5-18-08 - more
Composition Stipulations
The following notes are not really “stipulations” per se as much as a wealth of information, both general and specific, that we would like to provide those who choose to compose for us. You may pay as much or as little attention as you wish to this information.
• We are: Jenna Barvitski (violin, viola) and Kyle Farrell (vibes, percussion). We are looking to build a comprehensive repertoire of music composed specifically for us. As a duo, we have been performing together for about two years. We improvise together and have been performing our own compositions but would like to begin accepting works by others (hence this “Call for Compositions”). As members of (The) Giants of Gender, we have toured nationally; we have performed at the International Society for Improvised Music’s Second Annual Conference; we have performed at Tulsa’s New Genre Festival XV; and we have a release on San Francisco based Edgetone Records. Though still active with (The) G.O.G., we would like to further explore the chamber setting of the duo.
• Chiefly, we are looking for duets for the following combinations:
o Violin + Vibraphone
o Violin + Percussion
o Viola + Vibraphone
o Viola + Percussion
• Some ideas from Kyle regarding percussion parts:
o Percussionists are often expected to be able to play many different instruments. Over the past few years I have been focusing on two general areas of percussion: vibraphone and drum set. It would be best to write for these instruments; this is what I own and therefore have regular access to.
o It should be known that many small accessories and ethnic percussion instruments can be considered as part of my arsenal (i.e. traditional Middle Eastern frame drum, egg shakers, as well as various homemade shakers, claves, etc.).
o I feel that these percussion options are worth considering, as well as the other instrument choices (violin and viola). That is to say, I own a drum set, so if the composer wishes, he could write for, say, vibes, tom-tom, and violin. This type of modern multi-percussion set-up is more representative of my interest than “traditional” drum set.
o Specifics on drums:
• 14" in diameter by 5.5" deep snare drum
• 20” x 16” bass drum
• 14” x 14” floor tom
• 12” x 9” tom
o Specifics on cymbals:
• all cymbals would be considered thin.
• 20”, 18”, 13”, 12”, 10”
• broken pieces of cymbals and other metal.
• We don’t want to attach any stylistic terms to the compositions we’re “looking for.” Feel free to use your preferred compositional style.
• We often allow sections for improvisation within our own written compositions, so if you feel so inclined, indications for improvised/aleatoric/graphic sections of any kind would be welcomed.
• It should be known that we do not own a P.A., and most often we perform acoustically. Thus, we are not particularly interested in tape pieces, but why not try to convince us?
• If we like the piece you write for us and choose to learn and perform it, we would like to pay you in some fashion, probably in the form of a monetary compensation. Currently, this monetary compensation may be quite small, but as this project develops, we will be applying for grants and such… This is obviously highly dependent on the responses we get…
• We don’t want to set any deadlines on this call for compositions, but we are looking forward to having some new pieces to work on and perform. Also, we encourage you to consider that the sooner you write us a piece, the sooner we will be able to learn and perform it!
• We are currently based in Youngstown, OH. We will be spending the summer months in Nova Scotia and will then be moving to New York City, where we plan to become active members of the new music scene. There we will be performing in many settings (i.e. modern music concerts and recitals, as well as experimental music venues, some which may be considered “DIY” or “underground”).
• Compositions may be submitted electronically as PDF documents to callforcomps@gmail.com or may be physically mailed (preferred) to:
o Call for Compositions
c/o (The) Giants of Gender
P.O. Box 126
Youngstown, OH 44501
Whether snail mailing or emailing, please include a copy of the score and a copy of each extracted part.
• Contact information (just in case):
o callforcomps@gmail.com
o callforcomps.blogspot.com
o www.myspace.com/callforcomps
• Thanks for your interest!
4-18-08 - call for comps!
callforcomps.blogspot.com
jenna and i have a new idea for a long term project. it's called "call for comps". kind of. maybe it's not a thing that really needs a name, but you have to name websites and stuff. check this link out if you like to write music!
we are very excited about this new idea.
4-11-08 - from eJazzNews.com
This Cleveland, Ohio., based trio covers quite a bit of musical turf. They seamlessly blend an avant-garde mode of execution into jazz-based improvisation, while at times rekindling notions of classic, British free-jazz methodologies.
Here, contrasts are woven into expressive dialogues via Jenna Barvitski’s weeping viola and violin lines, occasionally fused into elements of whimsy, due to Andy Myer’s cheery clarinet phrasings. The band sets forth on a course that is driven by unusual tone poems and unwieldy musical planes. Vibist/percussionist Kyle Farrell often serves as a rhythmic and soloing colorist as the unit also delves into renegade chamber motifs. They cover minimalism, folk and austere classical, to counterbalance the free-form jazz vibe. On “Melody for the House,” Farrell drops a few bombs when manning the drum kit, where Barvitski’s frisky staccato movements spawn a bit of angst in various passages. Nonetheless, there’s a lot to chew on, thanks to active musical minds at work throughout this rather investigative and somewhat flirtatious program. – Glenn Astarita
3-26-08 - heros
found a hen in the yard. then we took it to the humane society. really.
3-25-08 - clouds
some music from this summer!
http://www.mysterycabal.com/audio/spmc.html
thanks to brandon vaccaro ( www.brandonvaccaromusic.com )
3-13-08 - compromised transitions
tulsa was great.
2-25-08 - truant runts
very excited about the Michael Johnsen and Jack Wright show, april 4th, as well as the New Genre Fest March 6-8.
2-19-08 - barack obama
two of us saw barack obama speak yesterday.
2-13-08 - jan 30, at the mcdonough museum
g.o.g.+madame p
2-12-08 - Compromised Transitions Program
I. Moons; Heavy, Heavy Boots
II. Those are Your Skeletons
III. Standing, Dejected, Employed
IV. Taste
V. My Sea-Legs
Compositions by Kyle Farrell
Choreography by Kathleen Larrick
Though Compromised Transitions is highly abstract, it is inevitably an artistic portrayal of the lives of the individuals involved: their achievements and struggles, and their continuous interactions and relations throughout both. In the broadest sense, the music of Compromised Transitions consists of a fusion of classical, jazz, and modern improvisational styles, compiled specifically for the personalities and technical capacities of (The) Giants of Gender. The work opens with a vibraphone solo that gradually transitions into a section titled Moons, a composition that draws inspiration from jazz pianist and composer John Taylor. After a spacious chordal statement from the vibraphone, a violin solo with vibraphone accompaniment serves to portray the romantic longing, a central theme to the canon of classical European repertoire. Provocative clarinet figures gradually taint the purity of the music thus far and bring the musicians into the more aggressive, faster-paced atmosphere of the second theme entitled Heavy, Heavy Boots. The two sections are then integrated, with a variation of the original violin melody now in the clarinet. The clarinet holds the melody as the vibraphone and violin place it in continuously changing contexts until the work explodes into improvisation. A clarinet interjection cues the ensemble out of improvisation into a reprise of Heavy, Heavy Boots, which concludes this section. After a small break, the violin and vibraphone enter a dialogue titled Those are Your Skeletons. The opening Andante presents a lyrical theme with several variations. The piece moves abruptly into a brisk Allegro, springboarding the duo into improvisation. A tone row allows the duo to move out of improvisation into a dense, contrapuntal section, which concludes the section. A brief pause is followed by group improvisation, which moves into a section for solo soprano saxophone titled Standing, Dejected, Employed. The short piece presents a kaleidoscope of spiraling sound, heavily dependent on grace notes and multiphonics, an extended technique that produces multiple tones simultaneously. The solo continues beyond the written material, gradually inviting the others to join in another group improvisation, which segues into a textural section for bass clarinet, violin tremolos, and bowed vibraphone. After another pause, a new section is invoked by solo violin entitled Taste, which explores the constant contrast of written material and improvisation and the harmonic possibilities of the violin. It is also an attempt to present the listener with rhythmic content more dense than one might expect from a solo violin; the rhythmic structures owe less to Western music, alluding to concepts of Indian classical music, such as Tala. This short solo also foreshadows some motives to be presented in the following piece. The piece was realized and written with much guidance and contribution from the performer herself. The work ends with a piece titled Sea Legs, which presents previously stated themes as well as new material. The title refers to a desire for the acquisition of a certain belongingness and comfort, not to be realized until its occurrence.
The integration of the movement and sound of Compromised Transitions occurs both collaboratively and independently. The key phrases of choreography are not always directly inspired by the composed score. Instead, the movement is based on independent rhythms which introduce visual motifs. These motifs are later highlighted, repeated, and explored through improvisation, which lends itself to expressing either complimentary music visualization or juxtapose movement for the sake of movement. Collectively, the artists explore all combinations of written material and improvisation: choreography with written sections of music, dance improv with written sections of music, choreography with improvised music, dance improv with improvised music, music without movement, and movement without music, resulting in continuous thematic correspondence and contrast.
12-19-07 - reflections
we would like to share some of the impressions and thoughts we had about our time in evanston at the isim conference. the three of us witnessed some very interesting performances, workshops, and paper presentations. it was really fucking cold when we arrived for the opening ceremony friday morning. our performance was early in terms of the conference, but it was surprisingly well-attended. in general, we felt good about how we played, but the location was not ideal (a hotel lobby?). Ricardo Arias and Mazen Kerbaj played a very interesting set using balloons and prepared trumpet (www.almaslakh.org). only kyle attended this performance while andy and jenna bonded over a saxophone-violin duo. the three of us also played on a piece composed/conducted by marc jensen. the piece was based on circadian rhythms; each member of the ensemble prepared a part by recording recurring patterns in their lives for a 24-hour period. the piece ended up sounding very spacious even though there were about twenty people in the ensemble. overall, the conference was a great experience with many great people sharing their various improvisational endeavors. we hope to continue to foster our relationship with this organization.
11-25-07 - youtube
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