Composer: Joo Won Park

Performers: Jacob Joslin, Gavin Langley, Alex MacColl-Artrip,  Sean Monaghan

Scores and info: https://joowonpark.net/sevenbirdwatchers/

Tutorial: https://youtu.be/FK58MvomSlI

Seven Bird Watchers is an electronic ensemble piece featuring synchronized tempo change and graphical notation. The pre-recorded audio file syncs all drum machines to seven sections of accelerando and ritardando. The performers’ task is to change the parameters of the drum machine according to the notation.

Compare EMEWS’ performance with my multitrack version. I like EMEWS one more!

Cobalt Vase is a solo piece for a drum machine. The drum machine (and other electronic instruments) is a musical instrument, and therefore one gets better at playing it with more practice. I did not want to operate Korg Volca Beats to record a drum track in a DAW. Instead, I wanted to become good enough to improvise, adapt, and perform with features unique to the instrument. I think I can “play the scales without looking at my fingers” on Volca Beat at this point. Jeff Mills’ TR-909 Workout, which demonstrated that how to use counts more than what you use, is a direct inspiration for Cobalt Vase.

Jenifer DeBellis, text
Elena Hensel, voice
Joo Won Park, composer
Bianca Pokrzywa, guitar

This is an intimate conversation between the guitar and the voice on being hungry and poor. The electronic part in the piece represents the hunger: it influences the person’s thoughts, emotions, and actions, however subtle or disruptive it is.
The piece was commissioned by The Oakland University Guitar Ensemble (Bret Hoag, director) as a part of the Bridging the Gaps: Guitars for Social Justice project.

PDF Score and necessary electronics part can be found at the following link

https://app.box.com/s/zt44c58oqpk98ru9k25azptfo6y0mrm6

an excerpt of the score