Re: FIRST LOOPING MEMORIES

[todd reynolds <toddreynolds@rcn.com>]

My introduction to looping was Steve Reich's It's Gonna Rain, and Violin
Phase, which I think I started playing around '86 or so. In 1992, after
having spent a couple of years in a major symphony orchestra, and
discovering that wasn't where I was going to get myself expressed, two
important things happened for me, almost simultaneously...

One was a grant that I won from the State Universities of New York, which
amounted to a $7000 check to buy gear and experiment.  That's when I bought
my first set of Lexicons and Midi-pedals (midigators, both.)  and when I
made my first electronic tunes in the midst of Bulent Arel's studios at the
SUNY at Stony Brook, where I got my Masters.

Second was being hired as a member of Steve Reich's band and getting the
best chance of all to be acquainted with the man and his music, both of
which I happily relate continue to contribute great inspiration and
influence.

Now my sense of time fails me, but around then, I believe, I met Robert
Black, (New Music Bass soloist for Bang On a Can and many others) who was
then working with Richard Zvonar.  He introduced us and during one or two
visits to California, Richard graciously invited me to come make some music
with him at his place, where he really expanded my head as to larger
concepts of looping, much of which he explains in his own post to this
thread.  Richard also exposed me to MAX, and set me up with the folks at
Eventide who welcomed me to their office to try the gear, and I even took 
an
H-3000 home and made a piece relevant to grant I had received...

So I always thank Richard...

Then I put electronics down as I decided to cut my teeth on the jazz
language, and about 7 years later chose to put it all together and now I
find myself looping my ass off again, and even in my written, composed
music, especially my string quartet, looping is always foundationally
present.  I'm finding as I think we all are, that our community is growing
and I love these threads which expose our histories and thoughts on the
loop...  I've also learned so much from Torn and Phil Kline over the last
few years...

I now produce my own 'new music theater show'  which includes my own
loop-based music and music of others including phil kline, evan ziporyn, 
and
theo bleckmann, a vocal looper.  I'll include the sites below, if you are
interested.  Two bass clarinetists, two actors, and a vocalist, and me.  I
direct it from the inside and play as well.  I use a technique called sound
painting, a sign language for conducting improvisers designed by Walter
Thompson.  It consists of over 700 gestures to be used across disciplines 
to
indicate the type of improvisation desired of the performers.  As specific
or general as called for, this real-time compositional method comes about 
as
close to a looping aesthetic as I can imagine, which is probably why it's
such a central part of my 'voice'.

Thanks for reading,  looking forward to the next posts...

Todd Reynolds


Links:

http://www.theobleckmann.com
http://www.ziporyn.com
http://www.mindspring.com/~boombox
http://www.toddreynolds.com


-- 
Todd Reynolds
42-09 47th Ave 1C
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todd@toddreynolds.com