25 Symbols or Less!

Oh Pierre!

(Ashley DiStefano Mary Catherine Peter Di Tenório DeAntonio/Eric Haltmeier/Paul Scea)

Landmarks [“L” in one hand and a number of fingers in the other]

Predetermine Groups

Particular Modes

Endings

Anything else

Intuitive Musical Calls (some borrowed from Soundpainting)

Start [conduct]

Stop [ conduct]

You [point to person]

With [cross forearms]

Continue [false start in football]

Drone [straight line palm down horizontal movement]

Change what you are doing [letter C]

Up or Down [back of hands up or down]

Freedom [make a diamond with both hands]

Audio Stutter [fist on palm/fist off palm to start and stop](= Soundpainting “Stab-Freeze”)

Hit [short conducting motion]

Like Instruments [mimic instrument, as in play air trombone to indicate all trombones]

Sound Memories [point to head and hold up finger](3 maximum)

Groove [finger snapping]

Swing [like a yo-yo]

Extended Techniques [fists together then pull fists apart horizontally]

Spiraling [forefinger up and spiraling motion](“ordered cartoon trades”)

Events [“E” with fingers + number of events in the other hand]

Long/Short [distance between thumb and forefinger]

Fader

tempo [“T” followed by fader]

volume [“V” followed by fader]

Notes:

Wizard/Monkees/Performers

Finished Audio Product/Separate Video and Audio

10-20 players per group

multiple 8 minute pieces

TO DO:

1 Get Arthur up to speed-he's onboard now. He need the finished piece to begin rehearsal. I'll take care

of that via Skype.

2 Complete notion of columns -DONE

3 Create symbols – Are we there?

4 Come up with individual rehearsal schedules

5 Determine tech rehearsal

6 Determine dress rehearsal

7 Determine performance date

Your Brain on Improvisation

Other folks doing some cool work...

More thinking about 'Columns'

In thinking some more about the columns for 'CD-SIDE', I was trying out some improvisation in some instrumental lessons and ensembles this week. In trying to break things down into the simplest and most 'objective' ways of dealing with sound, I built upon what we had been discussing by using the following sets of opposites:
Soft/Loud
Slow/Fast
Short/Long
Low/High
Empty/Full (thinking in terms of space or density)
...also wondering about...
Even/Uneven (with steady pulse/without steady pulse)

Experimented in using the 'volume' cue (from Soundpainting), but applying it to any one (or even combinations of) the above opposites. Students of all levels seem able to successfully follow these cues, and in doing so are also able to reflect on how they sometimes combine elements together without realizing it (i.e. when they play fast they, tend to play loud, etc).

This led to some interesting discussion about using more subjective opposites in their improvisation (i.e. happy/sad, bright/dark, lazy/energetic, silly/serious). We did try out improvising using the subjective opposites with the 'level cue' arm gesture. The musical results were interesting and led to some good reflective discussion regarding which of the 'Simple opposites' they found themselves working with in order to create in a more abstract way.

Just wondering if/how this way of thinking in opposites might/might not play into the cue system. Also makes me think of the Cobra 'crossfade' cue and it how might apply. And also keeps me thinking further about some kind of 'sound board' where the various cues might live (as opposed to hand signals in order to request cues).

Just food for thought...

Notes from First Video Conference

Here Are Some Ideas For Columns:

Who

"You"

Predetermined Groups

Simple Sound Descriptions

Soft

Loud

Long

Short

Fast

Slow

Musical Roles

Melodic

Harmonic

Rhythmic

Textural

Special Symbols

Continue

Start

stop

"with"

Change

Up or Down

Total Freedom

Sound Memories

One

Two

Three

Effects

Drone

Swing

Groove

Extended Techniques

Spiraling (Ordered Cartoon Trades)

Hit/Chord Memory

Audio Stutter

Dorian Mode

Lydian Mode

Notes:

Wizard/Monkies/Performers

Predetermined Landmark Calls

Finished Audio Product/Separate Video and Audio

10-20 players per group

multiple 8 minute pieces

TO DO:

get Arthur up to speed

complete notion of columns

create symbols

come up with individual rehearsal schedules

determine tech rehearsal

determine dress rehearsal

determine performance date

International Improvised Music Archive

A nice resource for articles dealing with improvisation in music. Includes reviews, improvisation games, and historical articles.

LINK

Improv Game #1-Musical Mad Libs

Musical MAD LIBS

- A blank MAD LIBS sheet is projected on the board. There are many websites that offer free MAD LIBS for students, such as http://www.classroomjr.com/printable-mad-libs-for-kids/. Word clues such as nouns, verbs, adjectives; should be replaced by descriptions of sounds, instruments to be used, dynamics or other improvisational cues that has been used in the class room. Some cues for example:

Spoken Event (3 times)

Staccato Xylophone

Forte Female Voices

All voices whisper

Tribal rhythm on percussion instruments

Beatbox Male Voices

Sing your favorite nursery rhyme

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES!

***The teacher prompted cues should be used as an introduction. The larger goal of the activity is for students to develop their own cues in order to replace the word cues in the MAD LIB. Students may use the word clues as inspiration for their musical cues, i.e. “How would you make a verb sound?”

Students should perform the MAD LIB as an "Improv Ensemble", the teacher or student volunteer will read (or sing) the MAD LIB story while the class performs the musical cues that occur throughout.

Below is a MAD LIB example that my 4th grade general music classes performed:

"The Snow Globe"

I have a magic snow globe. It was given to me by (Whispers) who lives in (3 Events). It’s magical because when I shake it (All instruments/voices <>), it (Staccato playing). Then I can pretend to go to (Sing Holiday Songs). But when I shake it (Vocal Sound Effects), the snow globe (Staccato Instruments).

One day not long ago, when I shook the globe, something really (2 Forte Events) happened. In fact, it was so (Legato Voices) that I called (Cartoon Order) so I could share the news. This person thought it was (Duet with partner) He called the (Speech >).

A reporter came to my house to see the globe for herself. Now the globe is (character order holiday song clips), and so am I!

The End...

More reading...

The Shape of Education to Come: Improvisation and Critical Pedagogy
by David Bell

LINK

Scott Thomson - 'The Pedagogical Imperative of Musical Improvisation'

LINK to the Thomson article in 'Critical Studies in Improvisation'