Making Music from Our Surroundings

About this event

How can we make music drawing inspiration from the sounds of our daily lives? How can we translate into sound what we observe in a painting, a text message, a book, ourselves, or the world? What lies behind notes and rhythm? Is there more to sound than what we hear in a song? In the past few decades, musicians have explored alternative ways to compose and perform music by employing graphic scores, paintings, sets of instructions, cues, poems, and more. In this two-part monthly workshop series, in Session I, each month we will discuss the nature of sound, the artists who have expanded the definition of music, and the techniques to withstand and reframe the city’s sonic bombardment. And in Session II, each month we will create music together using instructions and strategies that we will develop collaboratively, getting closer to the essence of making music and to the joy of having a creative outlet and perspective on life. All are welcome to drop in to all or any sessions any month, though it is recommended to attend the paired first and second sessions of each month in order and continue for as many months as you wish. The first sessions, on July 8, August 5, September 9, and October 7 will focus on what sound is, how it affects us, and the connection between sound and our emotional states. We will explore how to hear “music” in everyday sounds, practice sound meditations to withstand the sonic pressure of urban environments, examine the relationship between sound and memory, and describe and represent sounds in creative ways. We will also focus on a recent history of artists and composers exploring alternative ways of thinking about music, composition, and structure. We will listen and discuss excerpts from the likes of Éliane Radigue, Anthony Braxton, Pauline Oliveros, Otomo Yoshihide and much more. The second sessions, on July 22, August 19, September 23, and October 21 will focus on creating strategies to make music. By breaking down the characteristics of…

Description from bklynlibrary.org