Day 2 - JR Personal Practice

Unlike the events of yesterday (note to self - should really discuss the first day!), where the groupings were the result of spatial distribution and almost arbitrary 'numbering' (e.g. every third person), I spent more time playing with particular people (Christos, Owen, Sean, Amit, and occasionally Adam), as much as anything because they seemed to be capable of quickly moving to the same kind of sound space that I was creating and were responsive to the kinds of gestures that I was trying to introduce. As Christos has noted, there's also a familiarity with instrument and 'voice' that's perhaps an easy option, so maybe I should work harder to meet (in a sonic sense) other participants.

In the early part of the second session I sat out for a considerable length of time, partly due to virus induced lethargy, and also partly because I didn't feel that I wanted to add anything to the sustained, low amplitude textural material that was unfolding (bizarrely the auto correct on my ipad just changed a misspelling of 'unfolding' to 'noodling', which is not far off the mark IMO).

Once I'd shrugged off my torpor I (think I) became a little more directing, instigating a number of duets and trios with Amit and Christos, and a 'stabbing' simultaneous trio with Sean and Christos, which I brought back into play following my call for silence. I was perhaps overly terse at one point in discussions, but felt a bit frustrated by one of the comments made while reviewing the efficacy of signals.

There's perhaps still a need for more decisive gestures on the part of the ensemble, with more dynamic contrast and silence, while also returning to previous material giving shape and form, rather than always pursuing new opportunities (am I being old fashioned here?) I'd also really like Frauke and Emma (or anybody else) to cut loose every once in a while and really 'sing'! The final thing that I'd like to explore further is rotation of small groups with some continuing element (e.g two people in a trio drop out to be replaced by two others)

In respect of interface and instrument, I worked with a limited palette that required minimal attention to the computer and controllers, and familarity with my sound library meant that I was able to quickly load new sounds when required. That said, I think I could probably select 5 or 6 samples for scratching that cover useful timbral territory and simply turn my screen off. This might also require some kind of cueing mechanism to quickly jump to favourite parts of samples. A limited palette does mean of course, that there will be certain situations that just won't be appropriate for contribution.

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