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Two Improvisations

by Connie Crothers & Tom Hamilton

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1.
CC TH 1 30:05
2.
CC TH 2 15:33

about

Connie Crothers – piano
Tom Hamilton – Nord Modular Keyboard

Recorded live in concert:
January 8, 2015
Musical Ecologies series, curated by Dan Joseph
The Old Stone House, Brooklyn NY

Connie and I were friends for at least 30 years. After many years of expressing to each other the desire to play music together, Connie found the opportunity and invited me to play on this concert. Sensing that this would be an unusual opportunity for both of us, I brought a small recording setup that would also allow me to do a post-concert mix with clear signals for both of us.

***
Fragments from emails leading up to this concert.

Connie:
What would we write as a description of our performance? We haven't created music together as yet. Of course, we have heard each other, but I would venture to guess that the music that will happen that night won't be like our other performances. I am interested in how the purely acoustic and purely electronic sounds both contrast, possibly even contradict, and merge, resolve. Your thoughts?

Tom:
The electronic sounds that I work with can operate in 2 modes: First, as gestures, in a manner somewhat similar to what acoustic performers often do. That is, placement, range, dynamics, and pacing are determined by responding to the other player(s) and changing circumstances. The second mode (and perhaps the more interesting one) is where the electronic sound functions as a textural context for what the other player(s) are doing. I usually think of this as an "aural score."

Tom (after our planning session):
Very energizing to talk about sonic concepts and approaches, and you are so clear about it all. I always wonder if I am clear as mud! But really, first time we've talked about these things and next time we get to actually experience it all. Favorite quote: "I have pitch; I don't need pitch."

Connie:
Yes, Tom, it was a good time. I appreciated all of it. I do feel clear about our performance. I think you were very clear. Could we informally record our performance? I know I will be curious to hear it. I don't have a gadget that records easily.
Connie

After a couple versions of a mix, we had this exchange:

Tom:
I recently remixed my recording of the concert, only changing the panning. Now I have the electronics more surrounding the piano. More conventional, but also more integrated. I think I prefer this one & wonder what you'll think.

Connie:
Tom, I just listened. I agree—better sound presentation.
It's beautiful. Each time I've listened, I hear more. The change in the panning enhanced this experience, so I heard even more.
Usually, I would prefer the other version, but this one brings out the shifting interchange of sound that happened throughout, perhaps being closer to what we were actually hearing while creating this music.

***
With thanks to Dan Joseph and the Musical Ecologies series.

© and ℗ Tom Hamilton, 2021.
Published by Data Day Music (ASCAP)

RIP Connie Crothers (1941 – 2016).

credits

released November 5, 2021

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Tom Hamilton New York, New York

Tom Hamilton has composed and performed electronic music for over 40 years. His ongoing series of concerts, installations and recordings contrast structure with improvisation and textural electronics with acoustic instruments. He often explores the interaction of many simultaneous layers of activity, prompting the use of “present-time listening” on the part of both performer and listener. ... more

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