How to make music with data!
Introduction
I will try to explain in this article a recent experience/research test I did in participatory composition/performance and try to give you a short and simple “Tool-kit/example” on how you could do it yourself as a teacher, student, music lover etc.
General Description
During my studies at CRI-Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire in Paris I was approached by Imane Baïz project manager of DITO’s-Do It Together Science(European Project) to do a concert for the ECSF-European Citizen Science Forum with the subject of participation and interaction.https://www.facebook.com/340423209419902/videos/1010208262441390/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED
Particularly from a composer/performer point of view I found it interesting to try to give examples of relationships of data and music, and explore new ways of composition and performance with the audience.
I think it is a good opportunity to combine interaction and technology to empower and encourage people to make music, and try to break the barier between performer and audience.
Inspiration
I was inspired from “Living room music” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soHjrfr1Yvw by John Cage and other composers of the 20th century which deals with compositional tools connected to chance, data and Olafur Arnalds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnTMMKD_AJI, Bobby McFerrin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZEjUhJ_nPc among other artists that use audience participation.
So I made a hybrid concept out of these two ways of making music with the aim to show how oen could make music with data and empower people without a musical background to approach music more easily.
The “50/50 method”
In order to achieve this I made a concept I call “50/50:.
50/50 relates to the idea of making “incomplete” compositions:
- 50% of the musical structure and musical guidelines are prepared and composed by me and
- 50% of the music, arrangement and performance is composed on the spot by the audience.
The program of the concert that I prepared contained 5 musical works that I composed and we performed, and the interactive composition and performance part by the audience was achieved by using :
1. — Smartphones(Cosima app of Ircam https://apps.cosima.ircam.fr/checks/)
2. — Sound recording apps
3. — Percussive objects from the hall
4. — Voice
I prepared beforehand clear guidelines on how to organize the whole interaction and directed the performance with hand signals and spoken indications during the performance.
Tool-kit
So now on to the practical example!
To realize the “50/50 method” you will need :
- 1. Performance signals that will make the connection between you and the audience and will help you direct the different parts of the musical events.
- 2. Create a core concept for each piece with clear indications on what each 50% represents.
- 3. Within the concept define what 50% how its prepared and used within the context of the performance.
- 4. Prepare “1st 50%” which is the actual pre-composed parts you need to write and structure in advance.
- 5. Prepare the “2nd 50%” which is the framework,structure and guidelines for the audience participation.
PERFORMANCE SIGNALS
Dynamic and selection signals
Core Concepts
Here you have the example for the concert that I prepared, you can change this and add your concept and use the 50/50 template that you can have as an example here.
(For more details on the complete guidelines, the compositions, performance guidelines and all other notes neccecary to facilitate the performance, that I followed and used to direct the audience I will post a separate document in the CRI-Fb page.)
- Wooden bird dance conversation with Satie
(Video Extract from the concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL4c4uMj52k&t=26s)
A homage to both composers in a symbolic attempt to create a musical conversation between both figures this piece was inspired by Ravel’s fascination of “fake objects” and especially fake replicas of birds and the harmonic language of Erik Satie.
50/50 template
50% — pre-composed music in the style of Erik Satie
50% — audience arranging and performing birds sounds with smartphone(Cosima app- Ircam https://apps.cosima.ircam.fr/checks/ in 3 bird groups.
2.Drone Ocean
(Video Extract from concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duPfZB6bg1c)
I wanted in this piece to encourage sound recording and use of voice and collective listening/performing.
50/50 template
50% pre-composed layers of harmony
50% “audience synthesizer” — 3 audience groups separated into 3 different musical notes, sampling their voice, looping it and singing on top of it.
3.Tale of a short distance phone call
(Part 3 and 4 of the concert were connected for practical reasons for the concert and performed as one piece together with the mentioned elements)
(Video Extract from concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjb-2CvWilE)
Here I wanted a “dramatic instant narrative” device, a kind of composition with text that is based on a subject of choice on the spot and manipulated via effects to create a kind of “instant musical drama”
50/50 template
50% pre composed layers of harmony in different parts and different dynamic.
50% phone call made between two participants that is connected to the sound system and manipulated through effects.
4.Wooden microfluidic dance
Inspired by John Cage’s Living room music, African percussive music and the idea of open participatory improvisation I made this active, vigorous piece encouraging the participants to use percussive objects from the space around them, do collective rhythmic exercise.
I the piece besides group play there are soloists that are chosen during the piece and groups of 2–3 invited to do solos on the keyboards and the equipment.
50/50 template
50% pre-composed rhythmic pattern, solo entries.
50% open choice of percussive objects, collective percussive playing, open solos with percussion, open duos and trios on the keyboards.
5.Data Song
(Video Extract from concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVKMQ6a3qHk)
Here the participation is slightly different.
This piece was composed on the spot from the data of the participants (birthdates, names, foot size etc) and then is later used as material where I play on top with keyboards.
The data is transcribed for the concert was different from this example, i used a fixed scale of E-flat minor that served me to compose, assign and arrange the whole piece.
You can hear this piece in the video as it is now the soundtrack of ECSF-European Citizen Science Forum made from and for the participants.
50/50 template
50% Music composed on the spot form the audiences data.
50% On the spot playing by me with keyboards on top of the music composed with the participants data.
There are many ways to do this as i mentioned before, this is one example and one that i am developing still so stick around for updates and maybe even a handbook on the topic.
