Hello, and welcome.
This is a condensed version of my MRes practice as research portfolio. Many hours of performance footage have been reduced down to what you now see in this exposition. I hope you enjoy the work. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.
Just to ground us before we begin, here is a quick performance example taken from the end of the research process.
Research Questions
Questions that guided my overall research include: what can I learn from analysing the playing of other drummers? Why do we (drummers) move in certain ways in performance, and why do we play the things we do? What are the processes involved in movement? What can I learn from and how can I develop an awareness around a movement practice? All these questions were aimed at improving my own movement practice behind the drum kit. They were at the fore of this entire portfolio.
Themes include, the role of the body, expression, embodied play, and animated/gestural play. An overarching theme of movement was central to all of this.
The research road map
I investigated three drummers approaches to improvisation in order to place my own practice against the wider context of what has been happening, and what is happening, in the music improvisation world. The drummers I focused on are Milford Graves, Chris Corsano, and Steve Davis. I looked at how these people talk about what it is they do, and what it is they do in practice, how their approaches were different to my own, and how they may have been similar.
I scheduled time for research and digestion of their work, their concepts, interviews, how they engage with their work performatively, and in conversation, and used this as the basis for my own explorations in play. I documented my own scheduled practices and performances and have noted any changes or developments in my playing throughout.
Documentation has been reduced down to specific examples of interest with a mix of text, voice-over, and spliced videoed commentary. While I discuss specific drumming techniques, as well as their applicative benefits, the research is artistically focused rather than a technical study. The intention was to highlight the progressive nature of this project, as opposed to an aim of reaching a specific landing point or goal. Therefore, the submitted documentation will highlight examples of my own improvised conduct informed by my study of other artists and their work.
How was the journey?
Milford Graves was a useful starting point in terms of historical context, which built a foundation for the research that followed. Milford, having such a strong character, was difficult not to directly imitate behind the drums rather than drawing inspiration from him. This is highlighted in the work. Many playing techniques were discovered at the beginning of the research, as was expected. I have reduced these down to only a few examples.
Text was the required method of analysis here due to the short length of video clips. Three examples of which are offered within this portfolio. The entire text and accompanying video footage, should you so wish, is attached in the next section.
Chris Corsano was a useful second subject. Moving from Milford to one of the leading contemporaries in improvised drumming revealed how far we have came in some respects, but also how little things have changed. Similar questions of embodiment, expression, and animated play arose, as well as the realisation that ultimately, we are still just hitting objects percussively, albeit informed through different cultural contexts. This was evident in Chris Corsano’s hands for example, where the influence of modern jazz and hip-hop has informed his execution of phrasing.
Corsano required more time dedicated to research in comparison to the other subjects. His playing, which is well documented, is at the fore of improvised drumming right now, and it was extremely beneficial to spend the neccesary research time here.
Steve Davis served as a useful third subject in that he sits somewhere between Milford and Corsano. Steve, who’s playing is steeped in the jazz tradition, is also a leading contemporary in the improvised music world. Above all else however, Steve is one of the most inventive, and persistently challenging musicians around, regardless of the musical environment or "genre". That he resides right here in little Northern Ireland, eludes many to this fact.
Being so close to Steve both musically, and personally, I found it difficult not to perform with him in mind, even whilst researching other drummers. However despite being so close to his playing, I learnt much more from the research process than was expected.
My research began with Milford Graves
[Again, in the interests of brevity, I have chosen only three examples of my playing here around Milford Graves. As was expected, lots of new-to-me techniques were generated at the beginning of my research. Examples were whittled down to thirty in total, some of which were then ommited further. Video excerpts had to be brief, therefore voice-over was not a useful vehicle for analysis. Text was used instead. The text document in full can be accessed here, along with full video documentation here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4fHhmekDR4 ]
Milford was an obvious place to begin, as one of the pioneering drummers of 1960s free-jazz in America. As mentioned previously, initial research here laid the foundations and gave context to the proceeding musicians.
I studied Milford’s music, interviews, albums, and performance footage, before entering my practice room and taking the first steps on this journey. Videoed solo drum performances were captured in afternoon sessions, informed by mornings of desk research. In these sessions I improvised drawing not only on Milford’s playing, but also on the knowledge gained from his character and philosophical outlook.
Research quickly revealed Milford’s spiritual outlook on life; his deep interest in all manner of religions, beliefs, philosophical practices, and mythical and mystical traditions. He believes that cosmic energy is all around us, and there to be harnessed at any given moment if we are perceptive to it. He carries this theme of perception into his playing. I attempted the same in my own practice.
Milford, a man of deep presence.
'I say, go [into the room] before a concert starts. If everybody’s talking and smiling, you may not hear what the individuals are saying, but look for the drone that’s in the room. [The audience is] creating a harmony. And they can hear that, and that’s pumping them up. So if you can play underneath that drone and lift everything up… Some people don’t want to do that. They come in there and say, [mock-serious voice] “I have this tune, and this is B-flat.” I said, “Maybe the room ain’t in B flat!” Get the fundamental in the room, man.'[1]
Milford Graves is a character like no other. His animated approach to life is obvious from the moment you see or hear him speak, carrying with him a deep presence of energy. When he talks, you feel what he is saying, just as you do when he plays the drums.
My studies began first of all by looking at his 2018 biographical documentary, ‘Full Mantis’. Since the documentary is not freely accessible, I will direct you to a YouTube link to the trailer which provides a useful introduction to Milford’s character.[2] We quickly arrive at an understanding of what he is about, and how he transfers his concepts to the kit.
The trailer opens with Milford talking about his ongoing interest in what he calls poly-meter playing; the playing of different rhythms across all four limbs. Here he immediately equates rhythm and meter with feeling, and the use of his different limbs to carry contrasting emotive qualities. ‘Different feelings…in other words this [limb] may be doing a sad feeling, and this [limb] may be doing like a happy feeling. Sometimes almost like a contradiction that you setup withinside’.
This raises questions regarding expression, and embodiment. From his bodily gesture he is signalling to something that for him lays within. Is he stating that for him, musicality and performance is about expression of emotions and feelings? His choice of the word ‘withinside’ suggests a holistic, and embodied approach to performance, informed by feelings.
To speculate in such a short, removed context is neither here nor there, however these questions resonate with my own interests and sit alongside my own ways of being when performing. They also serve as a useful introduction to Milford.
'You know swing man, is getting you to move from one point to another point; it’s putting life into you. You can’t put a dang danka dang and call that the swing rhythm. Swing, it means man, when you can feel man like, hey man, I wanna live to the next day.'[3]
Embodiment and gesture.
The documentary itself opens with a clip of Milford mimicking the play of a single conga drum sitting in front of him. Similar to the role of the mime artist who portrays his message in silent gesture, Milford draws his ‘audience’ (a video camera and presumably the director) in with this silent display of character.[4] He feints a ‘welcome’ gesture followed by a deflective gesture, then a range of emotions are theatrically delivered. Through the use of his body he personifies the open tones and closed percussive phrases of the conga. It is a direct way of ‘bringing the audience in’, and immediately engages us in the performance. Similar to the use of metaphor in language, this personification and embodiment of the music allows, not just the performer, but also the listener to ‘get inside the body’. To intuit and channel the music as an animated character allows for multiple layers of meaning to emerge. I discuss this further in the video examples to follow.
It is also worth mentioning that Milford invented his own martial arts movement practice. The Chinese community in New York at the time were apparently very protective of their own martial arts forms and wouldn’t teach any non-Chinese their style, so Milford went ‘straight to the source’.[5] He studied the movements of the praying mantis and developed his own movement practice from there.
He is a believer in what he calls ‘cosmic energy’ (ibid), and our own channelling of and engagement in this energy that moves all around us. He harnesses and recycles this energy, returning it back to his environment. To use a percussive metaphor of the ride cymbal; the way the cymbal moves when you strike it with the tip of the stick, sending vibration through it; it wobbles around the edges. It accepts the force of the stick, and pacifies it through the dispersion of energy across the cymbal, propelling it outwards as movement and projection, creating a disturbance in the movement of air which causes us to perceive sound. The shells and skins of the drums doing the same. And so too, if we are perceptive enough, we can harness the energy within our surrounding environment; welcoming its force, allowing it to move through us, and in a cyclical fashion, redistribute that energy back into the environment through our bodies.
Video excerpts:
The following excerpts offer insight into the developmental journey without requiring the reader/listener to investigate the dense text and video in full. The examples were chosen in relation to the project as a whole. Please watch the following video excerpts, then read the text before once again moving back and forth between the two.
Video 2, Floor tom bend phrasing
This technique is an obvious extension of snare pitch bending, though other phrasing is explored due to the nature of the setup of the drum kit. Having the ride cymbal close to hand makes for useful exploration. At 00:05 you will notice the right-hand technique is something similar to that of a bodhrán player. It’s not an instrument I am completely unfamiliar with, though my brief time spent with it did have a part to play here.[6] Again, material consequently seems to flow quite quickly. New pathways are being opened up, and techniques from the right hand were then mirrored in the left. Patterns begin to emerge in play, and are placed within the wider dialogue of the kit. Limb independence is explored, and very quickly it is apparent that the requirement of a swaying motion has begun to inform my phrasing. The reaching down and leaning over on the floor tom of course needs a resultant upwards lift of the torso, and this requirement of upwards and downwards bodily movement informs the choice of musical phrasing. My playing now takes on the character of having an upright traditional posture, defined in opposition to the lower bent over phrasing required for pitch bending.
Video 9, Animated play
Similar to Milford’s style of play, I find myself in a section of music where my actions and soundings become coupled. What I mean by this is, there is a direct relationship between how I behave, and what I play. My overall body language has changed, and so too has my playing approach. In a conversation like manner, I switch between the rim of the rack tom and floor tom, embodying the musical gestures in an animated style of playing. Not only does it connect me directly with what I am playing, in another sense it legitimises my sense of timing. If we mean what we play, in that if we explicitly attach our phrasing to the actions of the body, in personified gesture, then as a listener or watcher, we are engaged deeply in what we see and hear as something “more believable”. Now of course, I am attaching character (at the risk of becoming a caricature) to performance in an extra communicative manner, in what would suggest the existence of an audience - in this example the video camera. I was aware of its presence, however this action was first and foremost musical. Yes, it was informed by Milford’s approach, which is ultra-communicative with an emphasis on the word performative, which suggests, audience, but there is more to be said for the musical benefits of this style of playing. And I am aware of the danger of entering into theatrics. Music must be the driving force in this approach, for without command of the body and instrument, the honesty (for lack of a collection of words that carry meaning across) is lost. But it is certainly worth exploring further.
Video 10, Head movement and phrasing, the potter’s nod
I have a friend who is an experienced potter. He shared an interesting story with me about his kinship with a wild cat who developed a phenomenon called, ‘the potter’s nod’ while watching him throw the clay.[7] Not all potter’s have a nod, only some. They say it helps them see the lay of the clay as they are turning, others developed it from their teacher, a bit like the wild cat. Others say it’s a habit of their practice and they aren’t aware of it, but if they had to explain it, it would be something similar to helping them focus on the task at hand, looking at the angles, watching without watching as they use their hands, doing without thinking.[8] I found this fascinating. In the video excerpt around the 00:31 mark, I sway my head in an exaggerated motion. This initially was the result of the gravitational pull on the head as I lean over the snare drum, however the spinning of the head resulted in processing the kit from a different angle, which lead my attention to the left ride cymbal as a viable area of play when pitch bending on the snare, this time with the right elbow.
In other moments of play however, it is a way of preventing the gravitational pull of movement to dictate where to go next. It is not a conscious action in the moment but upon reflection, it breaks the cycle and acts as a reset button to ground myself again and focus on the task at hand, without being swayed by motion. In any case, the potter’s nod made an impact on my playing at both conscious and preconscious levels.
Closing thoughts
Studying Milford Graves was an important first step in the research process. The immediate benefit to my playing was obvious; simply sitting down to a daily dedicated practice in this sense was very helpful. Something of interest during the research process, I only used drumsticks. No other use of musical accessories or preparation of the drum kit was explored. Though even within this “traditional” style of playing, new techniques emerged. There is something to learn even from the processes we are most familiar with.
Milford has such a big character, and I did struggle slightly in an attempt not to mimic his behaviour behind the drums. As mentioned before there is a danger of entering into theatrics, but music, and awareness, were always at the front of my playing. His character, his beliefs, his ways of being, were of great inspiration. He draws out the energy of those around him and lifts people higher with his music. Something I aspire to do with my own playing. Often it is a good reminder at times to ask ourselves the question, ‘Why are we behind our instrument?’
[1] Shteamer, H. (2015) Interview: NYC percussion legend Milford Graves, Available at: https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/06/milford-graves-interview (Accessed: 20th August 2020).
[2] Jake Meginsky (2018) MILFORD GRAVES FULL MANTIS TRAILER, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3hYwAUFAjo&ab_channel=JakeMeginsky (Accessed: 20th August 2020).
[3] (Ibid) Milford’s main research involves listening to the human heartbeat in patients with heart disfunction, in an attempt to diagnose and provide treatment. Healing centred in his nature, it was with deep sadness that in the middle of this portfolio I learnt of Milford’s recent diagnosis of amyloid cardiomyopathy, sometimes called stiff heart syndrome. Further reading,
Kilgannon, C. (2020) A Jazz Drummer’s Fight to Keep His Own Heart Beating, Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/nyregion/milford-graves-drummer.html (Accessed: 20/08/20).
[4] 01:40 - Jake Meginsky (2018) MILFORD GRAVES FULL MANTIS TRAILER, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3hYwAUFAjo&ab_channel=JakeMeginsky (Accessed: 20th August 2020).
[5] Milford Graves Full Mantis. Directed by Jake Meginsky, Neil Young (co-director), performance by Milford Graves, Cinema Guild, 2018. Amazon, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Milford-Graves-Full-Mantis/dp/B07NG614R1
[6] Throughout the research period I noticed elements of my everyday life becoming a feature of play, in what was, at its core, a study of individual improvisers. This was as welcomed as it was unavoidable. Past musical influences as well as other rehearsal material would often emerge in play, reshaped and reimagined in their delivery.
[7] Seen at 00:31 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qr57ApAVLg
[8] The potters nod throws up some similar questions among ceramicists, as with performing musicians. https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/19842-potters-nod-what-is-it/
Chris Corsano
I spent more time researching Corsano than Graves or Davis, and there was certainly no lack of performance footage readily available as his playing is very well documented.[1] The main reason for spending so much time on him however, is the fact that his playing is so dense. Furthermore, being a contemporary of improvised drumming, his playing bears particular relevance in this section of the portfolio, following on from Milford.
A revisiting of previously digested Chris Corsano material quickly reminded me of how rich his playing style is. His technique is flawless; his command over the sticks and multiple tools of play, his fluidity and grace in movement, his cleanliness in execution all the while driven by musicality, even when he edges close to ‘impressive technical display’ mode. In short, his playing blew me away; there was much to consider.
I learnt how to take my own practice and open it up to explosive elements without holding back.[2] Relating back to feeling, there is a place we can occupy that welcomes this style of play, but it must come from a place of awareness. Otherwise, we run the risk of closing ourselves off from our environment. But before we explore this concept further, allow me to quickly address the following question.
Who is Chris Corsano?
He is an American drummer/improviser at the forefront of contemporary improvised playing. A self-confessed non-academic, though his work has been widely recognised within academia, first and foremost, he is a player. Corsano notably has worked as Björk’s touring drummer, but this by no means defines him.
He served as a useful second study, juxtaposed well against my initial Milford Graves research. Of all the video and written text available on Chris Corsano, by far the most fruitful content was his short essay ‘Improvisation and Resonance’ featured in the multi-author book ‘Spectres II Résonances’. [3] His essay informs where I stand alongside Chris in this research portfolio, and I will now discuss it briefly before letting the music do the talking. His essay, which I will now discuss briefly, made me aware of the similaritites in both our works.
Resonant improvising, a kind of feedback loop.
His essay immediately deals with the phenomenon of shared feeling within performance, referring to an intentional and perceived group feedback system. He discusses abstract levels of resonance within a group, ‘by reaching a shared emotion/feel/touch’. This relates to my own research into group interplay, environment, and convergence.[4]
I find it interesting, these concepts around feelings – which are corporeal – and expression, in this case group performance as a collective thing that is being expressed with a shared sense of understanding. He goes on to reference a state of flow when performing with ‘good’ musicians who nurture these resonances in play. Notably however, and due to the nature of drumming as a bodily endeavour, I find it unsurprising that we both think of performance in relation to the body this way.
‘I noticed that my limbs seemed to be co-operating with my head/heart in way’s they often didn’t, and my ideas/choices were flowing freely and in tune with [the other performers].’[5]
There is much for me to break down here. Embodiment, expression, the division or marriage of head/heart, the concept of ‘I’ and my ‘choices/ideas’. Even the use of language; idea – again suggesting mind? But then again Corsano goes on to say that as soon as we begin to use words to describe a state of being (in performance) that we are no longer in, something is amiss. This does not prevent us however from attempting these discussions.
Aside from heavily quoting his entire essay, I must say that it resonates deeply with all of my interests in performance, particularly his references to Pauline Oliveros, ‘deep listening’ and ‘deep playing’, and dealing in what Oliveros said to be ‘beyond ordinary or habitual understandings’.[6]
There is a balance to be had in what Corsano calls ‘losing oneself in a collective music’, which I briefly eluded to in the introduction.[7] Here he is straddling the concepts around states of flow as experiential, as well as preconscious levels of playing similar to my own practice, which surface above the dangerous depths of non-awareness and loss-of-self. We can very easily, in an attempt to ‘get inside’ the musical environment, lose our-self to it. For me again there are inferences here to meditative processes.[8]
According to Csikszentmihaly, losing oneself to the moment is one of the eight major components in experiencing flow. And it feels good.
'…concern for the self disappears, yet paradoxically the sense of self emerges stronger after the flow experience is over'. [9]
Does this mean however that through this loss of self we automatically achieve an elevated state of play that results in ‘good music’? These are the dangers Chris speaks of in his essay.
To give full context, and then we will move to the musical side of things, Chris states, ‘I might say that, for instance, losing yourself in a musical collective is something to strive for. But can I say, with 100 percent accuracy, that every time that losing oneself happens, it categorically makes the improvisation ‘good’? Probably not.’
[1] Link provided here is a worthwhile example. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhv3LazXrA4&ab_channel=hotcarswarp
[2] I describe my own practice as, ‘Bodily exploration of movement on top of, across, and within, the interchangeable pathways of the drum kit. Physical restrictions considered, I tend to think of this style of playing as waves of circular phrasing moving above, around, and passing through the kit, the presence of which is felt both in the feet and the arms/hands, as well as the knees, chest, and stomach.’ McAuley, C. (2020) MUS7099 Portfolio Overview: Unpublished.
[3] Corsano, C. et al. (2020) Spectres II Résonances, France: Shelter Press. Pg.75. I recommend reading the abstract available at https://viceversaartbooks.com/items/spectres-ii-resonances/ .
[4] McAuley, C. (2020) MUS7099 Portfolio Overview: Unpublished.
[5] Corsano, C. et al. (2020) Spectres II Résonances, France: Shelter Press
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] McAuley, C. (2019) Masters podcast, Meditation, Flow, Practice: Unpublished.
[9] Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1991) Flow, The Psychology Of Optimal Experience, New York: Harper Collins. Pg.49.
Steve Davis
I spent my time in the rehearsal room working on concepts that I felt centred around Steve Davis’ approach to improvisation. Steve, a mentor and a friend, taught me from a young age, and has played a deeply personal role in continuously inspiring me to push the boundaries of my own musical explorations.
During a phone call with Steve prior to this research, he commented that he didn’t teach his students how to improvise, he just taught them the capacity to play music, so that they then hopefully have the tools to move forward in whichever way the music may take them. This is of importance, and offers insight into Steve’s outlook as a player, musician, teacher, and a human.
Who is Steve Davis?
Steve Davis is a Northern Irish drummer, improviser, composer, and educator. He has performed with and featured on numerous records, including Paul Dunmal, Evan Parker, Brian Irvine, Django Bates, and most recently Anthony Braxton. Steve is also a founding member of internationally renowned trio, ‘Bourne Davis Kane’. Comfortable in all styles, Steve also works as a session artist based in NI.
Steve is known for his ability to adapt to any musical situation. He is a risk taker in performance, and is never afraid to challenge the musical landscape, which often translates into little subverted acts of transgression towards the audience, and sometimes even the musicians. He has a fierce appetite for music and musicality, and always draws out the best in any performance situation. [1]
The work
Studying someone whose music was so personal to me was challenging in many ways. Steve had already made such a deep impact on my playing; I was unsure where or how to begin. I set out a number of bullet points to guide the initial process that for me, summed up his character, at least to begin with (Steve’s PhD also served as an invaluable resource into his methodologies as a drummer and researcher, as well as a useful text regarding the history of the drum set.)[2] The bullet points which were used to guide my initial research, relate to elements of Steve’s playing that I am familiar with throughout years of study, friendship, and attending numerous live performances. They are as follows:
- Deliberately lifting or hitting the thing next to the thing that you would like to pick up, therefore confronting new musical events
- Cyclic patterns around the drums in terms of shapes
- In terms of volume, using a self-mixing technique across all four limbs
- Little acts of subverted aggression (in group performance)
- Process of add and subtract on simple grooves or pulses
- Building tension and not following through, leaving an unresolved hole in the music
[1] As an example, I recommend this video from Cambridge University with Franziska Schroeder and Pedro Rebelo. https://www.sms.cam.ac.uk/media/1174680
[2] Davis, S., 2013. Experimental Drum-set Performance. Ph.D. Queen's University Belfast.
SARC Performance, Live Stream
My initial plan for concluding this portfolio of work, pre-Covid, was to perform an improvised lunchtime concert in the Sonic Arts Research Lab at Queen’s University Belfast, which would of course been open to the public. Understandly however, this was not possible. The aim was to offer practical documented evidence of the concepts highlighted throughout the development of the portfolio, not in the removed context of my own rehearsal studio, but in the process of real-time live performance, with the pressures of a real performance environment. Thankfully, we still managed to achieve this through a live stream of the first socially distanced music performance to be held at SARC since lockdown measures were first introduced in March 2020, with online audience members tuning in from as far as Switzerland and Mexico.
I have edited the following footage, post live stream, from the recorded video and audio on the day. More than eighty percent of the audio captured is from the binaural dummy in the centre of the room. This gives a unique and privileged listening experience to the ‘audience’. Video footage has been edited with musical interactions and group dynamics in mind. Thanks to this process, further layers of meaning have been added to the video from a performer’s perspective.
Portfolio Conclusion
The process of sustaining a regular and informed performance practice has without a doubt improved my playing. Research in studying how other drummers play has had a significant impact on my own practice. This has informed how I move, as seen in the different sections of the portfolio, and has informed what I play, both in terms of the tools of play I use, as well as technical approaches and their resulting sounds. Review and critique of my own playing as well as that of others, has resulted in a deepening in my understanding of the role that bodily movement plays in shaping musical performance.
Of worthy note, I learnt much more than was expected from the players I was already familiar with, deepening an already present knowledge. By spending time behind the instrument, new approaches and techniques seemed to emerge effortlessly. Musicality and playfulness, by the end of the portfolio, was abounding. There is also much to be said around musicality as a driving force behind improving technique.
This practice as research portfolio has instilled a confidence in my playing, and has placed my practice within the wider context of improvised drumming. It has also inspired an instrument build that may augment the capabilities of the drum kit, though I won’t discuss this further here.
Additional research is required into expression, agency, sensorimotor agency, enactivism, and embodied cognition. In occupying these territories at their outer fringes, I have gathered a rich source of reading materials that will serve the continuation of my studies outside of this portfolio.
This leaves me only to thank, from the deepest depths of my being, my two supervisors, Simon Waters, and Paul Stapleton. They have tirelessly offered support throughout my two years of study, and have always, in the warmest of ways, guided me at the most appropriate moments. Special mention must also go to Steve Davis, as a figure of continuous inspiration and support, as well as Dave Stockard, a true friend and fiercely articulate human with an unrelenting appetite for discourse. I thank you all.