(9/24/95)

Improvisation:

Improvisation is instant and spontaneous composition, on an individual and/or group level. On an individual level, the music/sounds you produce are an expression of what you want to say at that moment. It's basically speaking through your instrument. Your sonic vocabulary and level of articulation are defined by your technique on the instrument. Your subject-matter and how it's presented depends on your personal musical aesthetics (which are formed usually by how much and what kind of music you have been exposed to in the past). So, if you have been exposed to many different kinds of music, you may have many different things to draw from, and your technique will help you clearly make your point or present your musical idea. However even if you have no technique, a good ear will enable the player to edit whatever 'stammering' or 'bullshit' he/she will say on the instrument.

On a group level, improvisation is a group discussion, with many voices sometimes speaking at the same time. If one person tries to make a strong statement, the others may join in on that idea, or they may reject the idea, and then there is a tactical retreat or a change of subject. Someone with a strong personality will usually try to lead the conversation and make everyone follow his subject matter, while someone who is a bit more supportive or introspective will let others speak first and follow their lead, but with their own style of speaking or opinion. Boisterous players tend to be loud and fast, always trying to be heard. Somewhat more tentative, calculating players may only play when they are sure it will contribute to the general 'discussion'. Of course, in a performance, these roles are always changing, but a general group dynamic may be identified. The beauty of improvisation is that there are no limits or rules, except those created within the group aesthetic (style). You can play anything from a strict musical genre, like country music, to just pure sound abstraction. For me, personally, the most interesting players to me can play comfortably in any of the above mentioned roles and also have a very distinctive voice. A distinctive voice means a certain personal mind-set or style of composing, as well as unusual sounds created on that person's instrument (sonic/timbral vocabulary).

Composition:

Most music in the world has been identified by melodies and harmonies and rhythms. For my music, I consider all melodies and rhythms to be of equal value. I consider all scales to be of equal value, all notes - equal value. But I consider them to be different types of 'textures'. Typically my pieces are concerned with the creation of certain textures I am interested in, which I haven't heard before, and also setting up a structure for a group of improvisors to speak in. If 5 people are all speaking at the same time, it can be great, but more likely it will be total confusion. In my structures/platforms I try to create a subject matter and a protocol for speaking, so that each player can find a place to be heard clearly. The subject manner is the content, the protocol is the form.

Of course, many of the textures and structures I use are very closely tied to my own sense of aesthetics. The music resulting from my compositions will hopefully sound interesting to me, just as my own instrumental playing and improvising will sound interesting to me.

Writing each piece is also a kind of self-education and a form of self-interrogation. Focusing on a certain musical factor and expanding it into a full-blown musical idea always makes me question and answer possibilities in what I want to do, just like in free improvisation.

Basically, the most important thing to me about music and improvisation is the ability or circumstance to express oneself honestly and effectively, and hopefully create a sense of uniqueness for both the player and the group as a whole. And to develop good interaction and communication between members of the group.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Free Improvisation : A Critique

7/31/96

In the development of improvised, non-idiomatic music, one aesthetic that has always been at the fore has been the creation of new ideas. In the beginning, one way to bring about the new "sounds" desired was the use of atonal pitch sequences with extended techniques on acoustic instruments. This was also sometimes enriched by electronic filters and re-manipulations of the acoustic sounds. Later on, improvisation also included homemade and found instruments in order to create still newer sounds. This "language" of free improvisation still has not changed to today. Basically the recordings from the 60's sound as current today as they did then. The next step must be the creation of new structures within a "free" environment. The language aesthetic (content) has been established, now the form must grow. There are basically two or three basic forms in use today: the moment-to-moment interaction style, the long-form, sequenced drones style, and the slow build-up/climax/coda style. Most improvisations take on one or the other of these three forms. In fact these forms have been in use since the 60's as well.

So what has happenned in 30 years? What should happen is that players should take the concept of improvisation to its literal heart - Spontaneous Composition. The thought and deliberation that goes into a through-composed, notated piece should not be spared when improvising freely. Improvisors have the responsibility of not only being technical masters of their instrument, but also composers of the highest order. Improvisation is not easy, in fact it is the most difficult kind of music to play correctly. In other words, to "improvise" and have fun is easy (nothing wrong with that), but to improvise in the true spirit and intent of the word (creating new sounds AND forms) is what we should strive for.

Free Improvisation Tactics (Personalities)

The Primitive - matching other players in pitch, rhythm, timbre, etc

The Sloth - creates variations of other players, still related texturally

The Conversationalist - short trades back and forth, call and response

The Painter - creates a multi-dimensional gestalt of differing layers of

sound

The Composer - creates long form structures including repeated textures in

particular sequences

The Cook - plays textures (idiomatic and otherwise) in opposition to

other players' textures for collage effect

Elements of Musical Style

1 Sequences of pitches/durations

2 Sequences of pitched noises/durations (extended techniques)

3 Sequences of types of noises

4 Sequences of attributes (textures, PS moments)

5 Sequences of sequences

6 Sequences of idioms (variations with rules)

7 Sequences of forms (moment, dynamic, structured)