10/21/2012
Attending: Victor, Brad, Glenn, Chris
Brad and Victor arrive early at the pond, around 5:30pm, to set the space, which involves lighting a small area with soda-bottle lanterns (decorated by local kids) hung from poles of bamboo, as well as arranging in a semi-circle with small amps. Chris and Glenn arrive at about the same time, a little after 6pm. A bit of warming up, and we unofficially begin with an improv that emerges out of a tuning and soundcheck.
No clue as to what a setlist may have looked like; we mostly just play what came to mind. Some pieces got several runs (Overworld II, for instance), and some only one or two. Generally, the audiences that stop to watch are very supportive.
After a couple of hours, we call it a night. Some clean-up, and there is a general agreement of grabbing dinner afterwards. All is finished around 8:20 or so.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Sunday evening at Victor's House
10/14/2012
In attendance: Victor, Brad, Chris.
Opening the meeting with a couple of pieces to send Elspeth to bed: 3rd Relation and Growing Circle.
At Victor's prompting, working with a simple form with a twist: 2 bars of 5 in D minor, 2 bars in F minor, 2 bars in A-flat minor, 2 bars in C-flat minor, and repeat. The twist is to do with the roles, which rotate with each 2 bars: 1 bass, 1 person circulating on the beat, 1 person circulating off the beat. So, if we begin in Dmin, we have Victor on bass, Brad on the beat, and Chris off the beat. Then, at Fmin, Brad takes the bass, Chris moves to on-beat, and Victor switches to off-beat.
Juggling the roles proves to be difficult, and the addition of unfamiliar keys throws Brad a bit too much (time goes out the window). So we spend some time rotating roles in one key, and then bring the key changes in again after a bit. Good work.
Victor asks Chris what he has been working on; this becomes a chance for Chris to get some one-on-one time with Victor, regarding his right hand (and the pivot, as well). At one point, Victor plays parent again, and Chris and Brad talk a bit about guitar care. Eventually Chris finds himself playing a couple of different guitars.
Break. Pat Metheny in discussions.
Breaking the break, a circulation.
Following this, Victor instructs Chris to solo, as Brad and Victor circulate 4-note chords (individual notes). Then Victor and Chris circulate (Brad soloing), and Chris and Brad circulating. Victor observes the challenge of knowing the directionality of the melody and shifting it on the fly as the tonal colors shift in time.
A couple of runs through the Bach Fugue in C Major. Tough with 3/7 of the parts, but we at least know where we are.
Two passes through Voices of Ancient Children, the second one more assured than the first.
Silence to close out the meeting at a surprisingly late-feeling quarter to 11.
In attendance: Victor, Brad, Chris.
Opening the meeting with a couple of pieces to send Elspeth to bed: 3rd Relation and Growing Circle.
At Victor's prompting, working with a simple form with a twist: 2 bars of 5 in D minor, 2 bars in F minor, 2 bars in A-flat minor, 2 bars in C-flat minor, and repeat. The twist is to do with the roles, which rotate with each 2 bars: 1 bass, 1 person circulating on the beat, 1 person circulating off the beat. So, if we begin in Dmin, we have Victor on bass, Brad on the beat, and Chris off the beat. Then, at Fmin, Brad takes the bass, Chris moves to on-beat, and Victor switches to off-beat.
Juggling the roles proves to be difficult, and the addition of unfamiliar keys throws Brad a bit too much (time goes out the window). So we spend some time rotating roles in one key, and then bring the key changes in again after a bit. Good work.
Victor asks Chris what he has been working on; this becomes a chance for Chris to get some one-on-one time with Victor, regarding his right hand (and the pivot, as well). At one point, Victor plays parent again, and Chris and Brad talk a bit about guitar care. Eventually Chris finds himself playing a couple of different guitars.
Break. Pat Metheny in discussions.
Breaking the break, a circulation.
Following this, Victor instructs Chris to solo, as Brad and Victor circulate 4-note chords (individual notes). Then Victor and Chris circulate (Brad soloing), and Chris and Brad circulating. Victor observes the challenge of knowing the directionality of the melody and shifting it on the fly as the tonal colors shift in time.
A couple of runs through the Bach Fugue in C Major. Tough with 3/7 of the parts, but we at least know where we are.
Two passes through Voices of Ancient Children, the second one more assured than the first.
Silence to close out the meeting at a surprisingly late-feeling quarter to 11.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Catch-up on Two Meetings
Just a short recap on the past two meetings with the Circle.
9/30/2012 - Victor, Dev, Rick, Glenn, Wayne, Brad, Chris--Scott's out for the night. Some expanded work with the Guitarist Inside exercise, moving into some circulation work. A report on the previous weekend's gig at the art gallery (generally seen to be a very positive and well-given performance), and then some work on repertoire.
During the break, a discussion on linear/horizontal vs. vertical time, and how that relates to us and our aims and undertakings. The Somerville Honk festival is mentioned.
After the break, an initial presenting of a new piece. A bit more repertoire work, and then we call it a night. Very late.
10/7/2012 - Victor, Brad, Rick, Glenn, Chris, Scott. As a result of finding out that the Honk Festival was to be this weekend in particular, and just a lack of time to prepare, the JP Lantern Festival has re-arisen as a performance opportunity--low-budget and low-risk, but likely a good source of work. We're plugged in tonight via travel amplifiers.
Generally, some repertoire is approached, and we also revisit working with circulation patterns. "We're getting better." Not nearly as late of a night as the week before.
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