Musicus Simplisticus
Represents a kind of composition that requires an avoidance of any standard musical compositional materials. The word “traditional” musical materials is the preferred term used by these composers themselves and is in general use, but it is not quite correct. This is because major elements of traditional composition remain. It is based on an interpenetration of arts techniques. In this case traditional theater and dance improvisation techniques into music. It is related to music concrete– an early electronic tape technique where different natural sounds are accumulated (recorded and spliced) to create a composition, rather then just notes and pitches. Notes and pitches are not excluded. Simple consonance is preferred but dissonance, mostly as sound effects, is not excluded. One can find these and related techniques in “performance art” and also in “noncom” rock music.
Materials
Compositions are generally created from simple created sounds and vocal improvisations on a topic or buzz word. Love, happy, sad, morning etc. — Though unusual for musicians, this is a standard theater school technique for “opening up.” Movement can be used exactly the same way. It typically involves group collaborations. Specifically, this is because a single person can only come up with maybe 5 or six different ways to express a single idea, use say 10 people and you have 60 ideas to chose from. Time is also an issue on when putting a collaboration together for performance.
There may be text or not, but the words do not have to make sense, in fact the phonemes are better released from any context other then their sounds. That way the sounds can be connected to any concept. It is the sounds or vocalizations that must be shaped to describe feelings or an idea. It is easier to mold the incomprehensible otherwise its a “reading” of material. If a real text is used it is usually rendered down to short catch phrases to make it subservient to the overall concept. Similar to my concept of textual context.
Programs
This can be combined with sound processing, loops etc. via a laptop using various programs such as Ableton live (check out the free demo): It could be commercial dance beats or just sonic explorations.
Live:
http://www.ableton.com/index.php?main=downloads
Reason:
http://www.propellerheads.se/
or many listing:
http://www.freebyte.com/music/#free_notation
What does the composer(s) do?
The composer puts the collaborations together and in a form. They map out the topics and decide what realized ideas will be used and in what order to place them. Who they pick to be their performers is also important, as this can set the style of the music. In the performance, it is possible to have collaborations and not use any performer at all on stage by using prerecording, or video. For example, you could “sample” sounds beforehand and then the performance is the mix in “real time”. You can also let your collaborators provide the material and then you can perform the composition yourself. Or you can just direct the performers. It is important that the proper contracts be signed etc. Since many performers want experience it will be easy to find collaborators who will let you run the show and use their ideas.
In some way this kind of composition is most controlling of all. It requires performers not just to give their time and talent but their inner selves as well. Also, this kind of performance requires extensive rehearsals as they must be choreographed down to the last detail (and in real time) usually without any supporting performance notations.
In musicus simplisticus the simplicity is strength and the weakness Since collaborators tend to constantly change the material is always the first and the freshest concepts–a certain sameness will occur that is why topics must change all the time. On the other hand as we all have shared ideas about certain feelings- a lack of professionalism or a lack of skill is no barrier to providing material to make successful compositions.
Since these compositions represent a first step into the unknown, these materials though abstract are also very easy to understand. Once one moves into incomprehensibility, where its just a matter of soft or hard sounds, what they mean as an experience is dependent on the composer and the experience of the listener. If one starts with incomprehensibility its meaning is also just a matter of the composers definition. I do worry about the tendency to so strongly identify a composition with a political idea or concept that one does not know whether the political idea or the composition is being experienced or responded too.
This kind of activity can have several different results. For example; the creation of theater groups, performance groups, or bands. This is where the collaborators build on their experiences. However, some chose to go it alone. In this case the leader (the sound wrangler) builds up their own personal portfolio of others experiences. In that case there must be high turnover of corroborators and frequent travel since since freshness requires new people every time. I suppose some folks might object to being “used”. Here increased musical knowledge does not help the “wrangler,” but expertise, as in all arts, is still the point. Rather, they are experts at: production, organization, editing, directing, stagecraft, choreography, eliciting,controlling, choosing, and sometimes entrepreneurship.
Practice
Get some friends together; using sound and movement describe “the worlds
most boring music teacher”–take turns (each friend must be in charge of the design once) putting together the vignettes. If you feel you must add political content make it; “the worlds most boring fascist music teacher.”