Into The Unknown

            In one of my earlier posts, “Electronic Performance”, I detailed how electronic artists can depersonalize themselves from their audience. By means of playing previously recorded music and then just singing over it, they disconnect themselves and also take part of the thrill out of watching a musician present their craft. Recently, I was approached and asked to perform at a show (this Thursday) being put on by the Live Sound class at my school. They told me the type of music they were looking for and I immediately set off to create a set that would fit their guidelines.

            As quick as I agreed to perform at the show, I just as quickly regretted it. I knew they were looking for a performance similar to the last show I did in which I used my loop pedal and synthesizer to create a textured song. While this moment is everything that a young musician could want, experience and exposure, it is also something that fills me with dread. I went back and reread my earlier post about electronic performance, and had a slight change of heart, or at least a deeper understanding. I understand why those synthesists do what they do.

            The real question is did my change of heart also lead me to a change in game plan… nope. I still plan on going out there with three synthesizers, a ribbon controller, an X/Y pad, a digital piano, drum machine, loop pedal, and a mixer. Why? Because I didn’t get into electronic music and performance to stand there passively. I got into electronic music, because even the most experimental electronic music forces you to move. It doesn’t always make you want to start dancing, sometimes the movement is walking to the back of the venue because those piercing synthetic tones hurt, but non-the less it moves you.

            In the end I am not sure how my show is going to turn out; I am playing two pieces that are improvised with only the patches mapped out and two songs I have experience playing. Sure, it is going to be a big risk, but I believe it will pay off. If it doesn’t, at least I can say I tried.

My feet will be just as busy as my hands.
Rehearsing my set.

...My mistake in "Player Piano" was my failure as a futurist. I did not foresee transistors, and so imagined that super computers would have to be huge, with bulky vacuum tubes taking up a lot of space. -Kurt Vonnegut in "Letters"