experimental composition I – 2006 - Suggested Performance

Composition I  “A rhythmical composition for 3 BB Guns and 3 Cowbells” was the initial idea for the entire project (although it originally consisted of 5 performers). The instructions are as follows:

To be performed non location specific, by 3 male or female professional drummers,dressed in Tuxedos, score placed 1
foot in front of them on score stands, shooting at the instruments from 5 feet way. Tempo is set at 120.

The text is as follows and interpreted in Morse code (Short 1/8 long a 1/4 note):
Every five seconds siege cannons disembowel space by a chord TAM TUUUMB mutiny of 500 echoes to gore it mince
it scatter it to infinity. Violence ferocity regularity this grave bass scans the strange very very agitated crowds high notes
of the battle Fury breathlessness ears eyes nostrils open! Beware!

The performers are equipped with M85 BB guns (see photos of gun and instruments within the site) shooting an excerpt (see above) of Luigi Russolo’s “The art of Noises” futuristic manifesto at 3 cowbells.

The score of the work is the artwork. (download within)

Composition I is a comment on big orchestrated battles in general and the appearance of individual soldiers in particular. It questions the role of the soldier as a cog in a much bigger totalitarian machinery (even if it is a democratic machine), is he only supposed to follow rules blindly, or should he express thoughts and opinions?

Artist Statement

Experimental Compositions I-IV are a compilation of musical experiments.
The artwork in itself is either the score, the recording of the composition or the installation in itself, but never the spectacle surrounding it.

The project questions our removal from armed conflicts (wars) and how we as a society react to them. Mostly removed from any pain and suffering, the remote control and the constant irrigation of news media has made us dull to the fact of real anguish and hardship. No longer do we even deal with the realities of the daily agony of entire peoples and we regard genocide as nothing else but a word.

The compositions hopefully give us the chance to be reminded that these wars are just as real as our daily grind, maybe not our momentary priority, but sure worthy enough to at least take active interest.

Finished Project consists of:

Composition I

 Performance Instructions, Sheet music, 10 8.5 x 11 pages 142 measures,  3 percussions (Cowbell I, Cowbell II, Cowbell III) 4/4 timing, at 120. 3 cowbells (A small, B medium, C big ), 3 M85 BB guns with .20 gram BB (45 per magazine, multiple magazines), laser scope and 3 cowbell stands, 3 sheet music stands and 3 trained performers (drummers) male or female in tuxedos.