caleb here, for composition ideas and curiosities:
7/16/13
as a starting point this summer, i am interested in the harp for both recordings and performance, as it seems to possess a range of color, comparable to the piano (possibly making it versatile); has a unique physical presence on or near a stage (which is wonderful to explore visually); and is able to create both singular melodies and dense textures depending on the piece (which makes it a flexible foreground and background instrument).
this is an example of what i'm thinking about when it comes to a highly-affected (e.g. distortion, layering, reverb, etc.) harp recording, from flying lotus (LA):
i'll have to see what kind of contribution the harpists that i know at grinnell can afford—ideally a performance but i'd also make some recordings to play with and layer/affect. perhaps both intermittently would yield the most interesting music!
Thanks, Caleb. The harp is such an interesting instrument, and your fascination with it intrigues me. I like the idea of playing with layer/affect. The visual of a harp on stage is evocative. So unusual, we don't usually get to see a harp. I wonder what it "says"? Dance Ensemble will be doing the spring, "Too Big" on the set created for Lesley Delmenico's piece on the same topic. I envision that we inhabit the space. Could be interesting to place the harp as a distinct visual element. Perhaps the harpist could wear a wolf costume? Haha.
ReplyDeleteALso to say, however, I am still open to whether you want to do recorded music, live or a combination. We can see how it all unfolds, people's time, etc.