[NewMusic] Marco Eneidi's Animal Farm

[weasel walter]

> 1) What are the various compositional tools we have for writing for
large ensemble?

traditional notation. time based notation. graphic notation.
conduction/cuing. improvisation. i-ching, etc etc etc. i don't think
there's any real question of how to compose for large ensemble, mr.
devil's advocate. 

> 2) How does a musician's time commitment affect those tools or results?

if we're using methods, the clarity of execution will be commensurate
with the familiarity of said methods. 

> 3) What is a reasonable amount of time to spend rehearsing a
composition?

as much as it needs to be done well!

> 4) Why don't we see more large ensembles that stay together over a 
> long period of time? (the bay area is actually way ahead of many other
scenes

i believe that a lot of "key" players are too busy doing other things. a
lot of improvisers i've met here don't like rehearsing or playing when
there isn't a gig. that, is problematic for anybody (like me) who might
want to deal with composition in my improvisation. instead of worrying
about it, i try to make the best possible ad hoc situations for myself
and try to maintain recurring ensembles with the hope that those groups
develop a voice by the nature of them being used repeatedly. 

> 5) How does a musician take what s/he knows about a group and 
> develop a compositional language based on that knowledge?

one has to assess the skills and/or weaknesses of the members the best
one can and take it from there. 

> 6) Who are some of the local composers that have dealt with that
> knowledge successfully (in terms of both composition styles/practices
> and results), or non-successfully?

i have been able to do this when i can get an ensemble together that
understands that it will have to rehearse. i have my doubts about
throwing together anything successful on a larger scale without some
committment from the musicians. the last thing i want to do is write
something for a big group that mutinies or is not prepared to to do the
work to make it sound as good as possible. 

> 7) What are the compositional tools available today other than
traditional notation, graphic scores, text scores, and Marco's system?

those tools are fine. they're all a solid foundation to doing something
like this. i'm not sure we need more tools. 

> 8) How is writing for improvisers different than writing for 
> musicians with more "traditional" musical skills?

the challenge is to create something that allows everyone to do what they
want to do and still sound good as a whole. 

> 9) What compositional tools can be developed when your group has 
> both kinds of players?

letting people do things that reflect their skills and avoiding things
that they aren't good at. you wouldn't have peter brotzmann sight read a
ridiculous, traditionally notated line, but evan parker might be good for
it. . .

> 10) Why are people so afraid of constructive and thoughtful 
> criticism that is so obviously focused on the evolution of this music?

i'm not. 

> 11) What performance spaces are ideally suited for large ensemble
shows?

something with moderately flat acoustics. horn players tend to like some
reverberance, i've noted. 

> 12) What rehearsal spaces are ideally suited for large ensembles?

uh . . . 

ww