Machine2

Here's an old score of mine, Machine2. Composed and recorded sometime in 2003, the piece was written as an assignment - and having recently discovered free jazz, I tried to push the limits, despite the confines of academia. I utilized, for the first time, elements of collective improvisation, electronics, and a primitive form of conduction.

I have revisited the piece, having dismissed most of my earlier work as juvenile; I find I very much like it - there's an interesting sense of freedom there, strange as I had little knowledge of free jazz and spontaneous music.

Today, I updated the score utilizing such fantastic musical notation tools as Finale 2003, and Microsoft Paint. Awesome.

Here you go: Machine2, from my early transitional period.

Robin Jessome - Machine2 mp3

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I suppose I could have put this in Experimental/Avant Garde whatever...I consider my stuff closer to the jazz tradition than anything else, so there you go.
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[edit] The pdf score has long-since been removed...but it had lots of squiggles, and funny lines.... Also, I repaired the mp3 link.[/edit]

Robin, I found it very-very interesting. The crossroad between jazz instrumentation and electronics was very successful.
I believe that the score you created could have been more...ahem, readable.
You could've had a better performance, as well.

Originally Posted by manossg

Robin, I found it very-very interesting. The crossroad between jazz instrumentation and electronics was very successful.
I believe that the score you created could have been more...ahem, readable.
You could've had a better performance, as well.

Well, I'm glad you found it interesting/successful.

As for the performance, I was dealing with minimal rehearsal and inexperienced, young players.

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What did you think was wrong with the score?

Well, I'm glad you decided to post it!

The graphic notation for the drums and the electronics could have been more readable. For example, what kind of manipulation do you intend with 'x' graphic notation? Glissandi? Ad lib beating the crap out of the instrument? Having a nap? Playing with their cell phones? I don't find the notation very friendly for musicians that would want to perform such a piece without your guidance.

Originally Posted by manossg

The graphic notation for the drums and the electronics could have been more readable. For example, what kind of manipulation do you intend with 'x' graphic notation? Glissandi? Ad lib beating the crap out of the instrument? Having a nap? Playing with their cell phones? I don't find the notation very friendly for musicians that would want to perform such a piece without your guidance.

The graphical notation is intended as a reference only. Perhaps the player chooses to derive pitch contour, density, kinesis, beating the crap...whatever; it's up to them, I would never presume to tell them what to play or how to play it.

I'm not interested in achieving flawless performances of my music, rather I want to extract interesting and creative music from the players.

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Also, with the right players, the graphical notation makes perfect sense. I know it does (and would) to me. With musicians in the right mind-frame who take the music seriously and listen, it all falls into place.

Originally Posted by robinjessome

The graphical notation is intended as a reference only. Perhaps the player chooses to derive pitch contour, density, kinesis, beating the crap...whatever; it's up to them, I would never presume to tell them what to play or how to play it.

That is quite admirable, but, take for example the first few bars. There is clearly no reference. No instructions. Nothing. If that's what you want...

Originally Posted by robinjessome

I'm not interested in achieving flawless performances of my music, rather I want to extract interesting and creative music from the players.

That's called realistic expectations.

Originally Posted by robinjessome

Also, with the right players, the graphical notation makes perfect sense. I know it does (and would) to me. With musicians in the right mind-frame who take the music seriously and listen, it all falls into place.

Really, I may be wrong, but I doubt it all falls into place that easily. I'd love to hear an independent ensemble performing the same score. Having read similar scores, I believe it's not as simple as 'mind-frame and seriousness', but 'being specific or not'. Scribbling across the staff isn't what Penderecki (for example) did, yet he was very specific. It's not 'Microsoft Paint'. It's 'I know what I'm asking my musicians to do'. Else, you could just notate 'ad lib without mercy'. Again, I might be wrong.

Props on this one man. I love all the squiggles in the score.

Originally Posted by manossg

...take for example the first few bars. There is clearly no reference. No instructions. Nothing. If that's what you want...

With the right musicians, I don't need instructions. You're misinterpreting my marks as musical notation, they're not by any means. I'm trying to influence the energy of individual improvisations

Bear in mind the score has been updated since the recording. Back then, I had very limited knowledge of free jazz, and NONE for graphical notation, or influencing improvisation.

Since then, I've put a lot of effort into understanding this stuff; devising methods of molding and steering spontaneous music: digging heavily on John Zorn, Butch Morris, Anthony Braxton et al...

Originally Posted by manossg

Really, I may be wrong, but I doubt it all falls into place that easily. I'd love to hear an independent ensemble performing the same score. Having read similar scores, I believe it's not as simple as 'mind-frame and seriousness', but 'being specific or not'. Scribbling across the staff isn't what Penderecki (for example) did, yet he was very specific. It's not 'Microsoft Paint'. It's 'I know what I'm asking my musicians to do'. Else, you could just notate 'ad lib without mercy'. Again, I might be wrong.

You'd be surprised how it falls into place. You do NEED musicians who are experienced and dedicated to improvisation - familiar with the notation, who listen, react and interact. Perhaps not evident on the recording...

I hope you don't think what I've done is 'scribbling across the staff' ... I do take this stuff very seriously. What I've written will mean something very specific to whoever is reading it - on closer inspection you should see many variances in the line - it's really just a notation of ENERGY.

thin, sparce, flowing, jagged, thick, rough, flat...it all affect how one reacts to it.

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Originally Posted by TheMeaningofLIfe

Props on this one man. I love all the squiggles in the score.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by robinjessome

I hope you don't think what I've done is 'scribbling across the staff' ... I do take this stuff very seriously. What I've written will mean something very specific to whoever is reading it - on closer inspection you should see many variances in the line - it's really just a notation of ENERGY.

Don't get me wrong. I am seriously digging your work. I also respect improvisation and spontaneous musical energy. But you don't seem to direct that energy where you want it to flow, so as to express your musical intention. You just draw across the staff. If I cannot understand. please explain.
I'd love it if an independent ensemble could perform this piece in a 'truthful' (to you) way, with such a notation, but I seriously doubt it. If it can be done. I am taught a precious lesson and we're both winners.

Originally Posted by manossg

...you don't seem to direct that energy where you want it to flow, so as to express your musical intention. You just draw across the staff. If I cannot understand. please explain.

My musical intention is for someone to interpret what I drew across the staff. And I don't just draw across the staff. Careful attention is paid to the energy levels. Perhaps it's not obvious enough, but I think there's a lot of input given to the player from the 'squiggles' ...

Originally Posted by manossg

I'd love it if an independent ensemble could perform this piece in a 'truthful' (to you) way, with such a notation, but I seriously doubt it. If it can be done. I am taught a precious lesson and we're both winners.

As long as they look at what I've written, they'll be on track; playing sparse when the line is sparse; playing with fury and rage when the line gets ugly; and everything in between. It's all there, if they know what they're looking for.

But, I'd expect that any improviser with ears will have no trouble with it.

Granted, there is that fine line between improv genius and noisy wankery...