What Are You Practising / Composing Now?

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  • RichardB
    Banned
    • Nov 2021
    • 2170

    Nice though. If I were you I would get hold of some better recording gear so that you can record different versions of a song and then splice between them, that doesn't work with video of course but it can give you a better idea of what to aim at (or what you were aiming at).

    Coincidentally (since Colin Wilson's book has been mentioned) I just finished an electronic piece entitled outsider. The title has more do do with the "outsider art" of the 20th century, produced by artists like Adolf Wölfli, Augustin Lesage and Carlo Zinelli, people without artistic training who in many cases were confined to mental institutions for many years. Often the work of such artists fills the entire canvas with teeming repetitive images, not unrelated (I think) to the illustrated texts found on the walls of ancient Egyptian tombs and temples. The music is a homage to these artists and fills the entire space with thousands of sounds, which often congeal into repetitive (though hardly "minimal") sequences. Interested parties may hear its first performance on 18 February at the Bangor Music Festival as part of a duo recital by myself and my OH.

    Now, back to finishing the electronic "layer" of another piece to be premiered soon, this time in Paris, by the Soundinitiative ensemble - natural causes (act 2), the continuation of an extended work based on poems by our late friend Simon Howard. Act 3 was a half-hour piece for an ensemble of 16 instruments with a brief vocal solo in the middle and was first performed in 2017; Act 2 involves eight performers and is somewhat longer (24 minutes in its preliminary version last year, 40 minutes at present, 56 in its final version next year) and involves all performers not just in playing instruments but also in singing, speaking and movement. At the same time a background of concrete and electronic sound is present almost throughout, from 8 loudspeakers in the performance space and another 4 outside it for "offstage" sounds.

    Comment

    • Joseph K
      Banned
      • Oct 2017
      • 7765

      Originally posted by RichardB View Post
      Nice though. If I were you I would get hold of some better recording gear so that you can record different versions of a song and then splice between them, that doesn't work with video of course but it can give you a better idea of what to aim at (or what you were aiming at).

      Coincidentally (since Colin Wilson's book has been mentioned) I just finished an electronic piece entitled outsider. The title has more do do with the "outsider art" of the 20th century, produced by artists like Adolf Wölfli, Augustin Lesage and Carlo Zinelli, people without artistic training who in many cases were confined to mental institutions for many years. Often the work of such artists fills the entire canvas with teeming repetitive images, not unrelated (I think) to the illustrated texts found on the walls of ancient Egyptian tombs and temples. The music is a homage to these artists and fills the entire space with thousands of sounds, which often congeal into repetitive (though hardly "minimal") sequences. Interested parties may hear its first performance on 18 February at the Bangor Music Festival as part of a duo recital by myself and my OH.

      Now, back to finishing the electronic "layer" of another piece to be premiered soon, this time in Paris, by the Soundinitiative ensemble - natural causes (act 2), the continuation of an extended work based on poems by our late friend Simon Howard. Act 3 was a half-hour piece for an ensemble of 16 instruments with a brief vocal solo in the middle and was first performed in 2017; Act 2 involves eight performers and is somewhat longer (24 minutes in its preliminary version last year, 40 minutes at present, 56 in its final version next year) and involves all performers not just in playing instruments but also in singing, speaking and movement. At the same time a background of concrete and electronic sound is present almost throughout, from 8 loudspeakers in the performance space and another 4 outside it for "offstage" sounds.
      These all sound fascinating, and I am really looking forward to the gig in Bangor (which will be broadcast on R3). I look forward to a time when these things are all made into records - if not CDs, then at least downloads (ideally both).

      Re: the recording gear - it has crossed my mind, though editing things together does seem a bit like cheating. Even if it occurs on Miles's Round About Midnight album...

      Comment

      • Serial_Apologist
        Full Member
        • Dec 2010
        • 37687

        Originally posted by Joseph K View Post
        These all sound fascinating, and I am really looking forward to the gig in Bangor (which will be broadcast on R3). I look forward to a time when these things are all made into records - if not CDs, then at least downloads (ideally both).

        Re: the recording gear - it has crossed my mind, though editing things together does seem a bit like cheating. Even if it occurs on Miles's Round About Midnight album...


        Certainly have Feb 18 pencilled in on the calendar - or whatever the date Richard's gig is broadcast.

        Comment

        • RichardB
          Banned
          • Nov 2021
          • 2170

          Originally posted by Joseph K View Post
          Re: the recording gear - it has crossed my mind, though editing things together does seem a bit like cheating. Even if it occurs on Miles's Round About Midnight album...
          Teo Macero and Miles got up to all kinds of things in the studio (for example, the end of "In A Silent Way" is the same take as the beginning, and of course On The Corner is essentially a studio construction). I think it could be an interesting compositional tool for you. Recording an accompaniment and then playing over it is another field of possibility (as in John Abercrombie's Characters).

          I don't think the 18 February date concert be broadcast for some time after that date.

          Comment

          • richardfinegold
            Full Member
            • Sep 2012
            • 7666

            Started Piano lessons after a 30 year hiatus. Currently working on Satie First Gymnopidae, and very simple arrangements of Ode to Joy, Promenade from Pictures at an Exhibition, and Jingle Bells. I plan to be able to sell out Carnegie Hall by the end of the month

            Comment

            • RichardB
              Banned
              • Nov 2021
              • 2170

              Originally posted by richardfinegold View Post
              Currently working on Satie First Gymnopidae
              That's about my level of piano playing, although those Satie pieces are deceptively hard to learn, I found - because they drift around in what seems to be a directionless way it can be quite difficult to remember what comes next, at least if you're me and you can't play at all without looking at your hands the whole time. (I had a few piano lessons when I was 19 which turned into composition lessons when it became clear I wouldn't be practicing enough to make much headway.)

              Comment

              • Joseph K
                Banned
                • Oct 2017
                • 7765

                Originally posted by RichardB View Post
                Teo Macero and Miles got up to all kinds of things in the studio (for example, the end of "In A Silent Way" is the same take as the beginning, and of course On The Corner is essentially a studio construction). I think it could be an interesting compositional tool for you. Recording an accompaniment and then playing over it is another field of possibility (as in John Abercrombie's Characters).

                I don't think the 18 February date concert be broadcast for some time after that date.
                Yes, of course I knew about Miles's later use of the studio as an instrument, but only mentioned Round About Midnight since it is (I think) the only album of straight-ahead jazz where Miles uses editing, or at least is one of them. The idea of recording an accompaniment and playing over it appeals - I do have a loop pedal currently gathering dust in my room, at some point I will figure out (i.e. read the instruction manual) how to use it!

                Comment

                • Joseph K
                  Banned
                  • Oct 2017
                  • 7765

                  video, sharing, camera phone, video phone, free, upload


                  Comment

                  • RichardB
                    Banned
                    • Nov 2021
                    • 2170

                    Originally posted by Joseph K View Post
                    only mentioned Round About Midnight since it is (I think) the only album of straight-ahead jazz where Miles uses editing
                    Actually that's something I didn't know.

                    Comment

                    • Serial_Apologist
                      Full Member
                      • Dec 2010
                      • 37687

                      Used to hear that tune a lot back in the 60s - must give it a try: thanks for the unintended recommendation, along with the rendition, Joseph K!

                      Comment

                      • richardfinegold
                        Full Member
                        • Sep 2012
                        • 7666

                        Originally posted by RichardB View Post
                        That's about my level of piano playing, although those Satie pieces are deceptively hard to learn, I found - because they drift around in what seems to be a directionless way it can be quite difficult to remember what comes next, at least if you're me and you can't play at all without looking at your hands the whole time. (I had a few piano lessons when I was 19 which turned into composition lessons when it became clear I wouldn't be practicing enough to make much headway.)
                        It sounds deceptively easy, but it is definitely challenging my limited abilities

                        Comment

                        • Joseph K
                          Banned
                          • Oct 2017
                          • 7765

                          Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
                          Used to hear that tune a lot back in the 60s - must give it a try: thanks for the unintended recommendation, along with the rendition, Joseph K!
                          You're welcome. This is my favourite version -

                          Album: The Sesjun Radio Shows 2011 by Bill EvansBill Evans: PianoBass: Marc JohnsonDrums: Joe LaBarberaHarmonica: Toots Thielmans


                          Comment

                          • Serial_Apologist
                            Full Member
                            • Dec 2010
                            • 37687

                            Originally posted by Joseph K View Post
                            You're welcome. This is my favourite version -

                            Album: The Sesjun Radio Shows 2011 by Bill EvansBill Evans: PianoBass: Marc JohnsonDrums: Joe LaBarberaHarmonica: Toots Thielmans


                            And a toot for Toots!

                            Comment

                            • Dave2002
                              Full Member
                              • Dec 2010
                              • 18019

                              Spending far too much time (arguably) with DAWs, sound libraries, and trying to get MuseScore 4 working - which it does sometimes, but other times goes completely off the rails.

                              Briefly went back to the Sibelius trial - which I guess I'll have for another few weeks. The interface seems a complete mess, but I guess it's still one of the top notation systems, and it may overcome some problems with others.

                              I like the Bluesette version above upstream.

                              Comment

                              • Joseph K
                                Banned
                                • Oct 2017
                                • 7765

                                Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post
                                I like the Bluesette version above upstream.
                                Probably a silly question but do you mean me or Bill Evans?

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