'Conversations for Concert Choir'
Begin with a topic - instruct the choir to discuss the topic. They may say anything (tangents welcome). Next, instruct them to follow the conductor. Continue the piece as long as the conductor sees fit.
This piece will only work if all members of the choir are involved and MULTIPLE conversations are present. Conductors may make decisions regarding entrances (for example: Basses start, add tenors, etc...). There is absolutely no time limit for this piece, however, the piece can only be enjoyable as long as the conductor stays creative! Crescendos, Decrescendos, and articulation are the spices of music - BE CREATIVE!
Decisions regarding metrical feel are left to the conductor - however, assigning a metrical feel is NOT recommended.
Additional instrumentation is possible, but must be well thought out!"
Thats all the conductor will get to perform the piece. I came up with this today during statistics when no one would shut the hell up. The music therefore is in what the choir says AND in the audience's reaction, which will probably be uneasy shifting and quiet whispers between each other.
The mood of the piece will be set by what words the audience can pick up from the choir, for example if someone yells "SLUT" then the piece will obviously have a more negative connotation to it, but if someone yells "OH JOY!" then there may be a sarcastic or joyous tone to the work.
~Kyle Wernke~
1 comment:
Kyle,
I like the way you think. Your ideas and fresh and useful and need to be developed and spread. I would also like to encourage you to look into learning something about Soundpainting (see www.soundpainting.com), a gestural language of improvisation. I have a book entitled "Improvisation Games for Classical Musicians" (publ. December 2007 by GIA Publicaitons) that should interest you, especially the chapter on "Conducting Games"; I will paste below part of the chapter that talks about Soundpainting for conductors.
Keep up your thinking/blogging!
Jeffrey Agrell
The University of Iowa
www.uiowa.edu/~somhorn
A word about Soundpainting:
The first time I saw Soundpainting, I was flabbergasted, astonished, nonplussed. I had never heard anything like it. It wasn’t classical. It wasn’t jazz. Or folk. Or atonal avant-garde. It was extremely varied, occasionally (seemingly) chaotic and/or funny, but it was also organized (how, I could not imagine at the time): there were solos, accompaniment, ostinato figures, harmonies, long tones, even vocal sounds, and players making physical movements in synch. At one point there were even two conductors! The players seemed completely alert with attention riveted to the conductor, but also were obviously improvising. There was both madness and method, and the music produced by this chamber ensemble (about a dozen of wildly assorted instruments) was always fresh, engaging, and fascinating. My thought was “I have got to learn how to do this!” There have been other players and conductors who have experimented with rudimentary forms of gestural control of improvisation, but Soundpainting represents the most widespread and detailed system, first invented by Walter Thompson in New York over twenty years ago. There are professional Soundpainting orchestras in Europe (many), New York, Chicago, plus various ‘amateur’ Soundpainting conductors and groups around the country, including at several colleges and universities. Soundpainting is an ideal way for classical musicians to be introduced to (nonjazz) improvisation. Soundpainting is a language with a syntax, the most basic form of which is Who Plays-What to Play-When to Start-When to Stop. A well-trained ensemble will be fluent in 100-200 gestures, but a rank beginner can begin within one minute learning three gestures: play-long tone-exit. Additional gestures are learned one at a time just like a spoken language. You might start with “Me. Coffee. Now,” but with practice you will be able to say, “Excuse me. I would appreciate if you would bring me a grande mocha skinny decaf with extra whipped cream on top and cocoa powder sprinkles.” In any case, Soundpainting is very accessible and can be used with all instruments or mix of instruments at all levels of player ability, from elementary school to professional. It’s still probably easier to get training as a conductor in parts of Europe (where Walter Thompson lives at least half the year – the Europeans can’t get enough of this system) than in much of America, but everyone/anyone can learn the Basic Forty gestures from the DVD + manual available from www.soundpainting.com. Daring and progressive conductors of bands, orchestras, and choirs will quickly master the basic gestures and find Soundpainting an indispensable rehearsal brightener. And, with practice, may dare to add an entire Soundpainting piece in a concert (or add some Soundpainting within a piece). Conductors who compose may also be tempted to add windows of Soundpainting in their compositions. Soundpainting also offers a truly unique chance to involve audiences as well. Audiences will have figured out some of the basic signs after a while, and the conductor may then turn around and give the audience, say, a long tone gesture. They usually get it, and join in (vocally) in astonished delight. If not, simply turn back to the group and sign Long Tone, demonstrate how it goes, then turn back to the audience and try again. They will get it and will join in a back-and-forth (ensemble and audience) gesture duel with unconcealed glee. Conductors, you will never get more compliments than after concerts like this, where the audience actually gets to do something instead of the usual silent and motionless prescribed behavior. Want to get audiences to start returning to concerts? Add some Soundpainting (and other improvisation) to your programming.
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