[
Date Prev][
Date Next] [
Thread Prev][
Thread Next]
[
Date Index][
Thread Index][
Author Index]
Re: PrePrepared vs. Improvisational Live Looping Performances
Hmmmm,
Without a doubt, my best experiences as a player/performer (looping or
non) have always been in the entirely unprepared and unpremeditated
category.
But that hasn't stopped me from trying (upon occasion) to challenge
myself to do a set piece - to play an actual "composition" if you will.
But these occasions seldom work out very satisfactorily in front of an
audience for some reason.
I am almost always left with the feeling of wishing I hadn't even gone
there.
I think the stress of "trying to get it exactly right" and the fear of
looking foolish combine to sabotage me almost every time I attempt to
do a set piece.
But I think I keep trying because I feel like it's something I should
be able to do (for some reason).
I guess its an area of difficulty I want to conquer and master.
Kenny Werner's book "Effortless Mastery" addresses a lot of this.
The key (for me) seems to be to play as if I don't care if I sound good
or bad - to just play with a will, a conviction and an authority based
on the gift of music itself . . . to play like a child.
Personally, that's rather hard to do, I am obsessively self-critical
and neurotically insecure under the best of circumstances.
But I keep working on that too.
As far as using "live" or canned loops go . . . it's a non-issue.
I have done premeditated totally "live-looping" pieces . . . and whole
sets.
And I have also done gigs with mixture of canned loops and live loops
that were entirely the sort of unpremeditated, child-at-play
improvisation mentioned above.
Gee, what's in the box?
What will this button do?
It's all in the mind . . . not the machinery.
Best,
Ted