Fog Walk
The goal of this piece take something that I had already created and twist it into
something completely new and unrecognizable from what it was before in both meaning and sonic quality. I took two measures, one of piano and one of mallets, from an upbeat piece I had written previously and built this entirely new piece from these. Morphing and altering the 6second clips of audio to generate all the sounds for the piece.
-This song is a story. Sometimes, when I am back in my hometown, I like to get up after
midnight and go for a walk. A short way behind my house, passing the bug lights and
streetlamps you can find winding pathways and trails leading back into the empty hills for miles
and miles.
-To get to the hilltop you have to walk through a dense cave-like abyss formed from
tree trunks and canopies. It is intensely dark and ominous, so dark that it feels like your breath is
being sucked out of you.
-Once you pass through the dark gauntlet, the asphalt fades into dirt and
gravel. This next part of the journey is an arduous climb to the top of the hill. By the time you
crest the top of the hill, the blood is pumping in your head and it is easy to feel winded.
-At the top of the hill you can stand in a circle of moonlight and overlook the entire city
outlined in yellow street lights. You can see over the dark choppy bay water and the Benicia
bridge, lit up like a belt of constellations.
-The December walks are particularly special because
of the fog. If you listen you can hear the fog horn call out over the water, and if you time it right
you can see the fog rolling in from the bay to cover the entire town like a blanket. Seeing the fog
wisp up into a grey mass and slowly seep into the streets and avenues is one of the most beautiful
things that I have ever seen. I hope that this piece can capture even a wisp of those cold
December nights for you.
Fog Walk Graphical Score
Fog Walk was performed live at the "New Music Symposium" in Chico 2018
RainForest
In David Tudor's words: "Instruments, sculpturally constructed from resonant physical materials, are suspended in free space; each instrument is set into sonic vibration through the use of electromagnetic transducers . . . The sound materials used to program the instruments are collected from natural scientific sources and are specific to each instrument, exciting their unique resonant characteristics. The excited resonances are routed to a conventional audio system by the use of one or more pick-ups attached to each instrument."
Rainforest exhibit 2017 was a collaborative project based on Brian Tudors famous piece and hosted in Chico California. Various objects were prepared and suspended in space throughout a room. Different sounds were routed to these objects via hand built vibrational speakers in order to create both a unique individual experience as well as a cacophony of sound through the combination of all the objects in the room. Guests were encouraged to move freely through the exhibit. My personal contribution was a large blue oil drum which played sounds representing the elements of water, wind, earth and fire.
Algorithmic Music
This project uses Tune Toys source code written in keykit in order to algorithmically derive music based on a set of parameters that are defined by imputed poetry. Meaning all of the songs notes, rhythms and articulations were generated by a computer based on algorithmic equations. The form and sound themselves were crafted by the artist by rearranging the computer generated motives and programing simple FM and simple waveform synthesizers. This is not a computer trying to generate "human sounding music" but an experiment that seeks to see how a computer will generate music when influenced by an input source.
Source code used
Rise and Fall
The following is a generative process inspired by John Cage's Fontana Mix and the music of changes by John Cage. Composed in 1951 for pianist and friend David Tudor. The purpose of this exercise is to generate a set of data for the user to then interpret artistically through music of any other medium
Process:
Eight coins are dropped into a large, deep bowl of water. The coins are 2 Quarters, 2 Nickels, 2 Pennies, and 2 Dimes. The exact coins do not matter so long as each subsequent pair of coins decreases in size. Drop the coins from the same height into the bowl. The position in the bowl that you release the coin from is indicated in the circle to the left of the chart (for example the first large coin is dropped directly into the center of the bowls x and y axis and the second large coin is dropped slightly above it, still centered on the x axis but higher on the Y axis) Notate where each ends up resting on the circles to the right of the chart. Start a stopwatch as you release the coin, observe the way in which the water moves in the bowl at different times after the drop. You should be observing the point on the side of the bowl where the water meets the air and watching as it rises and falls. Look for a rhythms, fluctuating height of the water, pattern in which the water moves, and the time it takes for the water to become still once again. Once the water is completely still, repeat the process with the next coin.
Example
Performance:
Once you have the data, distribute it to your players. It can be played on any instrument and with any number of performers. Performers can choose which part they want to read. They may choose to follow the part of a single coin or they may choose to read a pair of coins one after the other(such as reading from quarter one followed by quarter two), or they may choose to read a pair of coins at the same time if they have an instrument capable of doing so. Focus on how you are blending with other players. Look at the shape and characteristics of your waveforms. Is it constant? Does it form a rhythm? Is it shaky? Is it broken or unbroken? How tall is it? How wide is it? Use these factors to influence your pitch, rhythm and most importantly VOLUME and dynamic. Also take note of where your coin was dropped and where it ended up landing in the bowl and how it lines up with the other coins dropped after it. The numbers along the top of the grid represent seconds, however they can be applied to whatever linear scale the conductor decides. The conductor can start the piece and end the piece however the performers must internalize the time on their own.
Twelve-tone technique
Method using the Twelve-tone technique by Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951) of the Second Viennese School.
Tone Row and Matrix
Score
Snow Song
Impulse Response
I used custom impulse responses to capture a plate type reverb using: baking sheets, rolls of of stretched out tin foil and other plate like objects. I subsequently suspended each pate surface between packing tubs and used a vibrational speaker and a piezo pickup. I ran a 10 second frequency sweep through the the objects deconvolved them so that I could use their impulse responses to emulate reverb through "Space Designer". I got interesting effects that added harmonics and even had a rhythmic response to things like drums. Additionally, an IR of Zing hall in Chico was also generated using Genelec Monitors and various microphones.
Baking Sheet Plate
Zing Hall
Physical Modelling Synthesis
Physical modelling synthesis is a fairly new form of audio synthesis, first surfacing for commercial purposes in 1994. It involves an audio synthesis method where a waveform is generated using a mathematical model, to simulate a physical source of sound. This method aims to replicate laws of physics that govern how sound is created acoustically. Physical material, shape, dimensions, and size of the instrument, natural resonance, how the instrument is played (struck, plucked, bowed etc.) and many other parameters are all taken into account. For this piece, extensive physical modelling with "Sculpture Synthesizer" was used in order to emulate and create instruments that do not or cannot exist in the physical world.
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Purification
Narrative in 5.1 surround
The intention of this piece was to utilize the surround field and practice 5.1 mixing. The piece was generated from a narrative inspired by a picture and with sounds sourced from the bath.
See picture here
https://nuuti.deviantart.com/art/Purification-726228943
Sound generation
Additionally, as an added quirk to the song, I set the task of recording ALL of the sounds in this project from the bath. The sounds of running water, shower curtains, sinks, drawers, hitting the tub and curtain rod with spoons, scrub brushes, sponges and tooth brushes etc. All were captured on a Tascam DR-05 or an AKG 214. The sounds were then heavily edited in the Musique concrete style. The one exception to this is 3 different Penny Whistles (one in G, one in C, and a third in D). However to keep with the theme, the whistles were still recorded from within the bathtub.
Narrative
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-Deep within the depths of the ocean there is noise all around you. You hear sounds both mysterious and oppressive; this is not a place for humans.
-A rumble, at first distant (below you) but drawing ever closer. The great sea dragon is stirring in the canyons of the ocean bed.
-The beast swims around you, stirring the waters and bellowing out its call. The sea dragon is troubled by something.
- Up through the waters the beast shoots, past the glittering reefs. A deep slow melody plays the sea dragons motif alongside the beast’s low roars.
-Now the perspective shifts, a small sandy village on the coast. A conch blows a warning to the villagers, who go about their daily routine and rhythm, that something is wrong.
- The village elects to send 3 children to investigate the disturbance.
-The three children set out. A responsible older brother, a mischievous middle sister, and a shy little brother. A different whistle represents each of the three.
-The three reach the beach and find themselves face to face with the beast. The sea dragon swims in the front as the siblings.
- The beast opens its maw, displaying its wicked teeth, a powerful breath issues forward.
- The siblings approach. Hoisting large brushes made from sanded wood and stiff hogs hair. They begin to brush the beast’s teeth. The brushing continues to mingle with the beats breathing, and the flute of the children. The brushing is all around, like you are hearing it within your own head.
-The situation is not as sinister as it first seemed. Man and beast can coexist peacefully.
-Oral hygiene is important, especially for sea beasts.
Note about 5.1
This song is meant to be listened to in 5.1 surround sound. However for demo purposes and because most people do not have easy access to a full 5.1 system, a downmixed stereo version has been made as well. You will miss out on a lot of the cool surround aspects, but you can still listen to the general. song in stereo. If you have a 5.1 setup and would like to have the full experience, a link to a WAV download is linked below. (If you listen to a 5.1 track on a stereo system parts will be missing, so only download if you have 5.1 speakers.)
5.1 Dowload: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qgev9czkvykcsli/Purification%20Surround%20Bounce.wav?dl=0
Hollow Voice
Piano variations based on a theme by Erik Satie
A rather unusual theme by Erik Satie both rhythmically and harmonically. Featuring all the eccentricities Satie was known, for such as notes being written as Tenuto and Staccato at the same time, the passage having no measure bars and no identifiable key. Hollow voice was a piece that took this motive and arranged it into several original variations for piano.
Satie's Passage
Hollow Voice (pages 1-4)
Variations on a theme from Finlandia: by Jean Sibelius
String Quartet
I took the theme from the Chico State Alma Mater, which was itself a melody borrowed from Finlandia by Jean Sibelius. I wanted to arrange the theme and then compose some variations. The first statement of the theme is a 24 bar phrase. Followed by two 8 bar variations and then a bridge section followed by another 8 bar variation, a revisiting of the theme, and a concluding statement. I consulted a choral arrangement of the song that was in the Chico State archives for general rhythm and pitch. I changed the theme to my liking, adding ornamenting, additional counterpoint parts and altering the harmonies, while still making sure that it was clearly recognizable in its first statement. I then started making new sections by copying parts from the theme, building new material on top of it and then changing the original material.
Pages 1-5
Processing center for total empowerment
Interactive instillation in Chico California.
This sound art exhibit was a collaborative effort between Andrew Barrella, Julia Manson, and Rose Xanella. The instillation was meant to isolate individuals within a group and transport them to an area of reflection. An altered Wii balance board was suspended from the ceiling. A hammock-like floating chair was then suspended from the Wii balance board and fastened to the four corner pressure sensitive plates of the balance board. Layers of thick fabric were also attached to the rig in order to isolate the participant. Upon entering the exhibit, the participant would be inclined to sit and put on a set of sound isolating headphones. After a brief introduction was played for them, they would be prompted to answer aloud several random questions such as: “what’s the first thing you look at when you wake up, what do you want to be in this moment, how do you influence those around you.” The participant’s response would be picked up by a hidden microphone and piped back into their headphones for them to hear. Using Osculator and Logic Pro’s Midi Environment programing, the participants voice would then be put through several effects in real time depending on how they were moving within the chair. The pressure sensors in the Wii balance could pick up where their center of gravity was, what side they were putting more weight on, if they were leaning forward or backwards, if they were swinging or staying still. The goal of this exhibit is to illustrate the relationship between people’s actions their words and how they influence one another, to show that even when isolated physically your opinions can have an effects on your surroundings, and to create, at times, a literal echo chamber of your own thoughts.
Exhibit Intro Audio Demo
