Solo for Amplified Window
Solo for Amplified Window is a brief, focused exploration into the problems of realization and notation in performance, expressed through the rich acoustic properties of a simple physical system: a large glass window fit with piezo discs and loose guitar strings.
This instrument derives its complexity from the mere act of amplification; it does not rely on elaborate signal processing or sensor interfacing. The performer is to realize a graphical score which has been algorithmically generated anew prior to each performance. The notation prescribes the motion of a large stone ball along the surface of the glass. The instrument has been designed to accentuate the event of a mistake-- during which the ball knocks against the frame of the window-- while the algorithm that generates the score is an attempt to build a musical arc out of the possibility of failure.
debut
7th annual NIME performance at Exit Art, December 2008
meta-notation
play silences of various duratons
if you have made a sound, you have made a mistake
make mistakes
graphic scores
generated 9:32 12.1.08
generated 9:45 12.1.08
generated 10:12 12.1.08
realizing the scores
Each circle in the score corresponds to a figure to be traced by the ball. Time is expressed in arcs of the unit circle for easier reading when paired with an analogue clock. The figure's complexity is determined by the number in the center of the circles. A figure's complexity derives from how many loops it contains. The performer may decide how to complete the required number of loops in the given amount of time. For example, a circle has one loop, a figure-eight has two, and so fourth. A figure of complexity 4 may be realized in a few different ways, depending on context, including four single circles, two figure-eights, a three-looped figure plus one circle, etc... As the number of required loops increases per unit time, the difficulty also increases.
The goal for the performer is to complete the tasks smoothly and continuously. As the figures become increasingly difficult, the performer is increasingly likely to strike the window frame with the ball, causing a distinct ringing sound. The dynamics processing applied to the contact noise ensures that the change is in terms of timbre and not amplitude. The piece sounds a lot richer in person. I hope to put a sound recording of reasonable quality up here soon.