Improvised composition / Composed Improvisation

We are working through many concepts about how to support our ambitious goals. When does a composition provide too many constraints and inhibit a spontaneous performance? What’s the minimal amount of composed music that’s required to still hold together as a “composition?” Obviously, there are no clear, precise answers to these questions. But that’s the joy of art! Neil works tirelessly at devising new strategies for composition, reuse of material and how to somehow predict the results. Fortunately, he’s almost always successful in this work.

It’s an interesting process to participate in the flow of this work. We usually bring in a compositional sketch, rework it over and over during rehearsals and then discuss it after each performance. Even our best intentions and ideas which work great in the rehearsal studio, often need revising after a performance. As I write this it may seem frustrating. But the opposite is actually true – that’s the whole point, this music is LIVE and has a spirit of its own. One could easily apply the metaphor Michealangelo suggested about sculpture: the real art lies somewhere within the piece, our job is to remove the nonessential material and reveal its true essence.