Integrated Ecologies
Ben Carey’s streamed presentation about _derivations. Photo Copyright Andrew Waterman (2018).
On November 3, IICSI@MUN and Improvising Spaces hosted Shoptalk + Module 1 with Australian based composer, technologist and saxophonist Benjamin Carey. Streaming live from Sydney, Carey gave a presentation about his computer improvisation system _derivations, which is designed for cumulative solo instrument interactivity.
Jing Xia on Guxheng + _derivations.
Shoptalk + Module 1 provided the opportunity for MUN Music faculty, students, and interested community members to explore a well-constructed improvisational system, which makes use of “a combination of real-time audio analysis, live sampling and spectral re-synthesis to build a vocabulary of possible performative responses to live instrumental input throughout an improvisatory performance” (B. Carey).
An online review of the workshop, including audio clips can be found here.
Prior to Shoptalk + Module 1, Dr. Ellen Waterman and IICSI postdoctoral researcher Dr. Teresa Connors dedicated time to explore _derivations during the 2018 Koumaria Residency in Greece. At the ten-day residency, along with the plethora of improvisational activities, Waterman and Connors scheduled _derivations rehearsals to get familiar with Carey’s system. This exploration informed their Integrated Ecologies concert at Memorial University School of Music on November 20. The concert included _derivations solo improvisations and a duet experiment, which incorporated two systems on separate laptops. The Integrated Ecologies concert also included the audiovisual work Flight Variant by Andrew Denton and Connors, with Ellen Waterman on Flute and Connors on Piano and laptop.
The Integrated Ecologies Performances:
One: Integrated Ecologies: Ellen Waterman and Teresa Connors + Ben Carey’s _derivations
Music at Memorial Integrated Ecologies Concert with Ellen Waterman: Flute/Voice, Teresa Connors: Creative Code, Voice, Piano
During the concert, Waterman and Connors use Benjamin Carey’s _derivations system for cumulative solo instrument interactivity.
The following documentation video is of Waterman and Connors duet experimentation using two _derivations systems.
Two: Integrated Ecologies: Ellen Waterman + Ben Carey’s _derivation
Music at Memorial Integrated Ecologies Concert with Ellen Waterman: Flute/Voice, Teresa Connors: Creative Code, Voice, Piano
During the concert, Waterman and Connors use Benjamin Carey’s _derivations system for cumulative solo instrument interactivity.
The following documentation video is of Waterman’s improvisational interaction with _derivations.
Three: Integrated Ecologies: Ellen Waterman & Teresa Connors + Ben Carey’s _derivations
Music at Memorial Integrated Ecologies Concert with Ellen Waterman: Flute/Voice, Teresa Connors: Creative Code, Voice, Piano
During the concert, Waterman and Connors use Benjamin Carey’s _derivations system for cumulative solo instrument interactivity.
The following documentation video is of Connors’s improvisational interaction with _derivations.
Further _derivations Performances
On January 25, 2019, _derivations was once again workshopped during The Quasar Quartet’s visit to MUN Music. The Montreal based saxophone ensemble explored _derivations in solo and ensemble configurations, which, along with the quartet, included Andrew Staniland on electric guitar and Connors on voice. This workshop facilitated the introduction of _derivations to a gathering of seasoned contemporary performers, which resulted in many captivating improvisations.
Find our more about (and download) the _derivations system under Ben Carey’s research page found at: bencarey.net
