Quick links

Composition and Digital Media

This session has been developed with the goal of introducing students to the fascinating world of communal composition, music technology, sound design, improvisatory practices and interpretation of animated scores; where creativity, team group alliance, and musical sensitivity are core elements for a unique moment of exploration. Inspired in the famous “In C” by Terry Riley during the gathering, participants will be invited to create an improvisatory moment overlapping the two: an electronic component digitally designed collaboratively in class, on top of an acoustic spontaneous element, that will be the result of the performance of students when improvising pattern-like sounds emerged of the reading of a video animated score.

On the one hand, to create the digital electronic sounds, students will be requested to provide everyday sounding objects which will be recorded in class, for later being manipulated to our sonic needs while learning how to interact with computers and sound design in a delightful, entertain and artistic sonic exploration. On the other hand, we will develop a background drone-like texture made out of recorded-in-class samples of our own voice and musical instruments. To succeed on the performative section of the final piece, we will get familiar with the concept of animated scores by performing some samples, as well as designing our own according to the sounds collected, performance levels, and the total number of performers.

For the presentation portion of the session, we will perform for the audience our animated notated score in a ludic and collaborative composition. A computer software will present a live-generated visual part for performers to improvise in the moment while giving musical meaning to graphic moving shapes, randomly changing colours, flashing elements, and such. Also, the sounds created previously in class will arbitrarily cohabit with players, everything landing in our home-made electronic drone and organized by a pulse stream that for moments will resemblance an ostinato. The result will be a cacophony of acoustic and electronic textures, emerged of a collaborative session within humans and computers.