Legos Emit Gnarly Overtones (Flex ensemble)
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4 part Flex Ensemble (with audio track) Works well for virtual band or orchestra or small groups Style: Retro 8 bit video game soundtrack groove Duration: 4 minutes Grade: 2 √ Play-along audio track √ Written specifically for virtual ensemble (for rehearsal and performance to take place entirely online) √ Solo opportunities √ Improvisation opportunities √ Incorporates visuals, theatricality, minimal costumes/props √ Students make creative choices for some visual and musical elements Audio track can quickly and easily be brought into bandlab.com or soundtrap.com and students can record their parts if desired. |
Premiere performance given by Music Creators Academy on July 31, 2020.
PERFORMANCE AUDIO TRACK
PERUSAL SCORE
| legos_score_perusal.pdf |
Program Note
I absolutely love Legos and the creative play they inspire. Trapped at home during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, my five young boys and I played even more Legos than usual. That made me think, “What if I made a piece of music that was like building with little Lego blocks, where little melodic ideas snapped together in interesting and playful ways?” I choose to build all of the melodic themes from a C minor pentatonic scale since pentatonic scales are literally a foundational building block for many aspects of music theory. I envisioned that the electronic track would be like the building surface where I could then place individual blocks of one measure melodies on top. The sounds in the track consist of sounds from Legos as well as other 8-bit style retro video game sound effects (created using a free online program called “beepbox” which is setup in a grid, again similar to Legos).
An important aspect of this piece is that the performers get to build their own melodies with the C minor pentatonic scale during moments of improvised solos, with even everyone simultaneously soloing at one point. In addition to playing their traditional instruments, the performers improvise with Legos in sonic and visual ways to enhance the composition and create a performance unique to their personalities and tastes. The word Lego comes from the Danish phrase leg godt meaning “play well.”
A virtual ensemble - Why?
When the pandemic first started and everything shut down, I was beyond deflated because all of my upcoming concerts and premieres were canceled. My artistic output totally ground to a halt. I couldn’t write music. After weeks of stagnation, I finally decided that I was sick of feeling like I was in “pause” mode. I decided that I would change the paradigm; if I couldn’t make music in person, I would explore creative ways that I could make music virtually. This is one of the works that was a result of that paradigm shift. And I’m calling it that because up until recently, I had always thought of virtual music performances as significantly subpar to in-person concerts. I think we can all agree that while Eric Whitacre’s virtual choir videos are cool, they are still not as cool as hearing a choir in person sing that same piece. Needless to say, there are definite huge advantages to making music in person rather than virtually. But what about the flip side? What advantages are there to making music virtually that we can’t do in person? What can I do in a virtual performance space that I can’t do in a normal concert hall? I quickly realized that to fully take advantage of the virtual performance space, the performance video had to be much more than watching a bunch of people play their clarinet recorded in their bedroom. Rather, a virtual performance has to incorporate visuals, props, acting, lighting, choreography, etc. to be all it can be, and to make it a distinct performance category. This piece as it currently exists can’t be successfully performed in a concert hall. It wouldn’t work. Sure, the music could be performed, but it wouldn’t be nearly as compelling and interesting without the extra-musical aspects. Ultimately, I choose to see possibilities where others saw only limitations. As Stravinsky famously said, “the more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one's self to the chains that shackle the spirit.”
I invite you to join me in flipping the paradigm. There is no need to feel that we are just sitting waiting for a vaccine before we can make music again. Now, more than ever, we need to experience the healing power of music. We need music to bring us together as a community and society. We need to show the rising generation of music makers that we can adapt and pivot. We don’t have to sit idly by wishing for the old days and complaining about all the things we have no power to change. Let’s empower the rising generation to change the old models of large ensemble music making. I add my voice to others - we can still make music that is meaningful, engaging, compelling and relevant. I’m certainly not saying that virtual music making is better than live, in-person music making. But until we can return to that way of making music, let’s continue to be creative and make wonderful music virtually. Let’s continue to “play well” in whatever capacity we can!
I absolutely love Legos and the creative play they inspire. Trapped at home during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, my five young boys and I played even more Legos than usual. That made me think, “What if I made a piece of music that was like building with little Lego blocks, where little melodic ideas snapped together in interesting and playful ways?” I choose to build all of the melodic themes from a C minor pentatonic scale since pentatonic scales are literally a foundational building block for many aspects of music theory. I envisioned that the electronic track would be like the building surface where I could then place individual blocks of one measure melodies on top. The sounds in the track consist of sounds from Legos as well as other 8-bit style retro video game sound effects (created using a free online program called “beepbox” which is setup in a grid, again similar to Legos).
An important aspect of this piece is that the performers get to build their own melodies with the C minor pentatonic scale during moments of improvised solos, with even everyone simultaneously soloing at one point. In addition to playing their traditional instruments, the performers improvise with Legos in sonic and visual ways to enhance the composition and create a performance unique to their personalities and tastes. The word Lego comes from the Danish phrase leg godt meaning “play well.”
A virtual ensemble - Why?
When the pandemic first started and everything shut down, I was beyond deflated because all of my upcoming concerts and premieres were canceled. My artistic output totally ground to a halt. I couldn’t write music. After weeks of stagnation, I finally decided that I was sick of feeling like I was in “pause” mode. I decided that I would change the paradigm; if I couldn’t make music in person, I would explore creative ways that I could make music virtually. This is one of the works that was a result of that paradigm shift. And I’m calling it that because up until recently, I had always thought of virtual music performances as significantly subpar to in-person concerts. I think we can all agree that while Eric Whitacre’s virtual choir videos are cool, they are still not as cool as hearing a choir in person sing that same piece. Needless to say, there are definite huge advantages to making music in person rather than virtually. But what about the flip side? What advantages are there to making music virtually that we can’t do in person? What can I do in a virtual performance space that I can’t do in a normal concert hall? I quickly realized that to fully take advantage of the virtual performance space, the performance video had to be much more than watching a bunch of people play their clarinet recorded in their bedroom. Rather, a virtual performance has to incorporate visuals, props, acting, lighting, choreography, etc. to be all it can be, and to make it a distinct performance category. This piece as it currently exists can’t be successfully performed in a concert hall. It wouldn’t work. Sure, the music could be performed, but it wouldn’t be nearly as compelling and interesting without the extra-musical aspects. Ultimately, I choose to see possibilities where others saw only limitations. As Stravinsky famously said, “the more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one's self to the chains that shackle the spirit.”
I invite you to join me in flipping the paradigm. There is no need to feel that we are just sitting waiting for a vaccine before we can make music again. Now, more than ever, we need to experience the healing power of music. We need music to bring us together as a community and society. We need to show the rising generation of music makers that we can adapt and pivot. We don’t have to sit idly by wishing for the old days and complaining about all the things we have no power to change. Let’s empower the rising generation to change the old models of large ensemble music making. I add my voice to others - we can still make music that is meaningful, engaging, compelling and relevant. I’m certainly not saying that virtual music making is better than live, in-person music making. But until we can return to that way of making music, let’s continue to be creative and make wonderful music virtually. Let’s continue to “play well” in whatever capacity we can!
PURCHASE
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Purchase of score and parts will also include a link to download the performance audio track.
For all other payment arrangements, please email benjamintaylormusic@gmail.com
For all other payment arrangements, please email benjamintaylormusic@gmail.com
