RECYCLED MUSIC is an electroacoustic piece in which the band plays along with a pre-recorded audio track, with the goal of creating one seamless, sonic entity. Thus, the accompaniment track volume should be as loud as that of the live ensemble. The downloadable audio files include the accompaniment track in its stereo performance mix, and also in a mix for the conductor that includes a click track for in-ear monitoring.
RECYCLED MUSIC is conceptual and atmospheric, using textures of instruments, voices, and empty recyclable containers to weave a wind band into a piece of sonic fabric stretched across linear time. Every player has merely a few detached instrumental notes in their part, each of which contributes to the overall sensation of the music. Players are tasked with fully concentrating on the quality of those few notes and how they interact with the sounds around them: a sonic environmental awareness. Vocal effect-enhanced humming (transposed accordingly), pitch bending, improvised and notated percussion textures with containers, and subtle floor rumbling, ensure that the musicians have something to contribute even when not playing their instruments.
Due to the non-traditional nature of the music, this piece is very adaptable and will work for ensembles of any size and personnel.
RECYCLED MUSIC is a visual piece as well as a sonic one, and it is IMPERATIVE that the musicians hold the trash materials high above their heads when playing. Not only is it great for the audience to see, but the sounds of the scraping and tapping will carry much more clearly when held well above the music stands.
Ignoring m. 103 ("horror") which should sound as ugly as possible, there are a few notes that slightly extend the lower end of the most conservative Grade 1 range because the piece is in Ab, not Bb. Even if those notes are crass-sounding, they will sound fine in the context of the weird music! That being said, any notes in the piece can be played up an octave, or down, if desired.
Attention to dynamics— notably, the need to play quietly and subtly— will result in the most musical performance.
All humming is notated in the same transposition as the instrument the hummer plays.
The final measures should sound like an oppressive avalanche. Rhythmic accuracy is less important than the overall effect.
4:15 is longer than most Grade 1 pieces, however given the special circumstances of the audio track, the recycled materials, the time invested in getting things set up, and the additional discussions that lend themselves to this project, the duration reflects the piece as an event unto itself.
The addition of emotionally stimulating photos or video projected in the background during the performance is encouraged. Collecting relevant visual media can become an additional project for the musicians, and the task will further connect them to the meaning of the music.
NOTES ABOUT THE RECYCLED MATERIALS:
"Materials" indicates empty (and rinsed!) plastic water, milk, juice, or yogurt containers and/or empty aluminum cans. Cardboard coffee cups or small empty shipping boxes are fine, too, but possibly less resonant. Any random combination of found items will work. Every musician will have fun rifling through their garbage for their extra "instrument."
Random playing of the trash is notated by a varied pattern of dots within a box, followed by a solid line indicating event duration. Sparseness is preferred, as opposed to a constant tapping or a discernible pulse, except where a specific rhythm is indicated with crosshead notes. At bar 115, all band members drop their materials to the floor in a cascading pattern. It is assumed that the rehearsal and performance spaces have hard floors, but if on carpet, have each player place something flat and hard on the floor next to them that will be similarly resonant to a hard floor when the items are dropped: a hardcover book, a small wooden board, etc.
RELATED EXPLORATION:
RECYCLED MUSIC can open up a valuable discussion with students about their stewardship of the world around them, making it more than "just a piece of music they're learning."
Countless cross-curricular lessons regarding the environment can be taught in conjunction with this music. Students can learn about the negative effects trash has on animals and people, and about the programs countries around the world have developed to reverse the problems. Importantly, students can be shown what positive actions they can take as individuals. Science class teachers can be invited to talk to the band: as the students learn the music, they also learn about their environment, and that informs their performance.
RECYCLED MUSIC is a piece that can span virtually all capability levels, and work musically for ensembles of any age, whether musicians are at a Grade 1, or Grade 6 playing ability.
Educationally, this has the potential to be a superb opportunity for the musicians to:
• Listen to and improve their intonation: by being given permission to bend notes and play "out of tune" against other musicians, students gain a greater awareness of what playing "in tune" actually feels like;
• Develop their breath control;
• Hone the ability to play quietly while controlling pitch and volume;
• Heighten listening skills and focus;
• Heighten awareness of alternative sounds;
• Develop patience, in a world of hyper-everything!
RECYCLED MUSIC offers a different view as to what music— especially band music— can be, through a piece without an apparent melody or pulse. Possibly the very first geo-electroacoustic minimalist wind band work, it merges the realms of performance and environmental art.
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