Structures of composition
Sectional: Tether
Full score (includes Sibelius 6 file)
"Tether" is an incredibly impatient, rapidly changing song for a rock ensemble. This is the kind of thing I always used to write in Sibelius, but lately I've preferred songwriting as a process of improvisation and recording. This is an attempt to make an almost totally deterministic score for a rock piece and trying to emphasise the increased experience I now have with this style of music.
"Tether" is largely based on interruption, rhythm and texture. I try to shift moods, feels or styles extremely rapidly at times. However, I wouldn't consider this an intentionally poly-stylistic piece. When I do take this score to an ensemble to play it, I'll attempt to get an overall sound that is distinctively of the ensemble. This kind of piece needs to undergo a degree of throwing around ideas with performers and the kind of specificity of sound (especially in regards to timbre) that studio time would bring.
"Tether"'s structure is intended to be eclectic and impatient, at times intentionally not developing sections for as long as they feel like they should be developed.
"Tether" is an incredibly impatient, rapidly changing song for a rock ensemble. This is the kind of thing I always used to write in Sibelius, but lately I've preferred songwriting as a process of improvisation and recording. This is an attempt to make an almost totally deterministic score for a rock piece and trying to emphasise the increased experience I now have with this style of music.
"Tether" is largely based on interruption, rhythm and texture. I try to shift moods, feels or styles extremely rapidly at times. However, I wouldn't consider this an intentionally poly-stylistic piece. When I do take this score to an ensemble to play it, I'll attempt to get an overall sound that is distinctively of the ensemble. This kind of piece needs to undergo a degree of throwing around ideas with performers and the kind of specificity of sound (especially in regards to timbre) that studio time would bring.
"Tether"'s structure is intended to be eclectic and impatient, at times intentionally not developing sections for as long as they feel like they should be developed.
Developmental: whatever I kill People
Full score (includes Sibelius 6 file)
"whatever I kill People" is a piece for wind ensemble, trumpet, tuba, marimba, metronomes and prepared audience members.
The arrangement of performers is very important, particularly in the last section. The winds and brass should be in a standard concave arrangement (crescent with the concave facing the audience), as the last section requires the tapping of keys and instrument bells to sweep from each end to the middle. The marimba player should be able to face the trumpet player, as the trumpet is the main ensemble instrument to play with the marimba. The winds and brass are arranged left-to-right in the same order as is given in the score.
Any metronome that makes a regular pulse of sound may be used, including metronomes which have strong beat (typically on beat 1 of a 4/4 bar). The number of metronomes should not exceed one hundred, nor should it be less than twenty(ish). Metronomes should all be set to different tempi between crotchet equals 70 and crotchet equals 150, with no two metronomes playing at the same tempo. The metronomes are then placed around the room, spread as even as possible. The performer, when their time arrives, should walk leisurely around the room turning on every metronome one-by-one. This also means that the duration of the piece can vary greatly depending on how many metronomes are used.
The number of hecklers in the audience will vary depending on the audience size, but it should be at least two in any performance. Five is an ideal number for concert situations. Hecklers improvise or devise their own material, flaming the piece, composer, performers and (to the least extent) audience.
Time taken to breathe for wind and brass performers is at the discretion of the performer. Performers may pause to breathe if absolutely necessary during long, sustained notes or sequences of notes, but the interruption must be brief and rhythmically tasteful within the context of the arrangement.
"whatever I kill People" is an expression of purposeless in doing and also in not doing. Its development primarily utilises process, textural change and spatial change. Bar eighteen is redeveloped in consecutive bars with parts of each melody cut and pasted elsewhere on the score and certain pitches lengthened so that in each bar the pitch set becomes more like that of the next section. The formal sections are the clustertonic section, the micropolyphonal section, the limited tone set and the pitchless section.
Back to 2013 Sem 2 Works
"whatever I kill People" is a piece for wind ensemble, trumpet, tuba, marimba, metronomes and prepared audience members.
The arrangement of performers is very important, particularly in the last section. The winds and brass should be in a standard concave arrangement (crescent with the concave facing the audience), as the last section requires the tapping of keys and instrument bells to sweep from each end to the middle. The marimba player should be able to face the trumpet player, as the trumpet is the main ensemble instrument to play with the marimba. The winds and brass are arranged left-to-right in the same order as is given in the score.
Any metronome that makes a regular pulse of sound may be used, including metronomes which have strong beat (typically on beat 1 of a 4/4 bar). The number of metronomes should not exceed one hundred, nor should it be less than twenty(ish). Metronomes should all be set to different tempi between crotchet equals 70 and crotchet equals 150, with no two metronomes playing at the same tempo. The metronomes are then placed around the room, spread as even as possible. The performer, when their time arrives, should walk leisurely around the room turning on every metronome one-by-one. This also means that the duration of the piece can vary greatly depending on how many metronomes are used.
The number of hecklers in the audience will vary depending on the audience size, but it should be at least two in any performance. Five is an ideal number for concert situations. Hecklers improvise or devise their own material, flaming the piece, composer, performers and (to the least extent) audience.
Time taken to breathe for wind and brass performers is at the discretion of the performer. Performers may pause to breathe if absolutely necessary during long, sustained notes or sequences of notes, but the interruption must be brief and rhythmically tasteful within the context of the arrangement.
"whatever I kill People" is an expression of purposeless in doing and also in not doing. Its development primarily utilises process, textural change and spatial change. Bar eighteen is redeveloped in consecutive bars with parts of each melody cut and pasted elsewhere on the score and certain pitches lengthened so that in each bar the pitch set becomes more like that of the next section. The formal sections are the clustertonic section, the micropolyphonal section, the limited tone set and the pitchless section.
Back to 2013 Sem 2 Works