Study day with Jonathan Sterne
Event
18 Jun 2018
Juan Parra Cancino, Catherine Laws, Stefan Östersjö
2012 - 2014
This project seeks to pick up and refocus the inherent artistic research elements found on the collaborative work developed by Juan Parra and Henry Vega as members of the percussion and computer music trio "The Electronic Hammer", where the role of the computer and its performer was challenged, explored and developed to achieve the same level of musical nuance, expressiveness and responsibilities as traditional instruments in a chamber music setting.
The main focus of this project will be to identify and formalize the various experiences that the trio's six year of repertoire development has created, focusing on answering (among others) the following questions: What are the possible musical relationships between traditional instrument(s) and electronic set-ups? How does the inter-related roles of composer-performer-instrument designer of computer music practice work together in collaboration with 'traditional' composers and performers? How can we move from an 'emulation' model to a differentiation of skills in computer music instruments? How can the non-sounding aspects of music performance help to enhance the malleability and richness of the electronic media in a concert situation?
This research-through-practice project will aim to determine what has been learned by the two computer performers of the trio in terms of musical and technical performance development and will explore (both as duo as well as in combination with selected instrumental performers) what salient elements of the unique setting can be further developed. The final outputs will be both in the shape of a collective paper as well as a collections of musical 'etudes' (working title: Flux-Pattern # 1 -3) where aspects of "traditional instrumentality" will be contrasted with performance and musical elements that can be perceived as unique to the potential of electronic media.
Proposed Roadmap
10 work sessions between the main researchers during the period
December 2011 and October 2012: ('DH' and 'G' indicates location of the meeting, Den Haag or Gent).
1) December 16-18 2011 (DH)
2) January 20, 2012 (DH)
3) February 19-20, 2012 (with Richard Craig) (G)
4) March 9 -11, 2012 (with Catherine Laws) (G)
5) April 22, 2012 (with Catherine Laws and/or Stefan Östersjö). (G)
6) May 7-8 (with Catherine Laws and/or Stefan Östersjö). (G)
7) June 15-17 with Brice Soniano) (DH)
8) July 7-8 with Catherine Laws, Stefan Östersjö and/or Brice Soniano) (G)
9) September 14-16 Final rehearsal (G)
10) October 1-5 ORCiM Festival 2012 (G)
Public presentations of partial stages of the project:
- May 2012 Stage 1 (Trio work in progress)
- Possible output: ORCiM -York seminar, May 7-8, 2012
- June 2012, Studio Loos, Den Haag
Performance with Brice Soniano (TBC)
- July 12-14, SMC Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark (Proposal Submitted)
October 2012 Stage 3 ( final piece)
- Possible output: ORCiM Festival, October 2-5, 2012
Final paper in form of a collected Journal of the partial sessions and experiences:
November 2012
