The Still
Discovering the possibilities imparting vocal and oral techniques through the practice of immediate response, an aural score
This audio example is the stereo version of the Aural Score which originally is an electroacoustic composition for five individual channels with vocal and oral material derived from the composer's voice. It represents the basis for the realisation of the composition The Still. The idea about the aural score is that, instead of using a traditionally written score, it serves as a reference for the performers in the form of an audio template which the performers are listening and reacting to. During the actual performance, each performer hears only one (her/his) channel as opposed to hear the whole as a stereo mix, which is here the case.
The Still in a version, re-composed in the studio afterwards, combines the Aural Score, on the right channel, with its immediate, close imitation by the members of Auditivvokal, on the left channel.
With regard to the practice of using an aural score as applied here to determine and convey vocal and oral material,the performer was no chance given to rehearse the piece. The video therefore documents the first-time encounter. By implementing the task of immediate response, that is to react to the material heard in the fastest way possible, the performer learns and applies vocal and oral techniques only through listening and without having the time to judge, as preconceptions often obstruct access to recognise, acquire and learn unfamiliar practices. We attempted two versions, an immediate, close imitation of, on the one hand, and a loose approximation to the aural score, on the other. Concerning the latter case the performers are given more freedom in responding to the material, as heard in the headphones, regarding questions of timing, how fast to react, and expressivity, how to react. This way, the performer needs to be more responsible and creative in compositional terms. In the light of having more choices, but also of the need to make decisions that, in consequence, influence the overall outcome accordingly, this version moves away from mere imitation towards interpretation. I sensed that the performers weren't happy with this approach and figured that the piece then would need to be rehearsed. The aim of this try-out though was to test the quality of immediacy and direct responsiveness, on the one hand, and to identify both vocal and oral material for the performers, on the other, as means of a predetermined source which in this case is an electroacoustic composition for five individual channels consisting of vocal material by myself, the Aural Score No.1. The only instruction, as given in both versions, was to implement the idea of an aural score against the backdrop of knowing that the piece won't be rehearsed, but the first-time encounter will be recorded. The reason why I'm putting emphasis on this aspect goes back to the experiences I made in the context of musical improvisation that first-time encounters show the tendency of leading to surprisingly good and convincing results. I suppose this has to do with the fact that in the situation of first encounter all performers involved are more open-minded to the material proposed as well as attentive, almost alert in regards to the entire sensory apparatus. The idea of immediate response is borrowed from and inspired by practices as applied in the context of instrumental music improvisation in which the musician, in constant dialogue with the collaborators, applies a variety of intensified listening modes that are necessary for the musician to find a good balance between action and reaction to make the collective improvisation become a coherent overall composition.
(For more information on listening categories and approaches see Michel Chion: Audio-Vision, p.25-34, Denis Smalley: 'The Listening Imagination', in the Contemporary Music Review, 1996, Vol. 13, Part 2, p.77-107), and Pauline Oliveros: Deep Listening.)