in december 2016 i composed 37 graphic scores for trio entitled BARBEDWIRE

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andrei tarkovsky said that to make a film was to sculpt in time.

samuel beckett said that music doesn't exist in space, but in time only.

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i like this idea of sculpting with sounds that we measure in time while performing in physical space. i think the BARBEDWIRE scores have allowed me to explore not only a particular realm of ideas but the experience of sculpting with sounds in physical spaces. it's been great to work through these compositions with so many amazing sound artists.

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how to perform BW

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each player chooses a score and a time duration for the performance. players use a stopwatch to track the time of the performance.
 

each player is assigned a line (1, 2, or 3) based on alpha first name
i.e., beth line one - kasey line two - phillip line three

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each player improvises while following their line throughout the duration of the performance. if the line changes direction a little bit, the musical behavior changes a little bit; if the direction of the line changes a lot, the musical behavior reflects that. most of the scores have squiggly "barbs" ... these are meant to represent a musical accident - a blip in your signal - an interruption of your course in varying degrees, depending on size and fluctuation of the barb.

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on silence

 

a broken line may suggest silence
you are invited to choose silence as a course of action in your improvisation
if the line changes radically, perhaps silence would reflect a strong shift in the direction of the music.

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that's basically it. you're improvising and the score is telling you when and how much to change what you're doing.

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RECORDINGS: BARBEDWIRE VOLUME 1

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BARBEDWIRE volume 1 - pg (reeds) with four trios (recorded 2017 - 2018)

trio 1 - john bischoff and tim perkis (electronics)

trio 2 - kyle bruckmann (oboe, english horn) and jane rigler (piccolo, flute, alto flute)

trio 3 - mark clifford and tim decillis (vibraphones)

trio 4 - eveyln davis (prepared piano) and gabby fluke-mogul (violin)

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