About
NEW: John Steven's search and reflect exercises and drills for improvisers
This session will feature exercises from John Stevens book scheme of work for improvisers `search and reflect`
The exercises develop basic skills for improvisers, the book and its exercises are a tool for you development, as an individual and within an ensemble.
All levels of experience are welcome. Bring your instrument or `anything you have to hand in your sonic tool box` that has a sonic interest for you.
John Steven's exercises are a tool for developing personal skills: THEY ARE ALSO FUN.
Venue: Please refer to the venue tab
Date: Saturday 08.04.2022
Doors 14.00 -
Event start 14.30
Scheduled end: 17.30
All out 18.00
This extended session is made of elements or modules, workshop element, ensemble playing and a concert.
The concert is subject to the availability of a concert group to perform.
You can attend as you wish, the whole session or specific elements.
- Search and reflect 14.30 - 15.15
- Ensemble work 15.30 - 16.15
- Concert element at 16.30 - 17.15
- or extended ensemble work if no concert is scheduled
- Or early finish
- Social time and discussion.
Book your place via eventbrite
Although it is a free event it helps the admin team to know who and how many are planning to attend.
Follow this link and find the eventbrite listing for this event.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/improvisers-networks-online-26497896907
Feedback and videos
The following review is lifted from
https://shop.sendmemusic.com/products/john-stevens-search-and-reflect-a-music-workshop-handbook
This music workshop manual documents the pieces used by the London-based organisation Community Music in its workshops. The value in these pieces lies in their practical application and they are an excellent tool for every music workshop leader, for every music teacher, and for individual musicians with an interest in improvisation. The pieces are designed to encourage more people to participate in group music-making and therefore cater as much for the musically inexperienced as for the proficient musican. Each piece includes detailed guidance, but only a few include musical notation. They may be played or sung.
An introduction – Preliminaries – offers invaluable advice on how to run an effective improvisation workshop. The manual is then divided into two sections – Rhythm and Improvisation. In the Rhythm Section, the twelve pieces aim to help develop rhythmic skills - maintaining regular tempo, independence, and overall rhythmic awareness. The author demonstrates the essence of timekeeping with the basic unit of ONE TWO. This is presented with clear guidelines for its practice and development, stage by stage. Later, the Rhythm Tree chapter teaches how to play 3 over 4, 5 over 4, and 7 over 4, with many practical ideas and exercises for workshop use. Oddseven explores the harmonic possibilities of a scale within a rhythmic framework.
The Improvisation Section deals with specific processes and skills which help to prepare the way for a sensitive, concentrated approach to create group interaction and individual spontaneity. Beginning with three preparatory exercises to encourage each individual to maintain a balance between being a receptive ear and having creative freedom, this section continues with Click Piece (focussing on short sounds, independence and connectiveness), Sustain (focussing on long sounds and breathing) and a further 14 pieces which develop listening and playing skills within a group environment.
Dot piece
Excerpt from the book
'Using only clicks (the shortest sounds we can make) each individual in the group tries to locate a space (silence) in which to place their click (dot). Because of the group activity, the silences are minute and pass by rapidly, so by the time you have heard a space, and attempted to put a dot in it, that space may have vanished..
John Stevens’ ‘Sustain Piece’
performed by 13 piece group consisting of members of the Infinite Monkey Orchestra and Liverpool Improvisation Collective with Maggie Nicols. Recorded on 31st March 2012 at the Bluecoat Arts Centre, presented by Frakture.
Excerpt from the book
'Sustain Piece' is primarily to do with breathing, Breath is, of course, fundamental to all our activities - without it, the activity is non-existent (and so are we). Here is an opportunity to concentrate on breathing in a relaxed yet intense way, which will involve us, almost as a by-product, in music making. Individually, each person sustains a note which is as long as their breath length. Collectively, the piece sustains itself - although it moves in waves, it sounds continual; because individual breath lengths vary, there will always be some sound.
Event Schedule
Schedule
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Saturday, February 11, 2023
Saturday, March 11, 2023
Saturday, April 8, 2023
Saturday, May 13, 2023
Saturday, June 10, 2023
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Saturday, August 12, 2023
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Saturday, November 11, 2023
Saturday, December 9, 2023
Venue
The Friends Meeting House - The Quakers
6 Dean St,
Bangor LL57 1UP
https://www.bangorquakers.org.uk/
About Tŷ Sain
Tŷ Sain series has settled on the following format.
- Saturday afternoon sessions
- 2-6 pm
- Modular, the session may will include the following
- Workshops pieces and exercises
- Ensemble playing
- A concert by guests, or a performance drawn from the participants present.
- All levels of ability are welcome to join us on the night. Bring what ever is to hand.
Criteria for participation in the ensemble playing
The event will feature ensemble improvisations under the name of grŵp cynfas gwag
All levels of ability are welcome to join us on the night. Bring what ever is to hand.
Please make contact to share your intentions.
The music starts from a Blank Canvas, it is ensemble improvisations made without prior preparartion.
Admission.
free, there is no fee at present during 2023
Charges will be introduced in 2023
Frequency
The events are scheduled to be monthly.
There are long term plans for weekly events, using a range of venues in North Wales and Online
The Tŷ Sain extended sessions - Concert element
We will try to include a concert element within the extended sessions.
For more details go to the Improvisers networks Online Wales section, and find the article for either the concert or the extended session.
Please follow this link
https://www.improvisersnetworks.online/uk/wales
The Genre:
Free ensemble improvisation in performance. a live music made without prior preparation
Location?
The starting point will be Bangor or Llandudno, but can be delivered anywhere:
The A55 corridor from Chester/Wrexham through to Aberdarron can be considered.
Frequency?
The objective for Improvisers North wales is to make free ensemble improvisation available on a weekly schedule for those who are interested.
Tŷ Sain concert series supports this objective and aims to provided monthly sessions that are part of this schedule.
Interested as an individual
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