Artificial Life 2007 (Lewis 2007)

Performance Guidelines

Introduction

The instruction sets on these score pages are designed to encourage collective
improvisation. The piece proceeds via the execution of the piece's instructions,
pursuant to decisions made by individual performers or groups of performers.

Moments of silence between the executions of instructions are needed. The

durations of these moments should be relative to the size of the ensemble; larger
ensembles need longer silences, and if the ensemble is large enough, a tacet
between instructions could last several minutes.

The execution of silence rarely needs to be strictly measured, however, since

players are encouraged take all the time they need to make performance decisions.
There is no rush to perform the next instruction unless that instruction calls for it,
so silences can be quite long if needed; moments where no sound is being made
need not be considered awkward. If one's projected choice of activity seems pre-
empted by other players, feel free to wait and listen until another opportune
moment arrives.

Either or both pages may be performed, in any order, and using any permitted
ensemble organization scheme. The piece may be played for any reasonable
length of time, and a performance of the piece may be considered complete
whenever a group decision is taken by the ensemble to end it. Alternatively, a set
duration may be specified for training purposes.

Notes for Page One

The set of sixteen instructions, represented graphically on a grid, is designed to

encourage collective improvisation. The order of performance of the grid
instructions is sequential only, vertically and horizontally. Please arrange your
performance pathways so that you arrive at the "record" instruction before
executing the "playback" instruction. Also, everyone should avoid beginning with
the same instruction, and in particular, with those instructions that ask the
improvisor to suspend execution pending actions by other players.

Instructions for this page may be performed either by individual ensemble

members acting singly, or by dividing the ensemble into a set of sections that will
perform their instructions at the same moment. The number of sections is
variable, but one may achieve better results if at least four different pathways are
active at once.

Any articulation, bowing, instrument, muting, or other effect is encouraged unless

an instruction indicates otherwise. Please follow your own group part, and avoid
asserting ensembles with other groups or individuals, or initiating call-and-
response interactions, unless an instruction asks you to do so.
 Artificial Life 2007: Guidelines for Collective Improvisation

Notes for Page Two

Instructions for this page are to be performed by a pre-assigned group acting as a

section. Groups are chosen according to instrument type, and each type has its
own score. Not all types need be present, but for better results, at least three
different types should be available.

Page Two consists of a set of specifications that serve either to assert relationship-
responses to the current sonic environment, or to generate independent material.
The order of performance of the instructions is at the discretion of the group,
pursuant to a multi-step decision process (outlined below) that generates
parameters for eventual sound-making.

When all specifications have been made according to the multi-step procedure,
sound-making can begin according to the parameters chosen. Again, there is no
rush to perform any instruction, and moments where no sound is being made need
not be considered awkward.

A. Creating responses

Step 1: GENERATIVE/ANALYTIC FOCUS

The section chooses
(a) a person or a section to focus on
(b) one of eight parameters to which a relationship will be asserted in Step 2.

Step 2: RELATIONSHIP TYPE

The section chooses one of four relationships to the person/group and parameter
being focused on.

Step 3: TEXTURE
Having chosen the parameter and the relationship, members of the section choose
to begin and end their response at the same time (“homophony”) or to begin and
end at different times (“heterophony”).

When all specifications have been made, sound-making can begin according to
the parameters chosen. Go!

B. Creating independent material

Step 1 and 2 are not executed

Step 3: TEXTURE
Members of the section choose to begin and end their response at the same time
(“homophony”) or to begin and end at different times (“heterophony”).
 Artificial Life 2007: Guidelines for Collective Improvisation

Step 4: TYPE
The members of the section choose either the same articulations or different
articulations.

When all specifications have been made, sound-making can begin according to
the parameters chosen. Go!

The "choice" box encourages any sonic effect or activity. The "solo" box
encourages the same, except in a manner that causes the player to stand out or
apart relative to the ensemble.

Concluding Note

To foster unity of conception in the piece as a whole, please keep in mind that the
success of the performance is not so much related to individual freedoms but to
the assumption of personal and collective responsibility for the sonic environment
you are helping to create.
 Artificial Life 2007
(George Lewis 2007)

Page One

END SHORT SOFT SPARSE

RECORD SOLI SILENCE LONG

PLAYBACK SLOW INTERRUPT BEGINNING

FAR ROUGH SMOOTH LOW

BEGINNING: Enter at the same time as another group, imitating them as closely as possible. Stop playing
when the other group does.
END: Enter as soon as possible at the end of another group's playing, attempting to play what they just played
as faithfully as possible, for the same duration as the original phrase.
FAR: Imitate the music being played now by the group farthest in physical distance from you. Stop playing
when the other group does.
INTERRUPT: Play a very loud, raucous phrase for a maximum of 3 seconds, designed to interrupt another
group's playing with a contrasting element.

LONG: Repeat a single short phrase for a relatively long time.

LOW: Play one extremely (relatively) long sound, pitched relatively low.
PLAYBACK: Repeat several times a phrase from another group that you previously memorized or recorded
using the RECORD instruction.
RECORD: Record or memorize a phrase from another group and save it in your personal memory for future use
with the PLAYBACK instruction.

ROUGH: Play with a very rough-textured quality.

SHORT: Play a series of very short notes with relatively long silences between them.
SILENCE: Remain silent until you hear the ends of at least three phrases played by other players.
SLOW: Play a phrase that recalls the feeling of being slow.

SMOOTH: Play a stepwise melody or other phrase that recalls smoothness, lack of turbulence and nostalgia.
SOFT: Begin simultaneously with another group, playing as softly as possible under that group's phrase.
Continue briefly after that group ends.
SOLI: Play a brief phrase that stands out in the manner of a soli passage.
SPARSE: Play several short phrases with relatively long silences between them.
any instrument
Artificial Life 2007
(George Lewis 2007)

Page Two

1: FOCUS

DURATION TIMBRE PITCH TEMPO

ARTICULATION SILENCE TYPE VARIOUS COMPLETE

2: RELATIONSHIP

IMITATE REVERSE ACCOMPANY IGNORE

3: TEXTURE

HOMOPHONY HETEROPHONY

4: TYPE

choice solo
voice Artificial Life 2007
(George Lewis 2007)

Page Two

1: FOCUS

DURATION TIMBRE PITCH TEMPO

ARTICULATION SILENCE TYPE VARIOUS COMPLETE

2: RELATIONSHIP

IMITATE REVERSE ACCOMPANY IGNORE

3: TEXTURE

HOMOPHONY HETEROPHONY

4: TYPE

talk vibrato bubbling

choice solo
piano Artificial Life 2007
(George Lewis 2007)

Page Two

1: FOCUS

DURATION TIMBRE PITCH TEMPO

ARTICULATION SILENCE TYPE VARIOUS COMPLETE

2: RELATIONSHIP

IMITATE REVERSE ACCOMPANY IGNORE

3: TEXTURE

HOMOPHONY HETEROPHONY

4: TYPE

chords clusters single notes flitting

pedal down pedal up inside tremolo

choice solo
bowed strings Artificial Life 2007
(George Lewis 2007)

Page Two

1: FOCUS

DURATION TIMBRE PITCH TEMPO

ARTICULATION SILENCE TYPE VARIOUS COMPLETE

2: RELATIONSHIP

IMITATE REVERSE ACCOMPANY IGNORE

3: TEXTURE

HOMOPHONY HETEROPHONY

4: TYPE

pizz sul pont. tremolo

col legno harmonics strumming spicc.

punta d’arco am Frosch legato

choice solo
electronics
Artificial Life 2007
(George Lewis 2007)

Page Two

1: FOCUS

DURATION TIMBRE PITCH TEMPO

ARTICULATION SILENCE TYPE VARIOUS COMPLETE

2: RELATIONSHIP

IMITATE REVERSE ACCOMPANY IGNORE

3: TEXTURE

HOMOPHONY HETEROPHONY

4: TYPE

choice solo
plucked strings Artificial Life 2007
(George Lewis 2007)

Page Two

1: FOCUS

DURATION TIMBRE PITCH TEMPO

ARTICULATION SILENCE TYPE VARIOUS COMPLETE

2: RELATIONSHIP

IMITATE REVERSE ACCOMPANY IGNORE

3: TEXTURE

HOMOPHONY HETEROPHONY

4: TYPE

fingers pick flitting tremolo

chords rasgueado harmonics strumming clusters

choice solo
reeds Artificial Life 2007
(George Lewis 2007)

Page Two

1: FOCUS

DURATION TIMBRE PITCH TEMPO

ARTICULATION SILENCE TYPE VARIOUS COMPLETE

2: RELATIONSHIP

IMITATE REVERSE ACCOMPANY IGNORE

3: TEXTURE

HOMOPHONY HETEROPHONY

4: TYPE

multiphonics portamento subtone bubbling

double slap
tongue vibrato tongue breathy

choice solo
percussion Artificial Life 2007
(George Lewis 2007)

Page Two

1: FOCUS

DURATION TIMBRE PITCH TEMPO

ARTICULATION SILENCE TYPE VARIOUS ALL

2: RELATIONSHIP

IMITATE REVERSE ACCOMPANY IGNORE

3: TEXTURE

HOMOPHONY HETEROPHONY

4: TYPE

METAL WOOD SKIN DIVERSE

STICKS MALLETS OTHER DIVERSE

CHOICE SOLO
brass Artificial Life 2007
(George Lewis 2007)

Page Two

1: FOCUS

DURATION TIMBRE PITCH TEMPO

ARTICULATION SILENCE TYPE VARIOUS COMPLETE

2: RELATIONSHIP

IMITATE REVERSE ACCOMPANY IGNORE

3: TEXTURE

HOMOPHONY HETEROPHONY

4: TYPE

vocal
plunger portamento multiphonics blatting

double
open horn cuivré tongue Fp/Sfz

choice solo