generative open graphic score #1 (2023)

for solo instrument and no input mixer

 

generative open graphic score #1 is a work that uses computer generative processes to create the graphic notation for the performer to interpret. The score was created in the software program Touchdesigner. In performance, the score begins as simple ink blot-esque dots that grow into abstract globular shapes and ends in a complex web of broken grid patterns interacting with sharp and angular geometric shapes. This morphology of changes illustrate a clear form that gradually grows in detail, complexity, and density.

 

The first interpretation of this work was performed by a saxophone (performed by Stef Haynes) run through a “no input mixer” (performed by Nolan Hildebrand). “No input mixing” is a technique where the inputs of the mixer are routed back into its outputs to create feedback loops. Manipulating the mixers, faders, and dials creates unpredictable electronic sounds that range from fast chaotic chirpy riffs to synthesizer-esque timbres. When the saxophone is routed into the “no input mixer” the sounds and timbres of the two instruments can clash and contrast or synthesize and melt together. One of the most interesting and interactive components of the setup is that the saxophone’s amplitude and melodic gestures can control the behavior of the electronic sounds, opening the door for further experimentation running acoustic instruments through a “no input mixer”. Interpreting this digital graphic notation through this unpredictable and interactive electroacoustic setup further compounds the sonic spontaneity of the piece.