5. Electronics in a vocal interplay, a project report:

 

The main focus of my artistic research project has been to explore new roles and possibilities in the improvised interplay with other instruments. I have implemented live electronics as musical tools in my situation as a vocalist in various interplays. It has, as discussed in Chapter 2, been important for me to work with the right tools in this situation. An important part of my musical work over the years, besides these projects, has involved improvising a cappella-ensembles (Kvitretten (see Section 1.5) and Trondheim Voices). In seeking to explore the use of live electronics in an a cappella ensemble, I have looked for tools that can be useful in such a situation. Implementing live electronics in this type of interplay and setting is a very different task, working with a group of 9 singers, as in Trondheim Voices. The tools should provide a kind of control that makes it possible for each singer to predict the outcome of the vocal input, and the choices of sound variables should be defined and limited in number in order to help us maintain an overview and create musical meaning in the collective improvisation.

This section is about how live electronics can serve as a musical tool and lead to new strategies for an a cappella ensemble. In this respect this project represents some possible artistic extensions of my research project.

I will now demonstrate how the use of live electronics can:

–       expand the sound possibilities of the vocal ensemble

–       place the ensemble and each singer in a new position in respect of the sound design

–       enhance a listening focus

–       connect movement and sound, thereby visualising musical choices

–       create an improvised “choreography”

I will do this by producing a project report from a pilot project. This project was presented at the NIME (New Interfaces for Musical Expression) international conference in Oslo in 2011.

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