1999-2007 - Music-USA.org

Notes About he Music . . . Program
In Their Own Words (2001) is an electronic tribute to several important and influential
composers of the 20th Century: George Crumb, John Cage, and Milton Babbitt. The
piece is separated into three short movements in which sound clips from each
composer talking is electronically manipulated and morphed into a surreal electronic
landscape. Each movement also incorporates the sounds of a manipulated acoustic
instrument that, for the most part, best represents the composers' musical philosophies.
Scintillate Plectrums (2001) was composed entirely with the CSound program and was
recently the winner of the International New Music Consortium, Inc. Composition
Contest of 200 1.
Rock, Paper, Scissors was commissioned by the Of Moving Colors dance group for
their Spring 2001' production White. The music was created using the KYMA
hardware/sofbare system as well as Peak and ProTools software. First recordings
were made of rocks clacking, paper being shredded, scissors snipping, and the singer
Mayumi Yotsumoto improvising melodies on the childrens game Rock, Paper,
Scissors. Next recordings were edited and manipulated. For example a recording of the
composer saying "paper" was rhythmicized using a, drum machine, and the singer's
vocalizations were harmonized to sound like a choir and then delayed using echo
effects. Perhaps the most unusual manipulation of a natural sound involved a pair of
snipping scissors being transformed into guitar-like sounds. First rhythms were
generated using a drum machine. Next these. were resonated and tuned to create actual
pitched notes. Finally these sounds were processed using reverb, chorusing, and delay
to fatten them up. The resulting instrument sounds something like a cross between an
electric guitar and a Japanese koto. Even though some samples of actual instruments
were used, most of the sounds in the piece were created this way.
Camrdos "Canudos" was an important religious and civil war that happened in Brazil,
at the end of the 19th century. In its final moment there is a remarkable episode in
which a two thousand men army was fighting against five persons. The piece is full of
mystical elements representing the religiosity of Antonio Conselheiro, and its
crescendo depicts the increasing tension of this historical fact.
Spline (2001) is a two-minute work based on the concept of interruption and constant
change of media focus. The work uses several layers of background and foreground
activity, which create a dialogue throughout the work. Various sources of soundmedia
were used, including samples taken folk music, popular music, and art music sources.
Sarahnade
Oh No! (Music for Kenneth)
Stephen David Beck
Stephen David Beck
Pjammin ' Aaron Johnson
In Their Own Words John M. Crabtree
I. . . . influenced by those possibilities (George Crumb)
11. . ..nothing's definite (John Cage)
111. ... a tendency to talk too quickly (Milton Babbitt)
Comets Mark Francis
Lullaby Jonathan Peters
Big Chief W. T. Charles Haarhues
2 Days in the Tank William Price
Scintillate Plectrums John M. Crabtree
Rock, Paper, Scissors
Canudos
Charles Haarhues
Liduino Pitombeira
Spline William Price