Mark Applebaum’s Aphasia (2009) for solo performer is a difficult but rewarding piece. I have been intermittently practicing it since 2021, but I have yet to reach a satisfactory level. Knowing that my run of the piece today is better than in any other day, it gives me joy and energy to keep practicing. I wanted to share that delight in the last month’s Wayne State Faculty Recital Series. Despite many mistakes, the performance was received well by students and guests. Aphasia attracts and affects audiences and performers like no other electronic pieces I know. I can think of two, perhaps very personal, reasons.
Soulslike
Aphasia is an Elden Ring-equivalent of electroacoustic music. The unforgiving difficulty is part of the fun. In practicing Aphasia, I had innumerable “YOU DIED” moments. Learning small sections required focus and discipline, and still, the chance of succeeding was slim. But like a soulslike game, the process of achieving goals was fun. I understood more about the piece’s structural relationships, sound design techniques, and choreographic thoughts through repeated readings, listening, and failing.
When I memorized the piece, I felt joy, similar to the moment I beat the final boss in Elden Ring after hundreds of hours of playtime. I learned to work consistently to achieve seemingly impossible goals. Musicians, of course, acquire this trait, but I needed a reminder and reinforcement. Practicing Aphasia during the COVID quarantine semesters did that job.
The audience watching Aphasia immediately gets its pleasant-but-difficultaspect. It’s fun but serious. It’s confusing, but there’s the order. And it’s inviting – instead of “I can’t do what I see on stage,” the audience may feel “I want to try it one day.” Aphasia seems to be an excellent introduction to studying the performance aspect of electronic music. Once a person has experience of doing Aphasia, watching the performance has a new meaning. It’s like watching a PVP match when knowing the mechanics and insights of a video game.
Notation
Aphasia is a fully-notated piece composed in 2009. Hundreds of performers, mainly percussionists, played it in the 2010s. In contrast to many graphic notations, the score is not to be freely interpreted. There is a clear notion of a mistake when the performer misses the timing or makes a wrong hand gesture. This aesthetics contrasts with my solo performance practice in the 2010’s, in which I freely improvised on stage with found objects, MIDI controllers, and found objects. The improvisatory nature of my performance made the audience expect the unexpected at the expense of irreplicability – I was the only person who could perform my solo electroacoustic works. In the composer of Aphasia’s words, I was the best and the worst performer of my piece.
While only the improviser could perform their pieces, hundreds of percussionists performed Aphasia as the composer intended. Aphasia’s technology barrier is low, and the piece is a hit in every concert. When done correctly, the piece is indistinguishable from many high-tech compositions using motion sensors or controllers. Performers can make such an experience by studying notation, like many other pieces that they have studied previously.
Aphasia taught me the effectiveness of low technology and low dependence on improvisational skill. With well-written notation, such a composition travels far, invites more performers, and lasts long. Many mixed pieces (i.e., those with an instrument and prerecorded electronics) have the same strength, but Aphasia stands out by featuring the most accessible instrument. My recent electronic ensemble pieces reflect this approach. They are built to be transferable, non-virtuostic, and have low technological/financial barriers.
Summary
Aphasia reinforces the music fundamentals I often forget – practicing and overcoming challenges is an essential part of musicianship, and great notation makes performers change and improve. I forgot these, perhaps as a byproduct of pursuing the new and the cutting-edge as a profession.
Learning Aphasia also rekindled my role as a student. To create and teach, I need to study and practice. Consistently and continuously. The result of doing so does not have to be perfect, but sharing and explaining what I experienced is what teacher-artists do. Knowing me, I will probably forget the lessons. When that happens, I will relearn Aphasia (and/or play Elden Ring) to remember it again.
The articles in theLearningsection of CMP cover computer musicianship. They are examples of a music technologist’s work and efforts that the audience does not see. But they are essential steps for artistic improvement. Every musician has routines to refine themselves, and the Learning section shares my version of thoughts, actions, and reflections on computer music practice.
There are four subsections, and the first three are listen, think, and act. The first and most fundamental step in musicianship is learning to listen. Then, a conscious and analytical listening connects to thinking. Thinking means analyzing and imagining sounds and techniques to enhance a piece, organizing and comparing past compositions to identify creative patterns, and articulating those thoughts into words for reference. These thoughts become tangible results through actions. The results could be a composition, a concert, a career move, an idea, or another sound to circle back to the listen-think-act process.
Listening, thinking, and acting are necessary steps in composing, coding, or improvising, as the repetition of those steps refines one’s skills. The refining process in music technology is essential but often overlooked. There are more instruments and techniques I can learn in music technology. I chose a few that interest me the most and spend time and energy to improve at them, rather than using the newest tools. Performers of non-electronic instruments have resources and historical references on the refinement process, such as etudes and method books for orchestral instruments. Computer music does not seem to (or rather, is not designed to) have a standard practice routine, but I can at least share my practice routine specific to computer musicianship.
Computer Music Practice (CMP) is an interactive and personal example of computer musicianship. Click each entry in the chart to read and listen to Joo Won Park’s computer music research.
Composing, an act of making original music, is my main artistic skill. I make concrete and shareable products that represent personal thoughts and experiences. The product is sound, and the material I use is electronics. Since 2002, I have composed and shared over 130 compositions online and offline. Electronic musicians can have various titles, such as a researcher, educator, developer, performer, etc. The specialty I’ve focused on is that of a computer-based music composer.
In CMP, I organized my compositions from 2014 to 2026 in two main categories and six subsections. The main categories are defined by the presence or absence of human performers. The first category, For Computers, has fixed media and algorithmically generated music. They do not require human performers to make sound. They are either listened to as is (without images) or are used in multidisciplinary shows. The pieces in this category are further grouped by albums (Overundertone, DotZip, and Forms to Ponder) or functions (Sound Installation or Dance).
The second category, For Humans, involves pieces for human performers. Unlike the For Computers pieces, they are best experienced in live concerts. The For Humans category is further organized by instrumentation. The Solo Performance section has works written for me to play on stage. Most of them are improvisational and were written to show my performance skills. The music under Instrument and Computer needs performers other than myself. They are written for one or two classically trained instrumentalists and a computer-generated part. The last subcategory, Electronic Ensemble, differs from the others, as they are written for an ensemble of electronic instrument performers. The performers are not necessarily traditionally trained musicians. The number of performers ranges from 4 to 20 or more.
Some compositions were successful in leading me to new or better opportunities. Some pieces did not make it beyond a premiere. But all compositions led to improvements in technique, time and energy management, human interactions, and getting inspirations.
Technique: Writing and editing SuperCollider codes for more than 100 pieces gave me plenty of time to get good at expressing musical ideas in numbers and instructions. The repetition and refinement in composition also form a musical style. I think there is a “Joo Won sound” at this point.
Time and Energy Management: With improved technique, I spend a fraction of the time and energy to create music of equal quality compared to decades ago. The extra time and energy leave room to experiment and explore.
Human Interactions: Working with others is not my natural talent, but it has gotten easier as I write and present more pieces for performers. Meeting, interacting, listening, arguing, and all other activities need practice. Writing and sharing compositions gave me plenty of time for trial and error.
Getting Inspirations: noticing things worth sharing and writing music about them needs practice. Art is about sharing unusual or memorable experiences in life, and artists actively search for them. I learned to notice and observe delightful sounds, experiences, and memories so I can compose. Perhaps more importantly, I also learned to make music when the inspiration is nonexistent. A deadline is the best inspiration.
Please click on the objects in the CMP diagram to listen and read about the works featuring unique electronic sounds. Most articles also have links to the SuperCollider code for readers to see and run. The purpose of the articles in the Composing section of CMP is to share composing techniques and tips with specific examples from one composer’s work catalog. Compare how I thought, wrote, and executed pieces with other electroacoustic composers. If willing, compare how the pieces in the Composing section are similar or different by album, instrumentation, or functions.
Computer Music Practice (CMP) is an interactive and personal example of computer musicianship. Click each entry in the chart to read and listen to Joo Won Park’s computer music research.
An electronic ensemble concert presents uniquely electronic music performed by many musicians. Like all live music events, performers and audiences get experiences they can not get from recorded or streamed media in an electronic ensemble show. It takes work to organize such an event, but there are common routines. I have been directing the Electronic Music Ensemble of Wayne State (EMEWS) since 2017 and have presented more than 30 concerts with them. I share guidelines for planning, executing, and continuing electronic music ensemble concerts in this article. I also share a budget for starting an electronic ensemble.
My previous blog post, How to Play a Solo Set, outlines the four steps of planning and presenting a solo electronic music performance.
Decide pieces
Decide the order
Practice transitions
Practice sound check
Doing an electronic ensemble concert has similar but different steps.
Learn the Context
Decide pieces
Rehearse
Decide program order and technology
Preparing for an electronic ensemble concert requires more discipline than preparing for a solo performance because it involves more people, rehearsal time, and equipment. The director needs to make some decisions weeks, if not months, before the show. The first step in making the best decisions is learning the ensemble’s social context.
Learn the Context
Unlike an orchestra or choir, an electronic ensemble does not have a set instrumentation or time-tested management protocols. The group can take many forms depending on the institutional structure, vision, and budget. The director should learn the pros and cons of the ensemble’s social context for effective and practical programming. I share the case of EMEWS for reference.
Institutional Structure
EMEWS is a semester-long class in a university with 12 registered students. This means that
I, as the director and teacher, use the facility and equipment provided by the music department.
As a credited course, I expect new and returning performers every semester.
The concert venue is already set. I will have the opportunity to program at least one concert per semester at a venue I am familiar with.
The semester concert should have a different repertoire than the one in the previous semester.
Vision
My job is to set the direction of the musical style, convince the performers to get immersed in it, and present it to the audience. This means there is a stylistic preference over another for the season. For example, EMEWS has the capacity to play a standard orchestra repertoire using General MIDI, but I do not prefer that. I encourage EMEWS to play music that values the following:
Experiment: Try a new repertoire that cannot be presented on other instruments. EMEWS plays unconventional and challenging music that may fail—and that is OK, as many experiments tend to fail.
Liveness: Music technology is more than a recording technology. EMEWS performers learn the here-and-nowness of live performances by playing electronic instruments together.
Education: Performers should learn new techniques, get opportunities to refine what they know already, and safely share the sound with their peers in EMEWS. Jamming along to the tunes they already know will hardly achieve the stated goal.
[EMEWS Concert FA2017 at Wayne State University (2017.11.16)]
Budget
The director should know the practical limits, such as performers’ skills and the repertoire’s technological feasibility. With EMEWS, I choose or create pieces that require a minimum number of gears. The extra budget I may get from grants is then used for off-campus concerts and gear purchases.
In sum, my suggestions for running an electronic ensemble are based on my experience in a university course. Not all electronic ensembles are in the same situation. The director should assess the ensemble’s institutional relationships, musical vision, and budget accordingly before working on a concert.
Decide Pieces
The most challenging aspect of operating an electronic ensemble is building the repertoire. There is no Beethoven’s Fifth equivalent of an electronic ensemble work, yet. Any pieces presented at the concert will likely be new to the audience. It is a relatively uncharted field for composers to write new pieces.
I aim to premiere one composition at every semiannual EMEWS concert. The rest of the repertoire comes from pieces written by other composers or group improvisations. Some of those pieces are arrangements of existing acoustic compositions.
A typical EMEWS concert lasts one hour and features three to five pieces. However, the total duration may be shortened or extended at off-campus performances. For example, if invited to a music conference, EMEWS may play one piece, or they may perform a 1.5-hour show as a featured artist in a venue.
Rehearse
Electronic musicians may have less experience in ensemble performance, as many of them start their careers as solo DAW artists. It is important to teach the members that they must practice playing as a group by attending every rehearsal. Even the time spent on non-music-making routines in a rehearsal requires training and refinement.
[EMEWS rehearsal space (2022.11.30)]
I allocate about seven rehearsals, each lasting 2.5 hours, for a concert. In the first weeks of the semester, the ensemble spends about 30 minutes setting up at the beginning and about 10 minutes clearing up at the end. Each member learns how to set up a computer, an amp (EMEWS has one amp per performer), and a MIDI controller (the rehearsal room hosts multiple keyboards and synthesizers). By the mid-semester, it takes about 10 minutes to set up and 5 minutes to strike. The last week of the semester is Spring Cleaning Day: all members tidy up the rehearsal room by untangling the cables, putting back the keyboard stands, throwing away the broken cables, etc. One of the goals in rehearsal should be improving the technical and technological sides of an electronic music performance.
Decide Program Order and Technology
The program order is finalized about a month before the concert. EMEWS presents a Fall or Spring concert during the 8th or 9th week of the semester and usually decides which pieces to include in the concert during the 5th week. The concert program needs to be practical—it must use already available gear, and the time for set changes between the pieces should be as short as possible. For that purpose, a list of questions on necessary technology helps me work on the logistics.
Laptop ensemble or mixed-instrument?
Laptop-only electronic ensemble pieces are easier to set up than those involving synthesizers and acoustic instruments. Program the most technologically complicated pieces (ones with many instruments, cables, speakers, and furniture) early in the program. Strike the gear as much as possible between the rest of the pieces for better visuals and performer mobility.
Amplified or unamplified?
More instruments to connect to a PA or house mixer means more power strips, audio cables, and set-up time. Make sure to do a final rehearsal with all the gear present at the same time. If there are enough performers, laptop-only compositions may not require additional amplification. Not being connected to an amp on the stage also allows the performers to move freely. An outdoor performance is also possible without extra set-up.
[recording session of unamplified laptop ensemble piece (2019.04.03)]
Video projection or no video?
A repertoire using a video projection needs attention in programming order. Extra set-up time or a stage crew may be needed to test and run the video pieces. If the projector’s fan noise is loud, it should be turned on right before the piece and turned off right after.
On tour or on campus?
An ensemble can go all-out in terms of gear for an on-campus show. As long as the performers do not mind the additional setup and strike time, they can use all the gear available. However, it is challenging to carry around big gear on tour. It is wise to minimize the risk and random factors in terms of gear when performing in an unknown venue.
[EMEWS at the University of Richmond, VA, during the 2019 tour (2019.11.08)]
Startup Budget Consideration
If a reader is interested in starting an electronic ensemble, the first question would be how much it costs to start a group. I recommend checking the availability of the following starter pack.
Laptop: One laptop per performer, either PC or Mac, is recommended. Do not worry about what DAW or plugins to purchase; there are free apps and free-to-run laptop ensemble repertoires. If a performer already has a laptop, they could use it as an ensemble instrument. There is no need to use a top-of-the-line computer. I use a $350 PC laptop.
Rehearsal space: The ensemble should secure a room where they can meet regularly. A laptop purchase may be delayed if the ensemble can secure a computer lab. Be aware that there will be loud noises.
Amps and cables: I prefer a cheap, portable amp per performer over one loud PA. A direct audio connection ($7 for 6ft) from the computer’s audio out to the amp’s input bypasses the need for audio interfaces. A mono output to an amp or selecting a channel from a stereo output is fine, in my opinion. EMEWS uses a dozen Roland Micro Cubes (used to be $150) that run on AA batteries. The ensemble sometimes uses a guitar strap on the amp to carry the amp during the performance.
After the laptop, rehearsal space, and amps, buy the gear necessary for the specific repertoire. For the most versatile use, I recommend getting a small, cheap MIDI controller ($100).
[outdoor performance with portable amps and laptops (2022.06.18) ]
The above list also shows the purchasing order. If the budget is tight, secure the laptops first. Once the laptop and rehearsal space are available, the ensemble can begin to play. If the budget is bigger, get the amplification system and cables. Leave some money for perishables, such as batteries and extra cables. They will probably be on demand ten minutes before showtime!
