CoLab - Xenakis - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

Hi there peeps, random readers and the unlucky individual who is examining this. The world of CoLab continues to involve, enthral and slightly scare the trinity students taking part. Bright and early, ok, I know it was 10am but I had to walk for an hour to get there, we assembled at Blackheath to begin the satellite projects. There are three satellite projects: movement, tunnel of sound and an audio visual project. My group, audio visual, started by introducing ourselves and then proceeded to discuss and outline what we were basically going to do with out project. After getting to know the basics we then recorded interviews with each member of the group to be edited together, we're not sure how but they will be, to create the focus of the project. As well as recording video a separate audio recording was made to also be used in the project.
On Monday afternoon we continued working on the Xenakis. We continued to improve and perfect the piece although there was still much to do. Section cohesion was becoming less of a problem as people settled into their roles in the orchestra and the two of us that were playing the "beasty" (technical term, honest) woodwind instruments began to fear the phrase "let's have the contras from..." We were finding it quite difficult to work together while at opposite sides of the room but we began to get better at it as the rehearsal wore on.

Tuesday, again we started the day with the satellite projects, we started putting ideas together such as starting with all the audio playing at the same time or pointing at someone and turning someone else's voice on, it was quite interesting but we were beginning to see a flaw in the project. Although everyone had good ideas there were really too many people to allow everyone a say. The project was very much reliant on the person programming it and it was difficult sometimes to get points across. Despite this we did get quite a bit done before another afternoon of rehearsing. The fine details of the Xenakis were starting to be added but we were still spending quite a bit of time on percussion bits, it's disconcerting how many musicians have no sense of rhythm as soon as they pick up a different, and far easier I might add, instrument. By the end of rehearsal we had progressed enough that it was declared by Lord Nic that the following day shalt be a national day of holiday from the Xenakis. As such, the satellite projects would be receiving full attention.

And finally, we get to today, the national day of satellite projects. Today was a bit stop and start as we perfected and altered the project, there also had to be large breaks as Dominic programmed all the performance so it worked seamlessly. The project is really starting to come together and the group are becoming more comfortable with working with each other which is making the work progress a lot more smoothly. Altogether it was a bit of a dull day but work got done which is the important thing.