Electro-Acoustic Percussion Composition, Recording, and Performance Project

Electro-Acoustic Percussion Composition, Recording, and Performance Project

Grant:
Lecturers' Professional Development Fund (LPDF)
Academic Year:
2019 - 2020 (June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020)
Funding Requested:
$2,000.00
Project Dates:
-
Applicant(s):
jredward
Overview of the Project:
I am requesting funding in support of a 12 month electro-acoustic music composition, performance and recording project. The acquisition of the Sensory Percussions System, a new technology for integrating electronics and percussion instruments through the use of sensors, would allow me to develop new skills in the area of composition, sound design, interactive systems design and explore new aesthetic territory as a musician. I plan to use the funds to purchase a set of Sensory Percussion drum sensors, special silent drum heads for use with the sensors, and to fund the production of an electro-acoustic percussion CD of new original works. The project will be divided into five phases: technological and aesthetic research, composition and interactive system programming and design, practice/rehearsal and system iteration, recording and post-production work, and a public artist talk and live performance of the developed works. At the end of the project I intend to make the hardware purchased through the grant available to the Performing Arts Technology (PAT) department for use in relevant performance courses and for students to use in their own original work. Both of the 200 level courses that I teach in PAT contain projects in live performance with electronics and PAT 432, a course in studio production, focuses on advanced techniques in recording, mixing, and mastering. The experience and knowledge gained through this project will directly inform the teaching in my current courses and has the potential to open up new opportunities to expand my role within the department.
Final Report Fields
Project Objectives:

The goal of this project was to expand my knowledge and ability in electro-acoustic musical performance and performance systems development so that I can more effectively address the needs of the students and expand my role within the Performing Arts Technology department. Additionally, the experience gained through recording, mixing, and mastering the project will enrich my teaching in the Contemporary Practices in Studio Production II (PAT 432) course that I teach.


 

Project Achievements:

As a result of the award I was able to compose, perform, record, mix, and master a collection of five compositions.  The funding enabled me to purchase Sensory Percussion sensors, additional materials for the production, and the pressing of the recordings to compact disc as well as online digital distribution.  Each composition was an opportunity to explore different ways to integrate electronics in a live performance setting.  Each modality provided unique challenges that had to be overcome to produce work that was both interesting and artistically satisfying.  The knowledge and experience acquired through this process will prove useful in the sections of my courses that deal with live performance.  The post-production experience will also be useful in my courses that deal with mixing and mastering.  Additionally, the recordings and videos will serve as an example and resource for my students.

 

Originally, I had planned on giving a live performance of the work, however, due to the pandemic, I altered the plan and produced a multi-camera shoot of a “live in the studio” performance of each of the compositions.  This alteration proved to be an opportunity to deepen my knowledge in video production and editing; it was my first attempt at working with 4k video and editing a four-camera shoot.  These new skills will also prove useful in my teaching as many of my students are interested in producing multimedia works.  The videos, which will be posted on the internet, will serve as a way to bring more awareness to the project and can be used as a teaching tool in my classes.


 

Continuation:
The recordings will be released to the public on 8/5/2022 as a CD and through various online digital distribution platforms. Leading up to and after the public release I will be publishing the videos online (youtube and social media) to bring awareness to the work. I also intend on giving a presentation to my department (Performing Arts Technology) during the Fall 2022 semester providing an overview of the work. The project will hopefully live on indefinitely as an artistic work to be viewed and listened to through the CD, digital distribution, and videos. I also intend on using this experience as a springboard for composing, producing, and performing new works.
Dissemination:
The recordings will be available for streaming and for purchase through online distribution stores such as Bandcamp, Apple Music, Spotify, and more. The videos will be available on YouTube and other media platforms. The work will also be shared in a planned department presentation and potentially performed live in concert.
Link to video: https://youtu.be/pt_H7E79AYk

Advice to your Colleagues:
The biggest challenge I faced was budgeting the time necessary to complete the work. This was especially challenging due to the pandemic and how it affected both my work and family life. With an open-ended project of this type it can be very difficult to determine when a work is “finished” as the tendency is to keep refining until it is “perfect.” Setting specific time intervals to complete tasks proved to be helpful, even if the goal wasn’t reached. This aided in focusing on what was most important at each stage of the project.
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