electro-acoustic/instrumental/folk music
Ultrasonic Study #1 (2009)
This first of what will be many explorations of the world of ultrasonic vibrations.
Instruments are recorded using instruments designed for the purpose of recording
extremely high-pitched sounds, and the recordings are slowed down far below their
original speed. All previously audible material is filtered off, so that all that is left
is vibrations previously inaccessable to our senses. The result is entirely new timbral characteristics
of instruments, as the naturally occuring harmonic partials within each sound become incredibly dense
so many octaves above the fundamental pitch, the sound approaches irregularity and noise.
This first study features one note of a Javanese Bonang (bell-shaped metalophone),
musical saw, and a broken harmonica.
Two Villages (2009)
Originally, this piece was written for a solo performer and two Javanese slentum, each constructed in
different areas of Java. The instruments are played simultaneously, often in unison, so that the
slight difference in tunings become audible, singing slightly irregular intervals and pulsing pitches
that tell the tale of two places, each sharing a musical tradition but seperated by space and time.
In this recording further instrumentation and electronic production techniques have been included.
It Is Raining (2009)
In this simple phasing piece, 9 versions of a recorded sample, each of a barely different length, are played
simultaneously over and over again. Over the coarse of an hour, the samples begin synchronized, slowly
desynchronize, flowing through countless nuanced rhythms, until they synch-up once again.
FrogSong (2008/2009)
The wind coming through an open window delicately plays the strings of a ukulele laid upon the windowsill.
At first the very vocal chorus of woodfrogs in the background and the sound of the wind itself seemed
like problems when trying to isolate the simple sound of the uke, but eventually became crucial parts
of this composition.
The Evening EP (2009)
A short collection of folk music recorded at home during the summer of 2009. Say "Evening" with
all three syllables.
Cirrus (2009)
This simple piece for player music box is composed with no tempo or rhythmic guides, allowing the performer
to spontaneously and creatively move through clusters of notes. While the order of pitches will always be the
same, the density, duration, and rhythmic characteristics of each performance will be entirely different.
This recording features a performance by Gretchen Jude in the Mills Concert Hall, May, 2009.
Wind Like Water (2009)
Whistlers, trumpet, and saxophone… all sitting inside a piano.
Music For Humans (2008)
Performed by Matt Hettich, Dan Good, Seth Horvitz, Gretchen Jude, Chris Skebo, Conner Lacy, and Barton McGuire,
in the Mills music building stairwell in December, 2008. Simple organizing principles and changing rules lead
the performers through a series of vocal patterns. The piece is "minimal" not only in musical terms, but
also material ones. The piece can be performed anywhere, by any number of individuals, at anytime without
any equipment or instruments. score
The Star Market (2008)
A collection of songs written and recorded in various rooms and studio apartments from late 2006
through early 2008.
This website is in its infancy. Much much more music will be uploaded in the near future!