How many times do I have to re-write my bio? The answer is "more than I'd like to" but I suppose its my own damn fault. I just finished my bio and program notes for "I'll huff and puff and blow your house down!" and now am heading into application land. Unfortunately, the type and length of bio for this is different. I am experiencing writing about myself exhaustion. Blah.
First rehearsal with the videoist is on Thursday. I'm trying to work out the possible tech kinks beforehand. I realize that this would be much more effective if I had a video camera. I've been meaning to buy one. So I just did, last night. But alas, it will arrive after the first rehearsal.
The site at eamusic is finally back up, only a few days after I stopped waiting and switched my url to somethingfurry. I can finally start booking... which I should do, so I have something lined up (to be performed) for after this. Although, I should work on my subway piece and that won't be performed, per se.
Also, I need to finish my origami piece.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
flexibility, wiimote, exhaustion
Today I have:
1. Gone to an awesome tango class on boleos taught by Eduardo Goytia.
2. Finally restored website... still waiting on an Dartmouth eamusic grad student to acknowledge my emails so everything is on somethingfurry instead of there & my courtney-brown.net url points to the somethingfurry server.
3. I touched my toes! Haha! To put this in context I've been working on my flexibility this past week by stretching intensely 1-2 times per day with my main first goal being able to bend over and touch my toes. I did last night, too, for the first time but I was worried it was a fluke... guess not!
4. I got my generic wiimote to work with processing. This is a bit iffy so far, but I did replicate it twice. It is a lot more iffy than I would ideally like. I might switch over to the darwiinremote instead and just have it send osc to my program. This would require more programming but I'm guessing it would be more stable... so I'm only going to do it once everything else is done.
5. Sent another email out to a video artist, and got some interest... we'll see!
6. Oh yah, I went to my dayjob for 6 hrs.
This is an amazing amount of work / things done since I know I didn't fall asleep last night until after 5am and I got up before 9am. Damn I'm exhausted.
Tomorrow:
To go to the modern dance class or not to go?
Get on that cobra bandwagon
More stretching.
***NOTATION***
maybe more coding, if my notation is ok. integrate wii into video program & test out the 2 diff. performers
email to pplz Iz needz to
get ballet shoes for a Thurs. night class?
practice my video piece!!
1. Gone to an awesome tango class on boleos taught by Eduardo Goytia.
2. Finally restored website... still waiting on an Dartmouth eamusic grad student to acknowledge my emails so everything is on somethingfurry instead of there & my courtney-brown.net url points to the somethingfurry server.
3. I touched my toes! Haha! To put this in context I've been working on my flexibility this past week by stretching intensely 1-2 times per day with my main first goal being able to bend over and touch my toes. I did last night, too, for the first time but I was worried it was a fluke... guess not!
4. I got my generic wiimote to work with processing. This is a bit iffy so far, but I did replicate it twice. It is a lot more iffy than I would ideally like. I might switch over to the darwiinremote instead and just have it send osc to my program. This would require more programming but I'm guessing it would be more stable... so I'm only going to do it once everything else is done.
5. Sent another email out to a video artist, and got some interest... we'll see!
6. Oh yah, I went to my dayjob for 6 hrs.
This is an amazing amount of work / things done since I know I didn't fall asleep last night until after 5am and I got up before 9am. Damn I'm exhausted.
Tomorrow:
To go to the modern dance class or not to go?
Get on that cobra bandwagon
More stretching.
***NOTATION***
maybe more coding, if my notation is ok. integrate wii into video program & test out the 2 diff. performers
email to pplz Iz needz to
get ballet shoes for a Thurs. night class?
practice my video piece!!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
post-Paris progress report
Well, I didn't do all those things in Paris that I said I wanted to do. To be fair, that was kind of an unrealistic list for a vacation. I did finish all the music notation for the breathing parts of my video piece, which is good. I have now optimized the bubble/magnification code, added blur, and reconstruct to my program. The only effect that I definitely need to implement that I haven't is darkening, but that will probably be subsumed by my deciding to implement a fluid simulation thing.
Then, I will need to concentrate on questions of control and UI. Right now everything is added by pressing keys but I will probably instead have the 2 performers have wiimotes to control effects.
Today I am going to start emailing video artists to see if someone is able to perform as the video camera / eye for my piece. Why I dragged my heels on this step... I don't know. I hate asking people to do things...
The other thing I need to do sometime this week or the next is get my website back up again. It has been down for far too long. I've emailed the person at eamusic who is supposed to be doing that but he seems to be an INSANE slacker when it comes to responding to me. I'm gonna give it 2-3 days or so, then I will email again bc I need my site back up. I'm also gonna put all my shiz (or at least the stuff I can) on somethingfurry & then point my url there for the time being. Like it kinda hurts me, having my website point to something that doesn't exist.
I basically have to have a freaking website before I can really start booking things.
Anyways, after I finish my video shiz, I will finish up my origami piece. It is mostly done, in a lot of ways. But I need to notate the folders' parts and also I want to record a demo... with just me, I can do: voice, guitar, mandolin, accordion, xylophone, toy piano... which is 6 instruments & I could double up on a few if I felt like that was too sparse.
ETA: oh, also, I've decided to take ballet classes... which is, in a sense, unexpected since I am not a big ballet fan, but I felt like I wanted a basic grounding in dance technique and I happen to work below a very good ballet school. I would probably prefer modern dance, but that is less convenient and harder to find beginning/basic classes in it.
I'm not sure exactly what I hope to gain from this artistically. I guess I feel like my work continues to explore the existential aspects of embodiment... which I feel is an essential part of being a musician, yes... but I feel like dance would make me aware of my body in different ways... and therefore it has caused me to think in different ways... which is what I suppose I am searching out.
Also, I suppose I am hoping that ballet technique will help me in tango dancing, esp. in terms of balance. I also hope to get a lot more flexibility, and so forth. I decided that something like yoga would be a good addition to my life, but I didn't really like yoga the way I like dancing, and I feel like dancing addresses more issues all at once.
Also, I am going to sign up and take a workshop with Pablo Veron! Wee! (he is a famous tango dancer)
Then, I will need to concentrate on questions of control and UI. Right now everything is added by pressing keys but I will probably instead have the 2 performers have wiimotes to control effects.
Today I am going to start emailing video artists to see if someone is able to perform as the video camera / eye for my piece. Why I dragged my heels on this step... I don't know. I hate asking people to do things...
The other thing I need to do sometime this week or the next is get my website back up again. It has been down for far too long. I've emailed the person at eamusic who is supposed to be doing that but he seems to be an INSANE slacker when it comes to responding to me. I'm gonna give it 2-3 days or so, then I will email again bc I need my site back up. I'm also gonna put all my shiz (or at least the stuff I can) on somethingfurry & then point my url there for the time being. Like it kinda hurts me, having my website point to something that doesn't exist.
I basically have to have a freaking website before I can really start booking things.
Anyways, after I finish my video shiz, I will finish up my origami piece. It is mostly done, in a lot of ways. But I need to notate the folders' parts and also I want to record a demo... with just me, I can do: voice, guitar, mandolin, accordion, xylophone, toy piano... which is 6 instruments & I could double up on a few if I felt like that was too sparse.
ETA: oh, also, I've decided to take ballet classes... which is, in a sense, unexpected since I am not a big ballet fan, but I felt like I wanted a basic grounding in dance technique and I happen to work below a very good ballet school. I would probably prefer modern dance, but that is less convenient and harder to find beginning/basic classes in it.
I'm not sure exactly what I hope to gain from this artistically. I guess I feel like my work continues to explore the existential aspects of embodiment... which I feel is an essential part of being a musician, yes... but I feel like dance would make me aware of my body in different ways... and therefore it has caused me to think in different ways... which is what I suppose I am searching out.
Also, I suppose I am hoping that ballet technique will help me in tango dancing, esp. in terms of balance. I also hope to get a lot more flexibility, and so forth. I decided that something like yoga would be a good addition to my life, but I didn't really like yoga the way I like dancing, and I feel like dancing addresses more issues all at once.
Also, I am going to sign up and take a workshop with Pablo Veron! Wee! (he is a famous tango dancer)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
yet another progress update
So, right now I should be working on my video piece, but I'm not. I'm pretty exhausted from the week and feeling pretty sick. I had to cancel going to see my friend's show since I don't feel well. That sucks. I would probably try to make it but I'm going to Paris for a few weeks on Tuesday and I *really* can't afford to get sick. Not to mention all the things I have to do before Monday ends.
I experimented using a particle system for the bubbles this week but I think I'm gonna trash it. Just having my breathing directly control the derivative of the movement is enough. Maybe I could scale it to logarithm but having it control acceleration in a system just isn't as expressive or controlled enough (I felt).
I think I need to write other effects to be controlled by breathing... not that many... probably blurring, darkening, and then reconstructing (making the image normal again). But this weekend my goal is probably to get a lot of the notation down, and the trajectory of the piece. I'll compose it... THEN I'll write the code / implement it.
Looks like a performance date of Sept. 16. Gennette asked me for a rehearsal schedule. HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!! I need to find another female video artist FIRST.
Things I want to do in Paris (work-things I mean)
1. Write a proposal for the incognito choir piece.
2. Work on video piece / processing blah.
3. Send proposal to choir and then FIND ONE that wants to do shiz.
4. Maybe some origami piece work
5. Book a show for Oct. / Nov. --> flamenco piece + origami piece.
6. OH I need to write Justin back about that JC thingy.
Oh! I have started the score for my origami piece and it is AWESOME. So fun! Hopefully I can find around 9 players for it. Hmm, yes that seems like a lot BUT! Ok just got distracted and looked up places where I wantz to play in the autumn.
Oh man, I really need to get working.... though I'm so tired and sick, etc.
I experimented using a particle system for the bubbles this week but I think I'm gonna trash it. Just having my breathing directly control the derivative of the movement is enough. Maybe I could scale it to logarithm but having it control acceleration in a system just isn't as expressive or controlled enough (I felt).
I think I need to write other effects to be controlled by breathing... not that many... probably blurring, darkening, and then reconstructing (making the image normal again). But this weekend my goal is probably to get a lot of the notation down, and the trajectory of the piece. I'll compose it... THEN I'll write the code / implement it.
Looks like a performance date of Sept. 16. Gennette asked me for a rehearsal schedule. HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!! I need to find another female video artist FIRST.
Things I want to do in Paris (work-things I mean)
1. Write a proposal for the incognito choir piece.
2. Work on video piece / processing blah.
3. Send proposal to choir and then FIND ONE that wants to do shiz.
4. Maybe some origami piece work
5. Book a show for Oct. / Nov. --> flamenco piece + origami piece.
6. OH I need to write Justin back about that JC thingy.
Oh! I have started the score for my origami piece and it is AWESOME. So fun! Hopefully I can find around 9 players for it. Hmm, yes that seems like a lot BUT! Ok just got distracted and looked up places where I wantz to play in the autumn.
Oh man, I really need to get working.... though I'm so tired and sick, etc.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Brave New World
I gave my notice at work today. I'm filled with anxiety about the uncertain future, but relieved that my stint at full-time programming work is over. I am hoping to get a lot more composing in and also get some breathing room...
I've been making a lot of conceptual and also actual coding/technical progress with my video piece... I'm basically going with the idea of blowing "bubbles" of magnifying lenses that keep the video distorted/magnified as they pass through it. Another performer will probably restore different parts of the picture by blowing... prob, slowly, like it blurs, then it returns to normal. I have a lot of code for the magnification done already although some of the behaviors are still sometimes wonky...
Okay, progress report:
1. practice/run though "In C" on accordion
This performance is over... I never did practice TOO too much but it was a great experience. Also got mentioned in the NYTimes, and that is generally good :)
2. start on minimal composition for pepe collab.
This has kinda started but not really gotten off the ground... we've really only laid down the barest foundation for something. Not sure how serious to be about it, since Pepe hasn't been around for practicing the last 2 Sundays.
3. practice folding some more for convention coming up
Convention over and done! It was fun... I practiced folding a little but folding more actually *since* the concert. Should start on origami piece though... or at least book it...
4. look over "I will grow teeth" AGAIN and submit to Boston New Music thingy
I think I mentioned this before, but this has been submitted. I realized after I turned it still more things I should have done but prob. those are nit-picky.... less glaring errors, at least, than when I submitted to North/South Consonance. I often wonder whether I should put more pseudo-emotional descriptive words for sections, but my philosophy is more I want players to have a lot of freedom to interpret. I mean, I guess some things I should put like: 'play like tango' or something, but other than that...
5. email plz
I always need to emailz plz.
7. sign up for movement research class?
No, I don't think I'm gonna have time for that until mid-August or so
9. email eamusic about my damn server space / point url to somethingfurry for now
GAH! I still need to do this
10. work on processing video stuff
yah, oh, I've been doing that a lot.
11. think about choir piece... think. haha.
hmm, minimal thinking... I need to schedule this and start writing out a timeline, budget, compositional plan, performance plan.
12. should go to that 'share' thing at IPR
yah, this is a good idea but I haven't done it yet.
I've been making a lot of conceptual and also actual coding/technical progress with my video piece... I'm basically going with the idea of blowing "bubbles" of magnifying lenses that keep the video distorted/magnified as they pass through it. Another performer will probably restore different parts of the picture by blowing... prob, slowly, like it blurs, then it returns to normal. I have a lot of code for the magnification done already although some of the behaviors are still sometimes wonky...
Okay, progress report:
1. practice/run though "In C" on accordion
This performance is over... I never did practice TOO too much but it was a great experience. Also got mentioned in the NYTimes, and that is generally good :)
2. start on minimal composition for pepe collab.
This has kinda started but not really gotten off the ground... we've really only laid down the barest foundation for something. Not sure how serious to be about it, since Pepe hasn't been around for practicing the last 2 Sundays.
3. practice folding some more for convention coming up
Convention over and done! It was fun... I practiced folding a little but folding more actually *since* the concert. Should start on origami piece though... or at least book it...
4. look over "I will grow teeth" AGAIN and submit to Boston New Music thingy
I think I mentioned this before, but this has been submitted. I realized after I turned it still more things I should have done but prob. those are nit-picky.... less glaring errors, at least, than when I submitted to North/South Consonance. I often wonder whether I should put more pseudo-emotional descriptive words for sections, but my philosophy is more I want players to have a lot of freedom to interpret. I mean, I guess some things I should put like: 'play like tango' or something, but other than that...
5. email plz
I always need to emailz plz.
7. sign up for movement research class?
No, I don't think I'm gonna have time for that until mid-August or so
9. email eamusic about my damn server space / point url to somethingfurry for now
GAH! I still need to do this
10. work on processing video stuff
yah, oh, I've been doing that a lot.
11. think about choir piece... think. haha.
hmm, minimal thinking... I need to schedule this and start writing out a timeline, budget, compositional plan, performance plan.
12. should go to that 'share' thing at IPR
yah, this is a good idea but I haven't done it yet.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
can't... stop... processing...
Truly, I was going to practice accordion today but what do I do? I sit and write processing the moment I get home from tango. And before tango, too. Its a problem!
On the good side, I have proof-of-concept for my blowing wind piece coded.
On the good side, I have proof-of-concept for my blowing wind piece coded.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
not enough time in the day
So, today I have gone to work and practiced accordion. That's it! It's 10:42pm and I still have accordionizing left. I had the thought I would work on some video stuff but that is clearly not in the cards. Well, unless I decide sleeping is only somewhat optional.
I took like, an hour and a half break or something after work before I started music work. I'm regretting that now. Breaks are for FOOLS.
Tomorrow is tango day. I will bring my laptop to work on stuff during the window after work and before class. Then, I'll do more accordionizing post-tango. Hopefully.
First video workshop was yesterday. It was interesting. I hope I can sell people on my wind/blowing idea. It is NEATz. I wanted to show my broom piece for next class but I think he wants me to show something with a score. Le sigh. I suppose I could show "in which" but we see. I wanted to perform the broom piece but I think that's impractical since I'll have to lug my accordion + music stand too and MY GOD that day is gonna be crazeh.
ETA: So I did a TINY bit with processing so I know how to get and show sound. I don't think its that much further to put the bare-bones of my idea into place. I just thought of an idea... like, an expanding circle... BUT it only stays expanded if you have hit a particular width in the circle. It goes down to nothing (or, the next rung down) when you are not blowing. So it becomes dynamic then. Well, at least *I* know what I mean.
ALSO for entrance of 2nd performer... when SHE blows, the video gets 'healed'. But then there's a change in the music/timbre and she destroys the video, too. Then, they destroy the image together.
ETA2: OK. Processing is SO COOL!!!!! Damn it is cool!
I took like, an hour and a half break or something after work before I started music work. I'm regretting that now. Breaks are for FOOLS.
Tomorrow is tango day. I will bring my laptop to work on stuff during the window after work and before class. Then, I'll do more accordionizing post-tango. Hopefully.
First video workshop was yesterday. It was interesting. I hope I can sell people on my wind/blowing idea. It is NEATz. I wanted to show my broom piece for next class but I think he wants me to show something with a score. Le sigh. I suppose I could show "in which" but we see. I wanted to perform the broom piece but I think that's impractical since I'll have to lug my accordion + music stand too and MY GOD that day is gonna be crazeh.
ETA: So I did a TINY bit with processing so I know how to get and show sound. I don't think its that much further to put the bare-bones of my idea into place. I just thought of an idea... like, an expanding circle... BUT it only stays expanded if you have hit a particular width in the circle. It goes down to nothing (or, the next rung down) when you are not blowing. So it becomes dynamic then. Well, at least *I* know what I mean.
ALSO for entrance of 2nd performer... when SHE blows, the video gets 'healed'. But then there's a change in the music/timbre and she destroys the video, too. Then, they destroy the image together.
ETA2: OK. Processing is SO COOL!!!!! Damn it is cool!
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