles, Cara :) At 05:13 PM 9/23/2007 -0700, you wrote: >let's see...i started using the "empty score" analogy as a neat way >to describe this techie stuff to classical music people in a way they >understand. i do think of it that way, that a sequence of midi >commands IS a score, just in a different format. > >anyway, the technique is similar to what kid beyond is doing in that >we're both using midi clips within ableton live to control recording >and playback. > >differences: >1) in addition to ableton, i have 2 multi-track hardware loopers to >quickly create amorphous and layered loops >2) the "empty scores" are constructed of modules. each module is a >sequence of midi commands (anything really: record on track 2 for >four bars then fade out track 1 over the course of 8 bars; start >playing loopB on track 3 and stop all the other loops 4 bars later; >etc.). >3) the structure of a piece can be a bit like a choose-your-own- >adventure >novels. each module i can trigger with my feet, or have it >be triggered by another musical event, or string batches of them >together in another module. i can therefore change the order of >events quite easily. or arrest the sequencing and move to manual >foot control if i'm feeling like improvising the rest of the >structure. i >4) some of the the compositions are that..."composed"...and so i have >the computer execute batches of modules in a certain order. obviously >every performance is still different because i am not a machine so >the arrangements can be quite varied if i use a different bowing >style, etc. i can always arrest the progression with my feet and >switch into manual mode. for example, in one of my recent pieces i >play a long, solo composition on the cello. meanwhile, i have the >computer silently sample segments of it in the background. then, 3 >minutes in, i press a foot pedal and BANG, a whole orchestra comes in >made up of all the sampled phrases. > >i've gotten pretty fluid with the programming and the execution to >the point that now this setup is extremely freeing. i can move >seamlessly between structured and improvised bits and i can so do >much more than i could do before. most importantly i don't have to be >linear which seemed to me one of the limitations of lets-build-layers- >on-top-of-layers-looping. i still use that technique ad nauseam of >course, but its nice to have a bit more musical freedom. > >also, i don't know if this is relevant, but i don't really make a >distinction between improvised and composed parts. and i don't find >the idea of a 'score' or 'structure' to be limiting since nearly >everything i do is about working within well defined boundaries, >maybe this is the classical musician in me. playing exactly the same >composition, 4 days in a row...is no different to me than >improvisation. i mean, each day is different and i am not >experiencing the same things the same way every day. so the music >will mean whatever it does at that particular moment, a moment which >can never be duplicated. don't know if that makes sense. but whether >or not i choose to improvise in the middle of a composition, is also >about what is happening right at that moment. i'm happy to have >finally found a method of playing that allows me to do that. > >one of my favorite "games" to play now is to take an empty score of a >particular composition, and then play different music into it. the >computer takes care of the arrangement and i just improvise and see >what happens. it's kind of like back in 2000 when i first started >playing at afterparties. i would play and my electronic music friends >would sample and manipulate me, and then i would react to that. but >now I AM IN CONTROL...HA HA HA (fade evil laughter) > >i'm sure other people are doing this too. > >On Sep 23, 2007, at 12:37 AM, J E wrote: > >>Hey Zoe, >> >>Not to make you blush more, but I've got to second the >>awesomeness comment. More than just impressed, I went >>and checked out your music, and its just plain great >>:). >> >>So, I don't know how much this is about the mics now, >>but I noticed that you say you use a >> >>"empty-score" (a blank musical framework in the form >>of pre-programmed midi sequences that I then play the >>music into) >> >>I've been experimenting with this idea, and was >>wondering, do you have the midi sequences as freely >>callable tools at your disposal (i.e. non-sequentially >>individually callable) or is the form locked in, and >>it varies more by what you play each time into the >>"empty-score". >> >>I was thinking through this idea with Kid Beyond over >>the summer, as one of his songs, 'Cathedrals', is more >>or less an empty score in ableton, that takes the >>input material and midi clips it around to form the >>song. At the far extreme you could even predeterimine >>the song as one giant clip, which would require you to >>know when to play what, but after you hit start, would >>not require foot switching etc. >> >>This of course is an extreme, and would be very >>limiting to amount of improvisation involved, but its >>a neat to look all the way to the end of the spectrum. >>I could also imagine a world, where composers of >>"empty-scores" could share their scores with other >>musicians, who could learn how to play them and come >>up with entirely different music, that would still be >>bound together to the fundamentals of the empty score >>loop architecture. You could even write some stuff >>down on a piece of paper, a "real" score to help an >>artist learn your "empty" score. >> >>What seems cool about the idea is not so much the >>codifying and reductionist thinking, but the concept >>that through speaking a common language, people could >>start sharing their architectures they've developed, >>their empty scores, with eachother, allowing us to be >>simultaneously loop players, of our own scores and >>other's scores, but also loop composers, of scores to >>share with other loop musicians. >> >>So, related to that idea, I was wondering, to you, or >>anyone else who's been working with these ideas, how >>much of your empty score is predetermined, and how >>much is left flexible ussually? What types of things >>do you program into those midi sequences (midiclips? >>Do you use ableton?). Looping changes? Bringing back >>old parts? Fade outs? Effects? >> >>I'm been working on this myself, using midiclips in >>ableton, but I've been stuggleing with setting up the >>architecture in a way that encourages creativity as >>opposed to giving me either too much to think about, >>or made me feel like I was playing in a box. >> >>Cheers, >>Jesse >> >> >> >>--- Zoe Keating <cello@zoekeating.com> wrote: >> >>>*blush* thank ye! >>> >>>hey, we all start somewhere. and even if music can >>>only be "hobby", >>>it is no less valid. >>> >>>my first looping gig was at y2k2 and i was so >>>nervous i could hardly >>>hold the bow. my most recent gig was on jay leno, on >>>tuesday (but not >>>looping alas...). >>>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_GHbuFlya4 >>> >>> >>>On Sep 22, 2007, at 9:52 AM, Chris D'Errico wrote: >>> >>>>By the way, I checked out your website & you're >>>amazing. >>>> >>>>My latest "project" is called "Sidewalk Beggar", a >>>humble >>>>undertaking considering your accomplishments. >>> >> >> >> >> >>______________________________________________________________________ >>______________ >>Got a little couch potato? >>Check out fun summer activities for kids. >>http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=oni_on_mail&p=summer+activities >>+for+kids&cs=bz > > > > > >-- >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: >269.13.30/1030 - Release Date: 9/25/2007 8:02 AM --- View my on-line portfolio at: http://www.onemodelplace.com/CaraQuinn "The only things I really think are important, are love, and each other. -Then, anything is possible..." http://home.earthlink.net/~cara-quinn -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.13.30/1030 - Release Date: 9/25/2007 8:02 AM