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References
 Week 1/2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15





















Week 4


    
Concept description: 

IMPROVISATION

Most people consider the world of electronic music one that is dynamic and boundless. We electronic musicians are not confined to a single box with a single sound source. We do not have limits that are pre-set for us. We have to set the limits ourselves. The late producer SOPHIE questioned viewers in an interview, why wouldn’t you go electronic? You can quite literally make every sound that has ever been heard and more. As a result of this complexity, performing a set live or even producing it can feel quite rigid. Sometimes there are too many aspects to control. Every artist has a completely different approach because of the range of possibilities. 

 I think the beauty of performing live is the possibility to improvise… to be able to read the energy of the crowd and respond to it. This is the simple, but massive difference between a preplanned performance and what makes an improvisational one that much more special. Because of the choice overload, each performer must create their own system that they know as well as the back of their hand. Only then are they able to be free and improvise. Think of jazz musicians, their instrument is an extension of their own body– not only do they understand the existing rules, but they understand how to break them. Improvisation is an extension of the self, a personalized approach to sonic exploration. It is more human, more organic, and an exchange of energy rather than something that is just meant to be watched, no different than sitting in front of a TV screen. 

Background research:

Source 1 –  “My musical self portrait” - Phenomenology of musical improvisation by Viktor Kemény, Szabolcs Bandi, Dorian Vida, Mátyás Káplár, and György Révész
  • “They found that the basic dimensions of musical improvisation were anticipation, emotive communication, flow, feedback, and the use of repertoire. Both of these approaches highlighted the importance of musical practice and basic musical skills to fluently improvise and focus on performance and musical goals instead of consciously executing the actions and process necessary for those musical goals”(2). 
  • As a result of musical improvisation requiring such a high level of skill, it is easy to be fully immersed within a flow state. Making it more fulfilling for the performer, and oftentimes the audience. 
    • Especially true within groups, as each individual can trigger the other. 
    • Flow state improves self-esteem, self-actualization. Within a group, improves interpersonal communication skills.
  • Increased meaning creation/meaning attribution with musical improvisation. Think of it as communication between an infant and a parent, or a pet and their owner. Call and response, signaling without words. Each person can be communicating with their musical system and responding to another or the audience similar to a conversation.
  • Improvisation is the ultimate form of self-expression in music, “from an embodied perspective, musical improvisation represents a person’s identity complex through the connection between spontaneous musical preferences and spontaneous behavior and thought patterns”(3).
    • As someone with an intense individuality complex, the method feels perfect to me. 
  • EMERGENT THEMES SURROUNDING IMPROVISATION:
    • Self-actualization: 
      • Inspired an urge to challenge oneself
      • A need to be authentic, and express oneself musically. “Improvised music is like a self-portrait”(7). It is a picture of who you are in the now, and is an original piece. 
    • Intersubjectivity:
      • It creates an interpersonal space. “The act of spontaneous creation demands a sort of freefloating, open, and receptive attentional state toward the environment. When multiple people are receptive, this in turn can create a sense of connection between the musicians and the audience, with musical improvisation as a sort of medium for that connection”(8).
      • Make one more present, in the moment. 

Source 2 – Improvisation in Electronic Music - The Case of Vienna Electronica by Ewa Mazierska

How does an electronic artist's system enhance their ability to improvise or not? How do they improvise? What approaches are taken?
  • Multiple different approaches to improvisation based on the artist
    • For some, it means that at any moment the vibe can be switched, the next moment is never fixed (554). 
    • Others take more of a planned approach so their sound is more polished, but there is still a level of spontaneity and creating on the spot.
  • “However, it can be argued that only a musician who knows his or her instrument well can transcend its boundaries”(555).
  • Improvising in electronic music is completely different depending on the hardware used. Some approaches are more hands on, others require more menu diving, making it hard to read if collaborating with someone else. The epitome of menu diving would be using a computer and mouse. Your partner wouldn’t know what you are going to click next. 
  • Two branches of improvisation: idiomatic and non-idiomatic (555)
    • Idiomatic is contained within a genre so there may be certain rules and ways to structure it. An example with techno would be the 4x4 click, or syncopated rhythms. Studying the genre and musical approaches does well in helping one improvise. I’ll be focusing on idiomatic improvisation. 
    • Non-idiomatic is completely free, fully self-expressed and new. 
  • Electronic instruments are constantly evolving, they are becoming more and more complex while being simpler and easier to use. 
  • The branch of improvisation largely depends on the audience and their expectations. Do they want to see someone break the boundaries of what is known, or are they coming for a product? Because of this, most come for idiomatic improvisation. They want to hear this person or band’s music. 

Timeline + Workplan:

Week 4 (Now): Proposal

Week 5: System of Improvisation (Audio)
  • Develop a system that you feel comfortable to improvise with for the performance. Pick from the arsenal of gear that you own, what feels playable? What is hands on? How much do you want to prepare and how much do you want to leave to spontaneity?

Week 6: System of Improvisation (Video)
  • Look for media 
  • Create a max patch that is versatile and can be used like a swiss army knife. 

Week 7: Play, experiment, jot down patches, prepare the material that needs to be planned
  • Document

Week 8: Compile (Midterm)

Week 10: Feedback? Improve?
  • Improve based on feedback from the critiques

Week 11: Play, experiment, document
  • Document 

Week 12: Rehease (document), improve based on feedback from one on one
  • Document
  • Improve based on feedback from one on one meetings.

Week 14: Rehease (document), improve based on feedback from one on one
  • Document
  • Improve based on feedback from one on one meetings.

Week 15: Perform!