Music 312/412 Mini-Etude #4: Chamber Ensemble and Dance Collaboration (Spring 2009)

Guidelines/Requirements

For this etude you will collaborate with your fellow composers and members of Prof. Emily Coates's Advanced Dance Composition class (THST 387b).

Each collaborative group will consist of several composers and one/two choreographers. Together you will come up with a concept for a 6 to 8 minute work based on the theme of 'storytelling.' The requirements for your collaborative project are:

1. Stories - required: an investigation of storytelling designed and implemented collaboratively by composers and dancers.

2. Voice - required: sampled, performative voice(s) that are composer-recorded, edited, sampled and then played live from a Reason rack via a MIDI keyboard controller.

3. Percussion - required: pre-sampled, performative percussion patche(s) played live with the Roland Handsonic HPD-15 Percussion controller.

4. Live Video - required: live video feed of dancer(s) that is mixed and processed live from a MaxMspJitter patch via Game Pad controller(s).

5. Choreography - required: pre-prepared choreography for 1 to 5 dancers.

6. Digital instrumental(s) - optional: pre-sampled/synthetic instrumental patch(es) that are played live from a Reason rack via a MIDI keyboard controller.

7. Live instrumental - optional: a single, live instrumental performer (NOT piano).

8. Pre-prepared Video - optional: pre-prepared video clips that are mixed and processed live from the same MaxMspJitter patch via Game Pad controller(s).

Each group of composers will then complete a fully-notated score clearly showing all aspects of the collaborative work.

Required Collaborative Group Sessions

All meetings will take place at 294 Elm Street, the Third Floor Rehearsal Studio. This is located about 1 block east of Tyco Copy above Trailblazer Sports.

Group Session #1: from 1:00 - 3:00 pm on Friday, January 30th.
During this initial session we will overview the project, discuss 'storytelling' and narrative, dance and movement, choreography, live performance, and collaborative strategies.

Group Session #2: from 12:30 - 2:30 pm on Friday, February 27th.
This will be a work-in-progress session. The 'stories' for the project must be completed by this date/time. You must be prepared to present them in detail. Additionally, composers must "perform" a minimum of 2 minutes of sampled voice(s) along with percussion accompaniment on the Handsonic HPD-15 Percussion Controller. Dancers must demonstrate choreographic options for this music during this session. All material presented must be that which be used during the final performance.

Group Session #3: from 12:30 - 2:30 pm on Friday, April 17th.
This will be a rough-draft completed session. Your project must be finished by this date. You must be prepared to present it in detail. Include in your presentation solicitations for critique. Composers must submit a "rough-draft" of the score at this date/time. You may then make revisions in preparation for the final performance/submission.

Final Performance

The final performance of your collaborative project will take place on Friday, May 1st in a "mini-marathon" format at 294 Elm Street, the Third Floor Rehearsal Studio. Be there!

Score Requirements

The final score for your collaborative project is due Friday, May 1st.

Additional Dates for Composers

• Thursday, February 12th, 2:30 - 4:20 pm — Composer/Choreographer Project: Performative Sampling Tutorials
• Thursday, March 5th, 2:30 - 4:20 pm — Composer/Choreographer Project: Performative Video Tutorials
• Thursday, April 9th, 2:30 - 4:20 pm — Composer/Choreographer Project: Work-in-Progress Presentation

Assigned Listening/Reading/Viewing

'Story-telling' links:

1. Wikipedia — Narrative
2. Vijay Iyer — Exploding the Narrative in Jazz Improvisation

The following works explore some aspect of 'story-telling,' either implicit or explicit:

1. Sang-Bin Im — Make a Thing
2. Paul Lansky — Idle Chatter
3. Paul Lansky — Idle Chatter Jr.
4. Paul Lansky — Alphabet Book
5. Laurie Anderson — Zero and One from Home of the Brave
6. Laurie Anderson — Langue D'Amour from Home of the Brave
7. Laurie Anderson — Smoke Rings from Home of the Brave
8. Laurie Anderson — How To Write from Home of the Brave
9. Laurie Anderson — Kokoku from Home of the Brave
10. Pamela Z — Nihongo de Hanasoo from Gaijin
11. Pamela Z — other excerpts fromGaijin
12. Pamela Z — Metalvoice

Additional music and dance examples:

1. Merce Cunningham Company — Beach Birds
2. Cunningham — The Coast Zone
3. Cunningham w/ John Cage
4. Marcel Duchamp and John Cage
5. Pina Bausch — Vollmond
6. Pina Bausch — Cafe Muller
7. Bill T Jones — As I Was Saying...
8. Bill T Jones — A Quarreling Pair
9. Mats Ek and Arvo Part — Smoke
10. Mats Ek and Arvo Part — Smoke
11. Mats Ek and Arvo Part — Smoke

Collaborative Groups