Wolf Notes Wolf Notes. New Music Publication2
Transcript of Wolf Notes Wolf Notes. New Music Publication2
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WolfNotesVolume1,Number2,June 2011
MichaelPisaroJasonKahn
SimonReynellAdamSonderberg
JephJerman
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Published by Compost and HeightPlease do not reproduce content without prior permission from contributors.
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wolfnotes
Contents
MichaelPisaro6-11PreparedPiano(sketchbook)
JasonKahn.12-32NotesonUnheardDelhi
AdamSonderberg.3336TickMarkStudies:Ramones-Ramones(Sire,1976)
SimonReynell...37-40Thoughtsonnotbeingamusician
FantasticalZoology.4142ByJephJerman
CoverImage..43
TrevorSimmons
Howcanweoutsmartthesenseofcontinuity
Thateludesourstepsasitpreparesus
Forultimatewishfulthinkingoncethemindhas
ended
Sincethislastthoughtbothconfinesanduplifts
us?JohnAshbery
Anobject,a space, an infinitenumber of
measurements. WolfNotes is an attempt
atanopenplatform,eachindividualisfree
to refashion the composition devised in
our approach, we initiate, they initiate.
Foundinjuxtaposition,inharmony,atthe
baseandsummitofpotentiality.
An openness is inescapable within any
media,itistobeembraced,toberealised.
All and any degree of interpretation will
fallwithinmyriadroomsofdisposition.So
to inhale and exhale, tomove towards a
positivesenseofproduction,WolfNotesin
its totality is hope to the impossibility of
maximumopenness.
This work, and the works contained, are
not objective fact, they are in a constant
flux of interpretation, of feedback andfeedforward, we respond by not
respondingbyresponding.
PatrickFarmer
Image: Trevor Simmons
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PreparedPiano(sketchbook)MichaelPisaro(19972000)
1.Prepareapiano.
2.Theyfoundthepointintheroommostdistantfromthepiano.
3a.Theinsideofthepiano.
3b.Theoutsideofthepiano.
4. The piano mirrors the clouds moving above.We watched the blue-white film
projectedonthepolishedblackscreen.
5.A birchtree, splitlong ago, as it fansoutlikeacrookedwhiteVwritten on the
shoreline,demarkingthesky.
6.Weopenthelidandthencloseit,repeatingasnecessary.
7.Irolledadie,andstayedsilentlyatt hepianoforthenumberofunitsindicated.
8.Shevisitedthepianoofafriend onaneveninghewasnotpresent.
9.Theyselect,usingsomeprocedure,90sounds.Afterarrangingthesesoundsinarandomorderandnumberingthem,theyplayanumberedso undwhenindicatedwithadot,donotplayitwhenindicatedbyaspace,keepingapulseof30seconds.
! " # $ % & ' ( ) !*
+ + + +
!! !" !# !$ !% !& !' !( !) "*
+ + + + + + + +
"! "" "# "$ "% "& "' "( ") #*
+ +
#! #" ## #$ #% #& #' #( #) $*
+ + + + + + + +
$! $" $# $$ $% $& $' $( $) %*
+ + + + +
%! %" %# %$ %% %& %' %( %) &*
+ + + +
&! &" &$ &% && &' &( &) '*
+ + + +
'! '" '# '$ '% '& '' '( ') (*
+ + + + +
(! (" (# ($ (% (& (' (( () )*
+ + +
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10.Thepianistrecitesintothepiano,atapulseof5secondspernumber,allofthe
numbersinhisaddressbook.
11.Asoundisselectedandplayedonthepiano84timesinarow.Thisisdoneoncea
dayatthesametime,fromDecember12toMarch5(March4inaleapyear).
12.Alongropehangsstraightdownfromtheceiling,directlyabovethepiano.
(Itdoesnotmove.)
13.FiveRoomsCeilingbyTurrell.
WallsbyMauser.
MirrorsbyReinhardt.
SpacebyMartin.
PianobyLewitt.
14.Arepertoire:
EmbryonsDesschsbySatie(played4timesdaily) .Onepageselectedeachdayatrandomfromthe FitzwilliamVirginalBook.
BeethovenStringQuartets;or,onceinawhile,aBagatelle. JohnCagesSonatasandInterludes (playedwithoutpreparation). ImaKingBee. PoemsbyRobertCreeley.
SonatasbyDomenicoScarlatti.
TheGoldbergVariations.
TheCooCooBird.
15.Theyfindanold,deadpiano,andclearouttheinsides.Theyfillthebodywith
evergreenneedles, continuing to replace theneedleswith fresh onesas they turnfromgreentobrown.
16a.MainStreet.
16b.TheVillageGreen.
16c.TheLibrary.
16d.TheTrainStation.
16e.TheSchool.
16f.ShopWindows.
16g.Lights.
16h.Yourstreet.
16i.Yourhouse.
16j.Yourroom.16k.Goodnight.
17. Thewoundstrings,removedfromthepianoandunwound,arestrungtogether,
thedirectionofthelinechangingeachtimeanewwindingisaddedthisisapath
throughthecity.
18.Shewillhavedisabledonehammerinthecentraloctaveofthepianoandthen
playedtheentireWell-TemperedClavierI&II.
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19.WehavefoundawaytoaddonetonebetweenEandF.(Notamicrotone.)
20.Awhite roomfourwalls,aceiling,afloor.Noshadows;lightfillingthespace.Inthisroomisacompletelywhitepiano oftheexactdimensionsoftheroom.
21.Zither.
22.Threepianosarelinedupsidebyside. (Thesecondismissing. )
23.Usingyourfingernail,youlightlyscrapethelowestpianostring,startingattheendofthestringfarthestawayfromthekeyboard,movingtowardsthekey board,onceper
second,allowingextratimetomaneuverthroughthesupports. (Pedaldown.)
24. He will have placed a microphone gently on the piano strings, turned it on,
keepingtheamplifieratlowvolume.Waiting.
25.Onemorningthedoorwaywas obstructedbyatoypiano. 26.Sheplayedoneortwopiecesatthepianoof2to5secondslengtheveryday.Most
involved twoor threenote clusters played in anascending or a descending series.
Therewasoccasionalvocalaccompaniment. (forCocoa)
27.Thepianoimaginesagreaterorfinalpiano.Itbelievesthatinthefuturetherewill
beapianothatexceedsthepotentialofpresentdaypianos.Allonehearsnowisfaintsinging.Somedaytherewillbeapianoofpuresinging,thepianosideaofitself.
28.A film of ap iano, projected on a pinkish-white screen. Themusic comes frombehindthescreen. ShownattheChamps-lysestheatrewiththelightson,thefilmisbarelyvisible.Themusic,playedonabrokenviolin,isbarelyaudible.Someoneleavesin disgust: This isnot a piano. As reported in the Paris papers the next day, theshowingwasattendedbyatleast100people,14,ornooneatall.Ariotdidordidnotensue.Refreshmentswereorwerenotserved.
29.Onenoteplayedonapianowiththepedaldown.Alltheotherstringsresonateinproportiontotheirproximitytotheoriginal.
30.Theyimagine,inasmuchdetailaspossible,thenotesEbandE,asplayedonthe
piano. After five minutes, they play these tones. They repeat this until they cananticipateeverysoundtobeheard.
31.Twopianosareinpreciselythesameplaceatthesametime.Inthenextmoment,theyaregone,andthereisnothingbutashimmeringoftheair.
32. Thevery sophisticatedmachineryperceivesexactlywhen thechordbeginsand
exactlywhenthechordends. Nowordswillhavebeenusedtodescribetheprecise
duration.
33.We livein thedistancebetweenthebeginningof thesoundand thehearingof
thesound,saysAntoine.
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34a.Allpianos.
34b.ThepianosofAmerica.
34c.Thispiano.
34d.Notasinglepiano.
34e.(blank)Itisnotyetnamed,butisalwaysthere.
35.Thepianoisasinglematerial,whichforitsuserequiresdivisionintosecondary
materials.Itssoundsarethose ofmaterialunfoldingintime. Timeonlycarriesthem
tothefullextensionofthematerial.Beyondthisliesanareaun countedbytime.
36.(Materials)
Sound1 Sound2 Sound3 Sound4 Sounds1and2 Sounds1and3 Sounds1and4 Sounds2and3 Sounds2and4 Sounds3and4 Sounds1,2and3 Sounds1,2and4 Sounds1,3and4 Sounds2,3and4 Sounds1,2,3and4
37.From88possible:
!" #$ %$ &' !' !% !$ (& "& ($ )(
(! $# ( %% "$ "* !& )( $# "% ##
!( #% %* ( )& $" "& $# &$ (( !!
#$ $% !! &! $( ($ ## #' $( #" $'
"& #* (* (# $# (! #( "( #& #" %#
%* ($ (' (" & #$ %* )# !( $( %)
%# &) %& "$ $) $# !" (! %# "# %#
() !# ") #* "# &$ $) #) "! #) "!
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38.Lefthand:F,Gb,B,e.Righthand:g,b
b,g
b1,a
b1.(Oranyothersound.)
39.Apianoissomethingtotouch.( toJohn)
MichaelPisaroisacomposerandguitarist,amemberoftheWandelweiserComposersEnsembleand
founderanddirectoroftheExperimentalMusicWorkshop.
SeveralCDsofhisworkhavebeenreleasedbysuchlabelsasEditionWandelweiserRecords,Compost
and Height, confront, Another Timbre, Cathnor, Nine Winds and others, including mostrecently
"transparent city,volumes14", anunrhymedchord, hearingmetal1, AWaveandWaves and
"harmonyseries(1116)".
HehasperformedmanyofhisownworksandthoseofcloseassociatesAntoineBeuger,KunsuShim,Jrg
FreyandManfredWerder,andworksfromtheexperimentaltradition,especiallyJohnCage,Christian
Wolff,JamesTenneyandGeorgeBrecht.
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NotesonUnheardDelhiByJasonKahn
ForthemonthofNovember2010IwasanartistinresidenceinDelhiwiththeSwissArtsCouncilProHelvetiaandthemediaresearchcenterSarai.Oneofmyproposedprojectsforthisresidency
wasacontinuationofmyUnheardCitiesseriesofworks,which I'vebeenrealizingsince2002.
UnheardCitiesexploreshowweperceiveurbansoundenvironmentsintheformofinstallations,
musicalperformancesand, inthecaseof UnheardDelhi,worksforradio. InUnheardDelhiI
interviewedeightpeoplewiththequestion,Whatisyourfavoritesoundorsoundenvironmentin
Delhi?Irecordedalltheanswersandthenwentoutinthecityandrecordedthecorresponding
sounds.The resultingrecordingsandinterviewswerethenmixedtogetherforanapproximately
60-minute long audio portrait of thecity. I produced anearlierversionof thispiece,UnheardZrich,in2007.
Thepieceworksonseverallevels,perhapsthefirstbeingthattheintervieweescometoreflectonthesoundenvironmentsofthecityinwhichtheylive.ManyofthepeopleIinterviewedhadgreat
difficultyinansweringthequestion.Theideaof afavoritesound,letaloneanysoundatall,is
fairlyalienasthisseemstobeatopicmostpeopledon'tthinkabout,especiallyinDelhiwherethe
sheerdensityandvolumeofsoundoftenmakesignoringthesurroundingsoundsaprerequisitefor
gettingthroughtheday.Ifsomeonedoesthinkaboutthesoundsoftheircitythenitisinevitably
thesoundswhichdisturbthatcometomind.Askingaboutthesoundswhichpleaseisthereforea
doublechallenge.On anotherlevel, theanswersprovidedbythe interviewees createsakindof
sonicmapformetofindmywaythroughthecitywith.Thesepeoples'soundsleadmethroughthe
city,insearchofwherethesesoundsoccurandonthewayIquitenaturallyencounterothersound
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environments which I otherwise might have never come across. Finally, the sound of the
interviewees' voices provides another image of the city in which they live. Not only do the
recordingsofthe soundstheydesignatedbut theirvoicesthemselves lendasonicmirrorto the
greaterurbansoundscapeinwhichtheylive.Myhopeisthatpeoplehearingthesepieceswillalso
cometo reflect onthe sounds oftheplaces inwhich they live, and not just the sounds which
disturbthembutalsothesoundsinwhichtheyfindsolace,shelterorjoy.
As a side note, it occurred to me much later after finishing the piece that the word saraitranslates in Hindi to An enclosed space in a city or beside a highway. Where travelers andcaravans can find shelter, companionship and sustenance.A tavern, a public house, ameeting
place.Adestinationandapointofdeparture.Aplacetorestinthemiddleofajourney.Formany
ofthepeopleIintervieweditwascleartomethatthesoundstheychosecreatedforthemaspace
of shelter, a senseof companionshiporevena placeof destination,where theywould go for
enjoymentorrest.Inthissense,UnheardDelhiisnotjustaboutsoundsbutaboutsocialspacesandhowsoundcontributestothecreationofthesespaces.
Inthe followingtextsI givethenameof each interviewee, theirvocation,an excerptfromtheir
interviewandnotesabouthowtherecordingsoftheirsoundsweremade.Thesetexts followthe
orderofthefinalversionofUnheardDelhi.
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1.Alankar(student)
People coming out on the streets marching together, trying to bring out a collective voice,
sound.Alankar'ssounddesignatedacollectivespacesymbolizedbythesoundofpeopledemonstrating.As such, this meant that I had to find a demonstration in Delhi. In fact, there are often
demonstrationsinDelhibut,likemanythingsinIndia,itisnoteasytofindoutwhenorwherethey
are.AsasidenoteIshouldmentionthatIwasinDelhiwithmypartnerandthreeofmychildren
(atthat time ages threeyears, sixyearsand sevenmonths).Thismademe far lessmobile and
flexiblethanifIhadbeeninDelhialone .Weoftenalltroopedoutintothecitytogether,thewhole
familyintowbehindme,searchingforthesesounds.Anditwasoftenamatterofpureluckor
coincidence that I managed to find the sounds to be recorded. In several cases, the sounds
designated by the interviewees were already sounds I had recorded during our previous
wanderingsthroughthecity,inwhichcaseIdidn'thavetoseektheseout.Butthiswasseldomthe
case.
ButinAlankar'sanswerIwaspresentedwithaparticularchallenge.Tim ewasalsoveryshortfor
this project. Iwas only inDelhi for around onemonth and Iwas not just producing Unheard
Delhibuthadgivenaconcert (ofrecordingsmadein thecity)andexhibitedanew installation.
Someofthe interviewsweredonenear thebeginningofmystay,whichgavememoretimeto
record thesounds, butsome,likeAlankar's,weremade closerto theend,whichputme under
additional time pressure to find the sounds. I would've rather had the luxury of many more
leisurelywanderings throughthecity,butthisjustwasn'tpossible. TherecordingusedforAlankar'sanswerwasmadeonedaybeforeourdeparture,nearConnaught
PlaceinthecenterofNewDelhi.Wewereactuallyinsearchofgiftstobringbackforfamilyand
friendsandwereonourwaytoahugeemporiumfortraditionalhandcrafts.Aswecamecloserto
the emporium, I heard the soundof what seemed to bea demonstration inthedistance. The
soundwasloudestrightinfrontoftheemporiumbutnodemonstrationwasinsight, thoughpoliceinfullriotgearwithautomaticweaponsstoodateachcorneroftheintersection.Itfinallydawned
onme thatademonstration inanotherpartof thecitywas beingtransmittedata blaringloud
volumeoverloudspeakersmountedoneachcorneroftheintersection.Itwasstrangetothinkthat
thiswas thedemonstrationI hadlookedso longfor,butin fact,itwasademonstration,albeita
disembodiedone.Thepolicewerethere,thetrafficwassnarledandpeoplestoodaroundonthe
street,asifwaitingforthedemonstrationtoappeararoundthecorneranysecond.
Thebestplacetorecordthiswasrightnexttoagroupofpolice,whokepteyingmesuspiciously.
Althoughmyrecordingequipmentwasratherunobtrusive, Istillfelta senseof dread.Myworst
fearwasto bequestionedandto havemyequipmentconfiscated. Evenworsewasthe ideaof
losingthisrecordingwhichIhadsearchedsolongfor.IntheendeverythingwasOK.
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2.ShwetaUpadhyay(journalist)
During that gap betweenwakefulness and sleep you really feel like you are connected to
somethingbeyond.Thiswasacaseofmehavingalreadyrecordedasoundwhichanintervieweehadchosen.Shweta
Upadhyay respondedwith the sound of themuezzin'smorningcall toprayer. Like Alankar, her
soundconnectedher to a specificspace. In this casenot ofprotest but a senseof spirituality
infusingthatplacewhereoneisneitherawakeorasleep.
NearthebeginningofmystayIhadmadeanearlymorningtriptotheJamaMasjid,Del hi'smain
mosqueandoneofthecity'smostimportantculturalandhistoricalsites.Isatonthestepsleading
uptothemainentranceandthemuezzinbegantosing.Foranyonewhohasn'texperiencedthis,it
certainlydoeshaveanotherworldlyfeeltoit ,instantlytransportingonetoanotherplace.
DuringmytimeinDelhiIneverleftthehousewithoutmyrecorderandmicrophonesclippedtothe
collarofmyjacketorshirt.IwasconstantlyrecordingandonthismorningattheJamaMasjidIwas
abletocapturethesoundofthemuezzin,thoughIhadn'tbeenplanningonrecordingthis.
ManyofthesoundschosenbythepeopleIinterviewedhadacertainclaritytothem,theabilityto
cutthroughthedenseenvironmentofDelhi'ssoundfieldsandcreatea spaceoftheirown.The
muezzin'scallwaslikeaknife,penetratingtherelativeearlymorningstillnessofOldDelhi.Ialso
experienced this call laterduring theday and,surprisingly, it still had thesame effect, piercing
throughthecity'swallofnoi se.
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3.IramGhufran(filmmaker)
Thatdelicatecracklingkindofsound.IramGhufranwas responsible for Saraihostingmeand I spent a lot oftime speakingwithherabout her experiences with sound in Delhi. It was initially very hard to interview her as she
couldn't thinkof anysoundwhatsoeverin thecitywhichpleasedher.Her initialresponsetomy
questionwas,ThesoundofmyharddiscwhenIturnitoneachmorning,whichIcouldn'tquite
acceptasanappropriateanswerasthissoundcouldhaveoccurredanywhereintheworldwhere
shemighthavehadherharddiscwithher.Althoughanotherinterviewee(C handrikaGrover,see
below)gaveasimilarresponseaboutthesoundofwaterflowingfromhertap,Iconsideredthisas
morespecifictoDelhiandthereforepressedIramforothersounds.Intheend,sheactuallygave
memore answers than I could use. Itwasas ifonce I planted this idea, somethingwhichshe
admittedlyneverhadgivenmuchthoughtto,thetricklebecameaflood.
Herfirstanswerwasthenthesoundoffoodfryingataroadsidestand.Ilovedherdescriptionof
thissoundandhowitcreatedthissenseof intimacyandsharedexperiencewithallpeoplewho
camefromDelhi.Ijustcouldn'tforthelifeofmeimaginehowIwouldbeabletocapturethisina
recording.Asidefromthefactthatthecitywasvirtuallyalwaystooloudtorecordsomethingthis
quiet, I couldn't see getting closeenough to the frying food to record iteven ifI did bysome
miraclefindaquietplacewithafoodstand.
AfewdayslaterafterherinterviewIwasgoingthroughrecordingsIhadalreadymadeinthecity
and stumbled across the very sound she had described! This had been recorded onmy early
morningtriptotheJamaMasjidinOldDelhi(seeabove).OnmywaytothemosqueIstoppedat
oneofthesestandstodrinksomechai.Itwasstilldarkandthecitywasv eryquiet.Amanwas
preparingsamosasandpakorasinthehotoil.Idrankmychaistandingveryclosetothefryingfood
andwasthusabletorecordthissound,thoughatthetimeIrememberbeingmoreentrancedwith
thisearlymorningatmospherethanwit hthesoundofthefryingfood,whichwasinfactmorea
byproduct of thewhole recordingexperience. I think thiswasoneof myfavoriterecordings of
UnheardDelhi.
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4.ChandrikaGrover(directorofProHelvetiaNewDelhi) Whenyouturnonthetapinthemorningandwaterflowsfromit,it'ssweetmusictomyears. Chandrika'sanswerwasatonce very simpleandformevery understandable.In theshorttimelivinginDelhiwehadexperienceddailywaterproblems.Watercamefromareservoirontheroof
pumpedbyanincrediblyloudandoldwaterpump,whichmoreoftenthannotdidnotpumpor,
rather, only pumped in the mornings, but not in the afternoons. And then only one of our
bathroomsintheapartmenthadwaterflowingtothetoiletandone tothesink,andthewaterheaterwouldn'talwaysfill...andsoon.Chandrika'sanswermademorethanperfectsenseforme!
And, ofcourse,our problemspaled incomparison tothosemanypeople inDelhiwhoperhaps
didn'thaveanyrunningwateratall.
Living inZrich,wherecrystalline riversgushfromthemountainsand lakes,oneeasilytakes for
grantedthevalueofwater.ButinDelhi,eveninthemoreaffluentpartsofthecityliketheonewe
werestayingin,theavailabilityofwaterisadailyunc ertainty.
ThesoundofwaterforChandrikathereforedefinedastateofmindandaportentfortheday's
arrival.Imadethisrecordinginourapartmentonadaywhenthewaterwasinfactrunning.Ionly
hadtomakesurethewaterpumpwasoffbeforestar tingtherecorder!
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5.IshShehrawat(musician)
Youcanreallyenjoythesecompletemoments ofsilenceandcompletechaos.Ishwasoneof theintervieweeswho Ididn'thavetoprodforananswer.Maybebecauseheisa
musicianormaybebecausehewasbornandraisedinDelhi,butheseemedtohavenoproblemin
connectingwithwhatIwasafterinmyinterview.
HisfirstanswerreferredtotheparksinDelhi,whichcreatedacontextandacontrasttothecity's
magnificentchaos.Forhim,itwas importanttohavethesequietplacestoreactivatetheprocess
ofhearingagain.Thecity'sdense,churningsoundenvironmenttendstoblotthisout.ThoughI'd
have to say that, like Ish,I also found a certain senseof enjoyment inthecity'snoisiestareas.
Therewassomethingincrediblyinvigorating,whennotatthesametimeutterlytaxing,ofbeingin
the Chawri BazarRoad inOldDelhiona weekday afternoonwith the streets too full to move
through,cloggedwithrickshaws,taxis,theoddcowandthis incrediblemassofhumanityinchingitswayforwardthroughthedustandexhaustfumes.IfeltattimeslikeIwastrappedinatelevision
tunedbetweenstations,spewingwhitenoiseandan endlessflickerpatternof snowy staticand
abruptglitches.
FindingaplacetorecordIsh'ssoundprovedtobenoproblematall,asrightaroundthecorner
fromwherewelivedwastheKamlaNehruRidgeForest,ahugenationalparkfullofmonkeysand
denseclustersofscreamingbirds.BeingsomewhatofananomalyforDelhi,theparkwasoftenfull
withjoggers,hikersorpeoplepicnicking.Itwasthereforesomewhatdifficultfindingaquietspotin
theparkwhichcouldsomehowcapturewhatIshwasreferringto.Duringtherecordingthebirds
graduallygrew in intensity.Atfirstmypresence frightenedthemaway, butaftera fewminutes
theyseeminglydecidedIposednothreatandresumedtheirchorusatfullvolume.Neartheendof
therecordingyoucanhearamaninthedistancesingingonasqueakyswing.
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6.IramGhufran(filmmaker)
Theygoonmakingthesoundandit'sdyinginallthenoisethatisaroundit. InherinterviewIramdiscussedoneofthearchetypalproblemsinurbansoundenvironments:the
drowning out of small, more subtle sounds. Here she was referring to the bell on the bicyclerickshaws.Although Iwouldtendtoagreewithheringeneral aboutthesesmallsoundsgetting
drownedout,Iwouldinparticulardisagreewithherabouttherickshawwallah'sbell.Eveninthe
noisiest depths of a hopelessly traffic-clogged Old Delhi street, these bells always seemed to
magically appear, ringing clearly above the din. I began to ask myself if there perhaps wasn't
somethinginthedesignofthesebellswhichmadethemspeciallysuitedto thismosthostileof
environments.Ifanything,Ididn'thearthemdyinginallthenoisearoundthem,butrippingthis
noiseasunderinthemostsubversiveofways,almost,itseemed,workingonasubconsciouslevel.
IalwaysknewtogetoutofthewaywhenIheardtheringofarickshawwallah'sbell.
Aswithmany of therecordings in UnheardDelhi, recordinga rickshawwallah's bell posed anumberofproblems.Icouldn'timaginejustrecordingthisonthestreet,evenifitwaspractically
alwaysgoingon.Registeringthisonapsychologicallevelwasonething,butsomehowtransferringthis experienceto a recordingwas another.AndI didn'tfeelrightjustwalkingup toa rickshaw
wallahandtryingtoexplainthatIwantedtorecordhisbell.EvenifIdidfeelrightaboutthisIstill
probablycouldn'thavedoneitasmostofthesedriver'sdon'tspeakmuchEnglishandIfiguredit
wouldbeneartoimpossibletogetmypointacross.
Intheend,Ihituponaveryelegantsolution.Everymorningd ifferentvendorsvisitedthecourtyard
ofourapartmentcomplex.Therewasamansellingbread,anothermancamewiththemilk,and
yetanotherwhobroughtvegetables.Thevegetablevendorarrivedonalargeflatbedbicycle,piled
highwithallkindsofvegetables.Andhehadabell,thesamebellthatalltherickshawwallahshad.
Wehadalreadygottentoknoweachotherovertheseveralweeksthatwehadbeenlivingatthe
apartment. I just cameoutonemorningwithmymicrophones andrecorderand askedhim if I
could ringhisbell a few times.Heseemedtounderstand,or atleastnot care, and Imadethe
recording.AndthenIboughtourvegetablesforthedayplusatipforhisbell.
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7.PriyaSen(filmmaker)
Itbecomeslikethislittlecommunalspace.Priya Sen'sanswer really hit uponmy idea of sounddefining a social space. She chosenot an
uniquesoundbutthesoundofaplace,asmallroundaboutnearherhouseinJongpurExtension,aquietresidentialneighborhoodinsouthernNew Delhi.Itwashereatthisrotundaplacedinthe
intersectionoffourstreetsthatpeopleinherneighborhoodmettoselltheirwares,washanddry
theirclothesortojustrelaxandtalkwiththeneighbors.
The idea of recordingan entire environment, asopposed to going for one particular soundor
eventreallyappealedtome.ThetrekouttoherhouseprovedtobeanotherofourDelhiodysseys,
consistingofalongtrainride,averylongwalkandacoupleeatingstopsontheway.Whenwe
finally found the roundabout I was a bit disappointed. There was nobody there! No women
washing,nopeoplesellinganything,notevenanyonesittingthere.Wewalkedabit furtherand
found a smallplaygroundand let the kids relax and play forawhile. I gave the situationsome
thoughtanddecidedtogobacktotheroundaboutandmakearecording.Maybesomeonewould
arrivewhileIwasthere,maybeweweretooearly.
Ileftmyfamilyattheplaygroundandwentbacktotheroundabout.ItwasstillemptybutIwent
aheadand tooka seat and started the recorder. Almost as if bymagic the vendors started to
appearfromdifferentdirections,circlingtherotundaandcallin gouttheirwares.Neighborswalked
by,staringatmecuriously.Apackofstaydogsapproachedmecautiouslyandsniffedatmyshoes.
Nobody actually entered the rotunda but I did get the sense that it was the heart of this
neighborhood,thatsoonerorlatereveryoneconvergedhere.ThesoundsIrecordedrepresented
thevortexofthissmallcommunityandIfeltthattherecording,evenifitdidn'tcapturePriya's
precisedescription,didimpartthatsenseofthisparticularplace.
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8.SajidAkbar(musician)
Likeaconcentratedwaveofsoundofthesepeoplejustenjoyingtheserides. SajidAkbarcontactedmeoutofthebluewhileIwasinDelhi.He'dbeentomyinstallationatthe
BhutaGalleryintheCraftsMuseumandhadafewquestionsaboutthis.I askedifhewouldbeinterestedindoingan interviewforUnheardDelhi, towhichhereadilyagreed. Ionlymention
this here as one of the great problems facingme in producing this piece was finding enough
peopletointerview,especiallywhenworkingundersuchpressingtimeconstraints.Ihad,infact,interviewedseveralotherpeoplefor thepiecebut someof theiranswers, thoughperhaps very
interesting,forvariousreasonscouldn'tberecorded.Forexample,onepersonlikedthesound ofaspecific truck horn that had actually recently been outlawed in Delhi and which therefore no
longerexisted.Or somepeoplegavethesamesoundasothers.Thesoundof trains,eithertheir
hornsoroftheactualtrainpassingby,orofbirdssinging,weresoundsseveralpeoplementioned.And then, some sounds I just couldn't track down. So, themore people I could interview, the
better.Butitwasdifficulttofindenoughpeopleandto findthetimeto interviewthem.Delhiis
huge and it sometimes took me well over an hour to meet someone to make a five-minute
interview.I couldn'tverywellexpectpeopletotaketimeoutof theirdayandcometome.Idid
manage tomake several of theinterviewswhich finallyended upon thepieceatSarai,which,
luckilyenough,wasjustaten -minutewalkfromourapartment.
Sajid'sanswerreferredtotheWorldofWonders,anamusementparkoutontheabsolutenether
reachesofDelhi,inanareadevoidofname,onlydesignatedasSector18.Whichallsoundedvery
mysterioustome.Thetrainrideouttherewasreallylong,passingthroughvastswathesofDelhi
slums,anincrediblydenselandscapeoftightlyclusteredapartmentbuildingsandnarrowstreets
packedsolidwithpeople.WhenwereachedtheSector18metro stationthesceneoutsidewaslike
a riotwith this fantastically loud wall of traffic noise echoing between the road and the train
stationabove.Ittookusaroundtenminutesjusttocrossthestreettostartonourwaytothe
amusementpark.AnytimewetriedtocrossaroadinDelhiwithouttrafficlightswewerevirtually
likesittingducks,butwemiraculouslyalwaysmangedtoavoidcalamity.
We continued on through what seemed like an endless area of shopping plazas and came to
anotherperilousroadc rossingtoahuge,evenbyWesternstandardshuge,shoppingmall.Ifeltlike
IwassuddenlybackinLosAngeles.TheonlydifferencewasthatinLosAngelestheywouldnever
haveallowedsuchmassivesoundleakage fromthemall'sventilationsystem.Twoten-meterair
ventsexhaledspentairfromthemall'sventilationsystem.Itfeltliketwojetengineswarmingup
fortakeoff,thoughthesounditselfwasmuchmuchdeeper,fairlyrumblingmystomachwithits
vibrations.
WemovedonandfinallycametotheWorldofWonderswhich,asonemightexpect,wasfarfrom
that. Itwasa rathersadaffair. Something like anabandoned carnival attraction ina JGBallard
novel,re-animatedbyasmallgroupofpeoplewhohadsurvivedsomeunspeakablecalamityand,
yearningforaconnectiontotheirdecimatedworld,managedtogetsomeridesandasemblance
ofwonderrunningagain.
Duetolackofvisitors,manyoftherideswerenotrunning.Luckilyenough,though,onependulum -
likeaffairwasworkingandpeoplewererid ingit,yellingandscreaminginernst.Thisprovideda
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greatrecording,withtheirpealsoflaughterpanningbackandforthacrossthestereofield.Icould
verywellimagineSajid'samusementatpassingthisrideeachdayonhiswaytowork,whichwas
perhapsthegreatestwonderofthissadamusementpark.
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9.IramGhufran(filmmaker)
Asoundwhichisreallyexciting,funandjustveryvibrant.November isthemonth forweddings inDelhiandthereis probablyno biggercelebration for a
familythanhavingit'ssonordaughterjoinedinholymatrimony.Iramrefersheretothebaraatprocession, which iswhen thebridegroomtravels ona horse to theweddingceremony at the
bride'shouse,accompaniedbyhisfriendsandfamilyandatroopofdrummers.
Ithoughttomyself,Great,thiswillbeanamazingrecordingbutwherewillI findthis?WhenI
askedaroundtheinevitableanswerwas,Oh,everywhere.Novemberisthemonthofweddings.
ButeverywherewasformenowhereinDelhi,asIcouldn'tfindmyselftraipsingaroundthecity
onanendlesssearchforaweddingprocession.Butthen,aswasoftenthecaseduringourstayin
Delhi,theanswercamealmostasifbymagic.SomeonefromSaraitoldmethedayafterIram's
interviewthattherewouldbe aweddingrightnextdoorthatevening.Incredible! Thingsstartedtogetgoingaroundnightfall.IwentbacktoSaraiwithmydaughterJosephineand
we stood outside the bride's house trying to record the music, whichdidn't really seem to be
happening yet. Suddenly, a huge roarofdrumseruptedand the procession spilled out on the
streetwithhorses,athrongofpeopleinalltheirfineryandseveralmenbringingupthebackwith
generatorsintowtopowerallthelights.
Westoodbythesideoftheroadandrecordedtheprocessionasitmeanderedbackandforth
betweenthebride'shouseandaHindutemplenotfaraway.Thedrumspannedbackandforth,
recededinthebackground,pushedtotheforeground.Itwasapulsingma ssofbuzzing,snapping
snaredrumssupportedbydeepertuneddholdrums.AsIramstated,justvibrant.
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10.IshShehrawat(musician)
Allthetrainsgoingby,takingoutdifferentintervals.It'salmostlikeasong.IfounditinterestinghowIshtunedintoenvironmentalsoundsasmusicalstatements.Itprobablyshould have comeasnosurprise to me, as Ish isamusician, but then, I seem toknowmany
musicianswhowouldn'tconsiderthesesoundsasmusical.Forme,though,Delhiprovedtobeone
ofthemostmusicalcitiesI'deverspenttimein.AndhereIshcameupwithagoodexampleofa
soundenvironmentwhichprobablyonlyexistsinDelhi.Hehadlivednearatrainstationforsome
time andbecameentrancedwith the incoming andoutgoing trainstooting their airhorns.The
descriptionsoundedgreatbutIcouldn'treallyimaginewhatthisactuallycouldsoundlikenorhow
Iwouldbeabletofindthis.I'dalreadybeenattheOldDelhitrainstationand,thoughthere wereinfacttrainssoundingtheirhornsthere,itlackedthedensityandclarityofIsh'sdescription.
Several days before going home to Zrich, wemade our way to one of Delhi's classic tourist
destinations,Humayun'sTomb,theso-calledlittlebrotheroftheTajMahal.Afterhavingalookat
thetomb,wewentdowntothesurroundingparktoflysomekiteswe'dboughtforthekidsona
triptoVaranasi.Itwasawarmandwindyday.Itookabreakfromkiteflyingandwentovertositin
theshadetocooloff.SuddenlyI heardin thedistancewhatsoundedlikea trainhorn.Andthenanother.IrealizedthatthiswasthesoundIshhadbeenreferringto.Thewindcarriedthesoundof
thesehorns over fromtheNazratNizamuddinrailway station, aboutninekilometers awayfrom
Humayun'sTomb.Itwasinfactabeautifulsound,likeasongandabitmournful.PerhapsIhad
beenreflectingonthefactthatwewouldsoonbeleavingDelhi,acitywhichcouldinequalparts
driveonecrazyandbeutterlycaptivatingatthesametime.
This was another case speaking for never leaving thehouse withoutmy recordingequipment.
Given the time constraints I was working under, Imost certainlywouldhave never found this
soundnomatterhowhardIhadtried.
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11.IramGhufran(filmmaker)
Everybellislikesomebodypraying,somebodyaskingforsomething. IramansweredherewithoneofthemostubiquitoussoundstobeheardinIndia:templebells.Inan intensely spiritually conscious country like India, there are temples everywhereandmost of
them have bells. Even in thecourtyardof ourapartment building theneighbors haderected a
smallHindutemple,completewithitsownpriestwhospentthedaysthere,sittinginaspacenot
muchlargerthanhimself.
Andhereagain,an answerwhereasoundisappreciatednotjustforthepleasureof itinandof
itself,butasasymbolofsomethingelse.AsinShwetaUpadhyay'slinktothemuezzin'smorning
calltofeelingyouareconnectedtosomethingbeyond,sotoodotheso undofthesetemplebells
represent a connection to a place or force beyond, something all powerful, benevolent and
nurturing.
ThoughinherinterviewIramreferencedthissoundtoaparknearherhouse,I feltthattherealissueherewasthesoundofthebellsandwhattheyrepresented,nottheparknearIram'shousewhereshesometimesheardthese.AndforthisreasonIdecidedtomaketherecordingataHindu
templenearourapartment.OnceagainI wasamazedathowmanyofthe soundsrecordedfor
UnheardDelhiwereeitherfoundin theneighborhoodwherewewerestayingorfromsounds
whichI'dalreadyrecordedbeforetheactualinterviewshadbeenmade.
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12.SadafRaza(projectsorganizer,ProHelvetiaNewDelhi)
Youcanhearwhenthecityisstillnotupandawakebutitslowlyiswakingup.Andthat'swhen
youheardifferentsounds.SadafRazawasinfactthefirstpersonIinterviewedforUnheardDelhi,andthiswhenshewasinZrich ona tripfor theNewDelhiofficeofthe SwissArts Council Pro Helvetia. I felt that this
recording would be a goodway to end the piece, in stark contrast to its beginning with the
stormingsoundofpeopledemonstrating.Sadafchosenota specificsoundbut,rather,a timeof
daywhereonecouldheardifferentsoundsatall.MuchasIshspokeaboutbeingabletoreactivate
theprocessoflisteningbyvisitingparksinDelhi,sotoodidSadaffindsolaceintheearlymorning
hours,whentheshopswerejustopeningandthedayhadyettofallintothevortexofDelhi'smass
ofnearly17,000,000peopletryingtonavigateitswaythroughthecity.
SittinghereinZrichas Iwritethis,the ideaofbeingabletoheardifferentsoundsseemslike
nothing remarkable. I can hear the wind blowing through the trees, kids playing down in the
courtyard,astreetcarrollingby,thechurchbellringingoutthetimeofdayandbirdssinging.But
then I thinkback to Delhi, to ConnaughtPlace, whichis the areaSadaf gave for beingable to
experiencethisearlymorningsilence.AndIremembernowthat,really,asidefromtheoccasional
rickshawbellorthepiercing,snarlingbuzzofmotorcyclehorns,allIreallycanrecallofthisplaceis
a dense wave of traffic winding around and around a hub of seven major thoroughfares, all
convergingonacircleofupscalerestaurants,boutiquesandtouristtraps.Iliketothinkofmyselfas
atrainedlistener,whichmeansI'vedevelopedasensibilitytolisteningthroughyearsofpractice,
butinDelhi,andperhapslikenoothercityI'vespenttimein,myso -called trainedearsoften
cameupempty,tryasImight.Perhaps,though,empty isthewrongword.Maybeoverloaded
wouldbemore accurate, as the density of this city's soundenvironmentwas like noother I'd
experienced,justin termsof thesheeramountof differentsoundspotentiallyhappeningatany
onemoment.Ofcourse,thereareplacesoflesssoundsorquietersounds,liketheparks,butthese
arefewandfarbetween.Whenonewantstohearmorethen,asSadafsoastutelysummedup,onemustbeupatthecrackofdawn.
Still,IfoundConnaughtPlaceearlyinthemorningnotasshedescribedit.PerhapsIwasn'tthere
earlyenough,orperhapsthecityhasalreadyoutgrownhermemoriesofit.Inanycase, Idecided
tomakearecordingofthisearlymorningenvironmentnotfarfromtheSisganjGurudwara,alarge
SikhTempleinOldDelhionChandniChowk.Ihadtomakeseveraltripstothisareabeforefinding
therighttimeandplacetocapturewhatIthoughtbestrepresentedSadaf'swordsofbeingableto
heardifferentsounds,butwhenIfinallydidmaketherecordingIknewthatperhapsmorethan
anythingelseI'dheardinDelhithiswasthebest.Normally,duringthedaythisknotofwinding
alleywaysandnarrowstreetsisahighpressurezoneofeveryconceivablesound,allatseemingly
fullvolume.Yetintheearlymorningitalmostfeltlikeanabandonedcity.Thiswasthetimeofthe
day whenthe cowswandered listlessly through thestreets and thesnapof door locks clicking
openandstoreshuttersbeingrolledupthunderedlikeexplosions,sodistinctdidtheysoundoutin
contrasttotheslowlywakingcityaroundthem.Andpreciselytheseweresomeoftheunheard
soundsofUnheardDelhiwhichIhadbeenlookingfor.
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JasonKahn.Born1960,NewYork,USA.Composition,installations,percussion,electronics.BasedinZrich,Switzerland. Exhibitionsand concerts inmuseums, galleries, art spaces, festivals and clubs throughoutEurope, NorthandSouth
America, Australia, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lebanon,Malaysia,Mexico, New Zealand, Russia,
Singapore,TurkeyandSouthAfrica.Soundpiecesforfilm,danceandradio.
http://jasonkahn.net
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TickMarkStudiesRamonesRamones(Sire,1976)ByAdamSonderberg
Thealbumswelovehaveiteasy.Iftheyrewithinearshottheycanluxuriateinthe
praisebeitham-fisted,needlesslyabstractorrecklesslypassionateheapedupon
them.Itsarelationshipcomplicatedprimarily,ifatall,byextra-musicalassociations:
variousandsundryhormone-and/oradrenaline-churningexperiencesinvolvinglove,loss,theft,success,orabjectfailure.
IcantrememberwhenIfirstheardtheRamonesdebutalbum,butmyrelationship
with these fourteen songs is doubtlessly mirrored in the lives of countless otherlistenersofallages,therebyrenderingarhapsodicappreciationofitspowertoexcite,
inspire, and transform largely superfluous (and also outside the purview ofWolf
Notes).
TheTickMarkStudiescameaboutasanattempttofrustratemyexperiencewiththis
andotherbelovedrecords.Intheprocess,Ihopedtointerrogatemylisteninghabits
and,asaresult,cultivateanewformofactivelistening.Thefollowingpagesconsist
of two attempts to graphically represent all of the single snare hits present on
Ramones. My idea of active listening consists of a passive body (usually sitting
comfortablyorrecumbent)andactivemind.Bytranscribingtheactivityofthesnare
drum,mybodyplayedanactiveroleinlistening,andthismadeforaphysicallytense
hour.Theresultingdocumentdraws inspirationfrom,and is indebted to, thevisualaestheticsofMinimalism; it attempts to transcribe, embody, andacknowledge the
aural and visual rigor that comprised the foundation of the Ramonesmasterfully
executedcraft.
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Adam Sonderberg is a composer, one-third of Haptic, and former co-director of the DroppEnsemble. He is the author of the recently published American Hours with German Efficiency(Entracte)andmaintainsablogbythesamename.
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ThoughtsonNotBeingaMusician
BySimonReynell
Theresanoteonthestairs:Thingsarenotverygood.Herefusestoeatbecauseof
diarrheasojuice,coffee,tea(inredcanister).MymothersgonetoarehearsalforanEasterperformanceoftheSt.MatthewPassion,andIvecomebacktothehouse
whereI grewupinBradfordtolookaftermy fatherforthehourswhileshesaway.
Hes93andhasbeensubjecttodebilitatinginfectionsformuchofthepastyear.Hes
hadtroubleswallowingforsometime,andfromhisbedroomupstairsIhearanugly,
phlegmycougheveryminuteorsoashetriestoclearhiswindpipe.Hisbalanceis
poor, and several falls haveleft his skinmarkedwith countless dark bruiseswhich
refusetoheal.Intellectuallyhesstillprettymuchthere,andhelistenseverydayto
thenewsinFrenchandGermanaswellasEnglish,buttheconstantailmentsmake
himmiserableandhesreadytodie.
Inmy late teenage years I hated him and we had furious futile arguments about
politics.ButbythetimeIstartedtohavechildren,wedlearnedtosteproundour
ideologicaldifferences.Heretiredfromhisjobasaca rdiologistandmellowed,andI
managedtocontrolmyOedipalrages. Soformychildrenastheygrewuphewasa
lovelygranddad:kind,supportive,non -judgmentalandquietlyloving.
[Ive just been up to check on him, and hes asleep now, curled up with only his
wrinkled face and unruly grey hair poking out of the covers, lookingwizened and
horriblyvulnerable]
Mymother is still active, playing viola in several amateurorchestras and chamber
groups.Forher80thbirthdayafewweeksback16ofhermusicalfriendscameand
spentthedayplayingchambermusicinvarious formationsinfourroomsroundthe
house.WhenIwasyoungshewasjustahousewife,butmyfatherssister whowasan inspirational music teacher encouraged her to take up music again, and itbecamefirstapassionatehobby,thenameansofearninganindependentincomeasshestartedteachingviolinandpianoatalocalschool.
Culture and academic achievement were the two most highly valued things inmy
parents house, and classical musicwas the constant soundtrack aswe grew up -Radio3inthekitchen,andrecordsonthegramophoneinthelivingroom.Andthere
wasalwaysapianointhecornerfirstanupright,thenlateraratherbeautifulbabygrand.Yetneither Inormytwobrotherseverlearnedtoplay.Myfathersbeliefwas
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that ifwereallywanted todo something,weddo itanyway. Im sure that ifwed
asked for lessons,hed have happily paid for them,but none ofuseverdid, even
thoughasteenagerswe spentmostofourpocketmoneyonLPsandlistenedtomusichardandseriously.Ioftensaythatnotlearningtoplaythepianoisthebiggestregret
ofmylife,butIstillstruggletounderstandwhyIdidnt.
** ***
When my father had a stroke about 10 years ago, he knew exactly what was
happening ashe fell to the floorand startedvomiting, but hedidnt know ifhed
recover,beparalysedordie. Infactheregainedvirtuallyallhismobilityremarkably
quickly.Mymotherrangmeandmybrotherstoinformustendayslater,whenhe
was out ofhospitaland itwas clearhe was goingto be alright. For tendaysshe
hadntrungbecauseshedidntwanttoworryusandmakeasonganddanceabout
somethingthatmightturnouttobenothing.
Shesamusician,butshedoesntliketomakeasonganddance.Idontknowif its
just our family, or typical of a subsection of the middle class of my parents
generation, ora featureof social life in a northern industrial citywhereMethodist
attitudeslingerevenamongstnon -believers,butyoudontwanttomakeafussorrisk
lookingstupidbyover-dramatisingthings.Yougetonwithlife,whichusuallyinvolves
serving other peoples needs whether as doctor, teacher or musician. And you
instinctivelydistrustpeoplewhoareshowyorhavepretensions.
Mymother plays music every day, but she hasnt ever composed anything. Shes
contenttoplayotherpeoplescompositions,organiseconcertsandwriteprogrammenotes about the works of great composers. Creativity is for other people aprivilegedfewwhoyourevere,butwithoutbeingfoolishenoughtoimaginethatyou
mighteverbecomeoneofthem.TheyexistsomewhereelseLondonperhaps,ParisorBerlinorVienna,butnotBradford.Andtheyliveanotherkindofexistence:riskier,
moreprecarious, andmoreproneto tragedy. Itsapost-Romantic vision that Ican
critiqueintellectually,butisactuallyquitehardtoshakeoff.Iamafterallmyparentschild;IrunaCDlabel,recordingandproducingdiscsofimprovisedandcuttingedge
contemporarymusic,butIleavethecreativitytoothers,notwantingtomakeasong
anddance-orafoolof-myself.
Singinganddancing:Iprettymuchstoppedsingingattheageof12whenIdecidedI
wasan atheist. Thereafter I stood throughthe hymnsatschoolassemblywithmy
mouthfirmlyanddefiantlyshut.Aftermyvoicebroke,IfoundthatIcouldnolonger
hitthe rightnote,so I stoppedsingingaltogetherfor fearofsoundingstupid. And
dancing.well, I sometimes wonder if part of the reason I embraced avant garde
musicsoferventlyinmylateteenswassothatIw ouldnthavetogotodiscosand
eitherbeawallflowerhanging round theedges, orelse embarrassmyselfwithmy
ungainlyarrhythmicstumblingonthedancefloor.
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FordecadesIvetoldmyselfthatIveleftstartingtoolate.HowcanIenvisageplaying
thepianowithouthavingalready done yearsofpractice? Myhandswillneverbe
suppleenough.InmyMethodist -infusedconsciousness,music likeeverythingelseworthwhile -shouldbetheproductofhardworkandstudiedapplication.Andthefact that I like atonal music shouldnt exempt me from many hours of practicingscales.
ButwithsomeofthemusicIlove,instrumentalvirtuosityisnolongerimportant,let
aloneessential.Anyonecanmakeinterestingsoundswithdigitalelectronics.Thenit
becomesevenmoreterrifying,because theresnolongeranexcuse tohidebehind.
Whats to stop me composing a great piece of electronic music except my own
mediocrity?I fearthatIllbe foundoutandjustconfirmthatImnotcreativeatall,
forallmysecrethopesandpretensions. Self-consciousnessandtimidity aremixed
withsharpself-criticism;Iwasahighachieveracademically,soIcanquicklypickholes
inanddismissanycreativeprojectthatItentativelytrymyhandat.
[Hes woken and has stumbled to the toilet. Incontinence would be the ultimatehumiliationforamanwhosalwaysbeenproudlyindependent,andwould,Imsure,
prompthimtotakethepillsthatwouldenditwhilemymothersawayplayingmusic.
Thatswhyshewantsmehere,soIcanrefillhisglassofgrapefruitjuice,andkeephim
listeningtotheradioandthetickingofhisbedsideclockuntilshesbacktocontinue
thevigil]
**** **
Soam I stuck? Condemned toendlessly serve other peoples creativity insteadofexploringmyown?Itsalltooeasytoblamemyparentsforthewaytheybroughtme
up.Anditsalsotooeasytochastisemyselfin apatternofself-criticismthat doesnothingtobreakthecircle.
Myfathersdyingisinevitablyatimeforself-reflection,andperhapsthatsthejoltI
needtostartdoingaswellasserving.Imalready55andtheclockkeepsticking.Imsure that at first my voice will warble embarrassingly, and my early steps will be
gaucheandclumsy,butperhapsitstimeatlasttoriskmakingasonganddance.
March,2011
SimonReynellhasworkedintelevisionfor25years,mostlyoverthepast12yearsasadocumentary
soundrecordist,in2007hefoundedAnotherTimbreRecords andin2009curatedtheUnnamedMusicfestivalinLondonandLeeds.
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FantasticalZoologybyJephJerman
Iwouldpostulateananimalthatlivesatthefarreachesoftheatmosphere,"hanging"
in space and moving by electric/mechanical energy originating in its thought
processes. Doesn't need to eat, as it exists in a state of not quite becoming, a
nebulous almost-form caught at the transition stage between consciousness and
form. Very difficult to see, but occasionally they do dip closer to us and can be
witnessedwithinfra-redcamerasorgoggles.Whenseen,theyresembl eslightlyjelly
fish without trailing tentaclesormore accurately giant cells that constantlychange
shape, as the edges are continually shifting back and forth between thought and
energy.Theycanbecalleddownbyattractingattentiontooneself.
JephJermanisanAmericansoundartistwhohasrecordedunderthename HandsToandasamemberofmanygroupsincludingAnimistOrchestraandHisMastersVoice.
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Coverimage:TrevorSimmons
TrevorSimmons isbasedinSouthLondon,hasastudioinCamberwell.
Moreofhisworkcanbeseenatwww.okya.co.uk/trevor_simmonsRecentsketchbookworkatwww.mountainofsign.blogspot.com/
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www.compostandheight.com