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Chafing Dish
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« Reply #30 on: 23:43:23, 24-07-2007 » |
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Mostly it helps to hear that others go through the same thing occasionally, and to have satisfying experiences with one's own work (performances, presentations, etc). Those are the sure-fire helpers. My trouble is uncertainty whether my problem requires me to do something; or to not do something else. In other words, whether it's a problem of disposition or one of substance.
Again, it's not about me... I'd like to step back and listen to people free-associate on the topic. It may help others, too, e.g. people who need it more than I.
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Chafing Dish
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« Reply #31 on: 23:54:50, 24-07-2007 » |
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Prompted by CD's very honest and self-critical comments elsewhere, I wonder how others (or indeed CD himself) deal with the inevitable lows of creative endeavour. The periods when it seems pointless, or fatuous, to continue. The need for stimulation - and of what sort? Whether to see something through because it's got a professional deadline attached even though you're feeling dismal about it. And so on.
PS This doesn't describe me. I have plenty of ideas that appeal to me, just can't seem to muster the concentration to work them out... plus they take longer and longer to work out as it is, and I can't seem to break them down into simpler problems. |
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #32 on: 23:58:29, 24-07-2007 » |
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It might help to remember that creative artists in whatever field are by and large subject to much the same worries and doubts, and that it's generally those who are so blindly confident that they're immune to introspective self-questioning who prove to be unable to produce anything of depth or worth.
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Notoriously Bombastic
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Never smile at the brass
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« Reply #33 on: 00:01:01, 25-07-2007 » |
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Curious about a 19 tone trumpet. Is it a normal trumpet with valves somehow detuned and then notes lipped out of tune? (or in tune, depening on how you look at it) Or does it involve a complete redesign of the instrument?
Notorious
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Chafing Dish
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« Reply #34 on: 00:03:10, 25-07-2007 » |
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Curious about a 19 tone trumpet. Is it a normal trumpet with valves somehow detuned and then notes lipped out of tune? (or in tune, depening on how you look at it) Or does it involve a complete redesign of the instrument?
Notorious
I happen to be writing for it too -- it's like a normal trumpet that's been retrofitted. http://www.microtonaltrumpet.com/ is the website of the performer, Steve Altoft, and his collaborator/composer Donald Bousted. Any normal trumpet can be retrofitted this way at no great cost, and the fitting is easily removed to go back to 12-div. Of course, by its nature, the overblowing in 19-div is on "natural" overtones, so that's another complexity in the equation. However, 19-div produces some very interesting harmonies. Hence the need/desire for live electronics, after all, he's only playing one trumpet, isn't he? |
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« Last Edit: 00:05:58, 25-07-2007 by Chafing Dish »
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dotcommunist
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« Reply #35 on: 12:11:40, 25-07-2007 » |
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It might help to remember that creative artists in whatever field are by and large subject to much the same worries and doubts, and that it's generally those who are so blindly confident that they're immune to introspective self-questioning who prove to be unable to produce anything of depth or worth.
Yes, an interesting point since, personally composition involves making a decision about what direction or area i might want to explore for the next piece. Such an undertaking is often worthless unless it is, or becomes (...dare i say) of existential importance to realise; between pieces, I tend to feel plain simple lack of comfort with where I was musically with the previous work. Without wanting to sound too romantic this might have something to do with the will/need to redefine yourself before & during every work/work project. i think self doubt is a part of the process but it's important to know which doubts to take seriously, or which doubts are 'constructive': it can be pretty horrendous if it halts progress for far too long. I'm sure we've all encountered the overconfident , perhaps deluded artist/composer , scratch the surface & such self-blindness has either to do with deflecting attention or lack of interest in going through a 'process' or of sheer stupidity. hope i wasn't being too over confident myself...  |
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thompson1780
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« Reply #36 on: 16:50:54, 25-07-2007 » |
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I'm not a composer, but I wondered if anyone wanted some inspiration for works.....?
Evan - a work for 12 players and contrabass could be a musical representation of a trial, with contra being the defendant and the others the jury? Is there a 45 min documentary of a trial you could use for ideas?
Or a favourite journey that lasts that long?
How about someone doing a piece that is supposed to represent what goes on in Ian pace's head, or 9 heads?
Or indeed, represent anything of the process of inspiration to concept to emotional context to physical existence, or however you view it as happening.
I'll stop there, but you don't have to....
Tommo
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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Chafing Dish
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« Reply #37 on: 02:36:09, 18-08-2007 » |
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I am working on a piece, as I mentioned, for microtonal trumpet and percussion with electronics.
For this purpose, I am reviving some unused ideas I have had using granular synthesis.
Do any composers here have experience with granular synthesis? What is the best platform on which to work in such a medium?
I have used Max/MSP, but have not yet found a very good patch that does exactly what I need it to do, such as transpose by very precise intervals. Any help is appreciated.
Oh, Biroc, the working title is io son ramon lo foll -- an homage to Ramon Llull, the 12th-century Mallorcan philosopher and author (not that that has anything to do with granular synthesis! (except in the sense that everything relates to everything else in this world (which is very much in the spirit of Ramon Llull))).
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Kittybriton
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« Reply #38 on: 03:22:44, 18-08-2007 » |
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Should I admit it? I wrote a recorder quartet a couple of years ago that was pretty dreadful. "What frenzy has of late possess'd the brain?
Though few can write, yet fewer can refrain."  |
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« Last Edit: 03:30:33, 18-08-2007 by Kittybriton »
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Click me -> About meor me -> my handmade storeNo, I'm not a complete idiot. I'm only a halfwit. In fact I'm actually a catfish. |
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stuart macrae
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« Reply #39 on: 16:44:23, 23-08-2007 » |
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...a piece for high soprano and orchestra. I'm still struggling to get the ideas off the ground, but the last week has been pretty good. In certain sections I'm combining the 3 clarinets with the soprano to create a kind of composite instrument. The main problem I'm having at the moment is that most of the bits of text I've set so far are resulting in quite static, slow 'accompaniments' whereas I want the piece to mix fast and slow sections (and to build up some momentum) - but the danger with having several different slow bits is that the form ends up choppy...
Then, of course, there is the fact that fast text-setting will inevitably lose some of the comprehensibility of the text - which is fine by me - but the mixture between that and other sections where the words are perfectly clear often leads people to make the mistake of thinking that the whole text should be equally comprehesible.
Oh, the joys!
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time_is_now
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« Reply #40 on: 16:51:43, 23-08-2007 » |
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Try some Tippett for inspiration, Stuart?  |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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stuart macrae
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« Reply #41 on: 17:09:07, 23-08-2007 » |
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Sorry, t_i_n, don't really know enough Tippett to understand the meaning of your (nor am I completely sure whether you think seeking inspiration from Tippett is a good idea...! Would be happy to get any suggestions from you.) |
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time_is_now
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« Reply #42 on: 17:57:07, 23-08-2007 » |
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Sorry, the wasn't meant to be sarcastic or knowing, just friendly!  Try the finale of the Third Symphony (which is actually composed of four sections, slow-fast-slow-fast), or Songs for Dov. |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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Chafing Dish
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« Reply #43 on: 18:30:17, 23-08-2007 » |
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Sorry to bump this, but it may have been overlooked and I'd love some people to give tips I am working on a piece, as I mentioned, for microtonal trumpet and percussion with electronics.
For this purpose, I am reviving some unused ideas I have had using granular synthesis.
Do any composers here have experience with granular synthesis? What is the best platform on which to work in such a medium?
I have used Max/MSP, but have not yet found a very good patch that does exactly what I need it to do, such as transpose by very precise intervals. Any help is appreciated.
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Colin Holter
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« Reply #44 on: 20:05:10, 23-08-2007 » |
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Sorry to bump this, but it may have been overlooked and I'd love some people to give tips Could you specify exactly what you'd like to do? Transposing audio by particular intervals is something that can be done a number of different ways, some better suited for certain applications (i.e. real-time? pre-processed?) than others. Granular synthesis is a big area, and you may not need to go very far into it to get the results you want. Have you tried any of the Max tutorial patches that involve real-time FFT? I think there might be one or two that transpose samples or real-time input; if there are, getting just the interval you want might be a matter of control in Max rather than MSP jiggery-pokery too far beyond the scope of the tutorial. Then again, Max may not even be the best package to use. |
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