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Weekly Improvisation

February 14, 2012 (1:02:53)
February 7, 2012 (1:01:18)
February 2, 2012 (1:03:07)

January 26, 2012 (1:01:27)
January 17, 2012 (1:00:36)
January 12, 2012 (1:01:33)
January 4, 2012 (1:01:37)

December 26, 2011 (1:04:04)

December 20, 2011 (1:04:26)
December 12, 2011 (1:04:44)
December 6, 2011 (1:02:04)

I consider myself a "big picture" composer. I like my pieces to have one or two, maybe three clear ideas that encompass the whole thing.  Clarity.  Perhaps that's why I compose a lot of shorter pieces.  There is only one track over five minutes on my first trio record, and the forthcoming record features 13 short pieces played as a set.  It is usually difficult for me to trust a longer work.  Does the audience stay engaged?  Almost all of my daily improvisations consisted of one or two ideas that were explored as long as they held interest to me.  After that, the piece ended, and that felt nice and right.  Herein lies the challenge with the hour long time requirement.  It seems that it is almost impossible to do what would be natural to me, that is to explore one or two ideas for an hour or longer.  I have trouble trusting that listeners, including myself, can stay interested in those ideas for that long.  So I end up exploring more ideas.  Sometimes it is as if I'm doing three or four or more improvisations back to back.  Other times different ideas seem to flow fairly seamlessly into one another.  One effect that this project is having on me, is it is making me stay with ideas longer.  I think this is a good thing. There is one extended improvisation that more or less explores one idea:  June 13, 2011.  Perhaps it is the strongest one. December 2, 2011

Novermber 28, 2011 (1:02:46)
November 22, 2011 (1:03:43)
November 17, 2011 (1:02:25)
November 8, 2011 (1:03:32)
November 3, 2011 (1:03:05)

Some reflections on the weekly improvisations: The state of mind that I set out to find (see below) has been rarely found during these improvisations. This no doubt has to do with the fact that I don't have the support of other improvisers. However, there is often an opening that occurs during these improvs, it's just a different feeling. I think I would fail to describe that feeling, so all I'll say is that it's enjoyable, but requires more effort to maintain.

The time requirement has been interesting to deal with. I have never completely excaped the clock. But many times when it feels right to stop, I just end up shifting to a new idea or new territory, and it seems to work fine. The extended improvisations seem similar to Zazen meditation, in which there is also a time requirement. The way I deal with that requirement is a very important part of both the improvs and the meditation. That is a definitely a look in the mirror.

I've noticed that I end up in a tonal area more often in these longer improvisations than I did in the shorter daily ones. Sometimes parts of these even seem a little smooth and sappy. But I think the reason for the tonality tendency is because it's a means of keeping the intensity up without having to overplay. The pull against a tonal center can be interesting and intense. Or maybe it's just how I am feeling these days. Either way, I aim to let anything that wants to come out, come out.
November 4, 2011

October 27, 2011 (1:01:39)
October 20, 2011 (1:01:27)
October 13, 2011 (1:03:04)
October 6, 2011 (1:01:24)

September 29, 2011 (1:02:06)
September 20, 2011 (1:02:39)
September 15, 2011 (1:03:08)
September 8, 2011 (1:02:12)
September 1, 2011 (1:01:03)

August 24, 2011 (1:00:54)
August 15, 2011 (1:02:46)
August 8, 2011 (1:03:17)
August 4, 2011 (1:03:23)

July 25, 2011 (1:03:12)
July 18, 2011 (1:01:44)
July 13, 2011 (1:02:06)
July 6. 2011 (1:02:48)

June 30, 2011 (1:03:17)
June 22, 2011 (1:02:01)
June 13, 2011 (1:03:43)
June 8, 2011 (1:02:57)

May 31, 2011 (1:01:35)
May 23, 2011 (1:06:16)
May 17, 2011 (1:05:40)
May 10, 2011 (1:04:08)

Starting the week of May 8, 2011, I will record one improvisation lasting an hour or more each week.  I've enjoyed the state of mind brought on by some extended improvisations I've done with friends, so that is the inspiration for this project. 

Some initial concerns:  I am a bit hesitant to create a rule that I have to play for an hour or more.  I've never improvised for an hour straight solo or with other musicians. I am guessing that it will feel right to stop playing quite often before I've reached an hour.  I've never improvised with a time requirement.  I worry that I will be looking at the clock during recording, which is where I don't want my mind to be.  But I feel like the time requirement will take me into new areas of exploration, so that's what I will attempt.   Also, I'm not sure how to handle interruptions that may arise. What happens if the doorbell rings when I'm at minute 50? Do I ignore it? Do I stop and start again? Do I try again tomorrow? Scheduling may also be a problem.  The daily improvisations were for the most part easy to schedule, because there was no time rule. Some days it was only a minute or two long because that was all the time available that day. But here I will need to find an hour or more of time when I will not be interrupted by anything.  Nonetheless, I am excited to begin.  May 4, 2011