We had the pleasure of working with Professor Amy Wlodarski again this semester and her class will be showcasing their work during an electronic performance open to the public. Sounds like a hoot and we hope a lot of people show up to enjoy the show!
On Thursday, April 28th, Music 102 will present their annual performances of John Cage’s composition, Circus On: A Means for Translating a Book into a Performance Without Actors, a Performance which is both Literary and Musical or One or the Other (1979). The students, in compositional teams of major and non-majors, have each selected a book to translate into a chance-determined musical soundscape (complete with original poetry) according to Cage’s meticulous score.
The four compositions will last ten minutes each and will be preceded by a short preface. They are electronic compositions, so please do not expect live performances. In some cases, the outcomes are dramatic and lively. In others, the outcomes are subdued and sparse. Laughter, outrage, dismissal, and fun are all appropriate responses. As Cage once famously said, “I would rather people laugh at my pieces than cry.”
The students have worked hard for three weeks to execute these compositions, including studying Cage’s writings and authoring a manifesto explaining all of their creative and aesthetic decisions. As such, the compositions are not random but highly-controlled sound spaces in which space is translated into time and events in the book into creative sonic forms according to objective or chance-determined criteria.
The performances will be held in Weiss 235 and will begin promptly at 1:30pm. Should you join us later, please slip in the back door of the classroom.
