The Rock...Sunday 20th July 2008

<--Look it's a smoking rock - tehe made me laugh - read on to find out why - but N.B this is not the rock I'm talking about!

Right..

This has absolutely nothing to do with my MA whatsoever - but I have to tell you about it as it amused all of us immensely!

We've just had our 'orientation' with 'Andrew' - who ironically is from up north somewhere...typical that I come all the way across the pond and one of the first people I meet when I get to my final destination in a project about globalisation is someone from north England...!!

But anyway - he started explaining what we, as adult students had to be aware of regarding the

younger ones here - of which there are quite a few (they're having band camp - no joke (teeheehee!))

So apparently at Idyllwild Arts anyone under the age of 18 (and kind of 21) is not allowed to see or sense anything vaguely habitual, enjoyable and basically intoxicating! In fact we all have to pretend we're in The Waltons or something and pretend that alcohol and cigarettes just don't exist...at all....oh no, they've never even been invented!

The first thing I thought was - how patronising to young people...!

But anyway, Andrew asked the group of about 30-odd adult students whether any of us smoked...two people put their hands up...including yours truly of course! No embarrassment there at all - oh no! (...)!

Basically you have to smoke on the paved areas, and well away from any trees, bushes, grass, anything environmental and flammable...which is perfectly understandable.

But the funny thing is - great we can smoke on the paved areas...but we aren't allowed to let youngsters see...hmmmm quandry - they can go anywhere...hmmm what to do?!

Well good ol' Andrew showed myself and this Polish chap 'The Rock'.

I love 'The Rock'.

It's a big rock, which we have to literally hide behind to spark up...and it's definitely fine as they've put a smoking bin there too.

What's so funny though - is this clandestine cigarette hide-out is right by the exit to one of the main buildings where a large, minor-filled chamber orchestra enter and exit...! Idiotic and funny - love it!

So - we have various euphemisms for going for a smokey-joe now - they're "My rock is calling", "To the Rock", "MmmmRock"...and of course "Let's Rock" (Fraggle Rock...? Might try that later...!) and so on!

But yes - I just thought I'd let you know that I have fallen in love with a rock in Idyllwild...it is my friend.

Speak soon - rock on!

Opera No Opera - AH! - Monday 21st July

Ten o'clock Monday 21st July 2008 - all ten composers are ready and the experiment begins!

We've found our workspace again from seeing it for the first time last night.

This is where we're going to be spending most of our time working together. I'm taking lots of photos - but I noticed today I haven't brought the correct lead with me to connect my camera to the MacBooks we'll be getting...silly me! Consequently, I've already started taking many photos of us working together and the places where we're doing that - but can't upload them just yet - but I will, then you'll have a much better picture of what the whole project is about!

David has explained to us what the piece is going to be about...and it's an opera...that's not an opera, but it is an opera because it's an opera, but it's not an opera...get it...?!! And it's called AH!

Here are some extracts from the prospectus notes about AH! which David Rosenboom (soundswordsounds) and Martine Bellen (wordsoundswords) had written to 'sell' the project to investors and people who're interested in it:

"AH! is such an opera that is not an opera and is called an opera for our time. AH! is an offering for the betterment of humanity on Earth today. AH! is an environment for discovering. AH! is an immersive opportunity for illumination, a flight simulator for psychonauts, AH! is an opera."1

It continues:

"Composer/performer, David Rosenboom, and poet/writer, Martine Bellen, developed an interactive, creative process that integrates sound and word composition in a new way, such that music and libretto are not separate, are not different, and one that works from the origins of both music and language, illuminating their power to both differenciate and to join human beings."2 

The whole idea is a brilliant one...I have to carry on working now on the opera-no-opera...! But wait 'til next time for more about the master plan!

------------------------------

1. Bellen, M., & Rosenboom, D., 'Excerpts from Opera Prospectus' 2008

2. Ibid.

Idyllwild - the ten compositores have landed! Sunday 20th July

We are here!

I've met all the other nine now - and everyone is brilliant, genius and lovely!

Syrse, Ivan, Jxel, Claudio, Xiaoliang, Doo Jin, Alex, Vedran, Michael and me - the ten compositores! (kinda like the three amigos - but three fold plus one and without the sombreros!)

Hopefully in my next blog I'll have pictures of each of us and what we play - and hopefully (!) technology allowing mp3s of what each instrument sounds like - as some are quite unusual! 

So far the general feeling is excitement that we've all finally arrived in the mountains of San Jacinto.

We are all still wondering just how this amazing idea is going to work - and we still have no idea what exactly we're writing...very intriguing! 

Everyone is very open and fluid in their initial approach at the start of our musical adventure - none of us seem to have any inhibitions - which gives me the feeling that whatever we are going to be doing, and however it's going to work in the end, it's just that...it's going to work!

We've had a three hour coach journey to Idyllwild from LA. When we got out of LA, the scenery just got more and more barren and sparse.

Then we got higher...

The trees started appearing again, and the sand and stone remained - it's really beautiful.

We arrived at Idyllwild Arts (which is like a conservatoire for music and the arts) and all the buildings are log cabins, and log buildings and generally made of logs - it has a rather alpine feel about it - but really hot!

We've all been assigned our rooms now and we're all staying in rooms on the same floor - so we're all together which is great, as the next two weeks is also a lot to do with getting to know each other so we can work together over the next year.

We've also just got back from a beer and pizza session with David Rosenboom and Jana Morlen (Producer) just to break the ice and celebrate the start of the project.

A lot of, albeit very tired and jetlagged excitement came out of our informal meeting - and I think we're all ready to get down to business and start composing!

Earlier, during the meeting we were missing two of our fellow composers - as apparently one of us was not so lucky with baggage...! But they have arrived now, admittedly the baggage hasn't - but we're expecting it tomorrow!

Anyway - there's a follow-on party happening in room 416 (Jxel and Ivan's)...we have left over beer from the meeting earlier - and of course - no one likes a warm beer, so it needs to be drunk - we all concur! 

It sounds as if there's a jam session going on in there too - so I'm going to take my recording equipment and start capturing the very first musical meeting of the very first 10 world composers to start a project at the vanguard of studying globalisation and human interaction - sounds interesting already...!

Speak to you soon!

To Idyllwild...! Sunday 20th July

Last night I meant to meet up with a couple of the other 9 composers - but I couldn't get through on the mobiles, so no pre-project meetings - but hey - today I meet the whole ensemble...really looking forward to it!!

One thing I did do last night though - that was probably a really stupid idea of mine - was after landing, getting through customs, finding the bus to the hotel (which was probably one of the most confusing things I've ever done - LAX is SO big, and the roads around it are even bigger! In fact - I had to donate to a missionary who was lurking around the airport volunteering as an Airport steward to get some help finding the particular phone I had to use to call the Travelodge to come and get me...he then told me where to pick up the bus which was, "You see the signs above us?" They were all green and virtually unintelligible. "Well," he continued, "just walk that way..." He pointed somewhere in the distance to my right, his left. "...And when that sign goes red, cross the road...that's your stop." I would've pressed further, like asking what kind of 'hotel-hopper' would I be looking for...but he may have asked for more money - on a student budget, I can only be so charitable! 

So, I got to where the signs went red...check. I then realised there were more than one red sign, all of which had 'hotel pick-up' written on them...useful! I then saw that there was more than one bit of road to cross...again useful! 

So I made an arbitrary decision and tried to make myself look as visible and 'Travelodge-heading' as I could - not easy when you're only 5 foot, and it's dark...! 

I waited. Then thought of another question I could've asked the missionary, at some expense... "How long should the bus take to arrive?" Yeah, that would've been helpful!

I waited.

I could have gone to the Hilton and Wooky Park about 5 times while I was waiting - and to be fair to those bus drivers, by about the third time they drove past me, they did look appealingly at me with a facial expression saying, "You absolutely sure you don't want to come to the Hilton?"

I declined. 

I waited.

Finally a very jolly Travelodge man drove by me and I waived like I have never waived before! He stopped, took my luggage, opened the door, I got on and met an equally as jolly Scottish guy who'd been travelling around the airport circuit with the jolly driver a number of times...quite why, I do not know!

Anyway, we got to the hotel - and Travelodges in LA are so different from the ones in the UK...! Palm trees and balconies to start off with! 

It was an idea of mine to keep awake for as long as I could to try and combat jetlag - I'd already stayed awake the entire flight...but I thought if I tire myself out excessively, then I should sleep well on my first night, and it'll feel like bedtime and I'll sleep well.

In order to do this I had to find somewhere to have a drink, maybe some food etc. etc. 

So I did.

This was the stupid idea which I only realised when I was doing it.

Walking the streets of LA, close to LAX (which is really dodgy apparently), not really knowing where I'm going, alone, at night time...well done Nat - what a grand idea! 

Still I did it and had the most massive Coke I think I've ever had - which of course...woke me up!

Anyway - I must dash as I'm catching my bus to Idyllwild now - and I get to meet the ones who were staying at the hotel last night in a moment too - yey!!

Bye for now 

Hand Luggage full of wires and equipment - did they stop me - I think not! Saturday 19th July 2008

Well I got through security with probably the least difficulty I have ever known! Ironically, this time, not only did I have regular hand luggage stuff like phone, camera, book, glasses etc. but a Fostex portable field recorder, batteries galore, chargers a-go-go, one flute, one piccolo, tonnes of (shock-horror) sharp pencils and I'm sure a whole multitude of 'airport-x-ray-security-scanner' intriguing stuff...but I walked through no problems at all...concerning - maybe!

I was quite glad though as the process of actually getting past security at Heathrow was concerning me - but as it transpires, I had nothing to worry about! I don't think it's going to be the same getting out of the US on the way back though...but we'll have to see!

I'm just sitting in the departure lounge now waiting for my seat to be called...11 and half hours...ELEVEN AND A HALF HOURS!! For the want of Doctor Who's tardis, or the Dolorien right now...! Even a hoverboard would do...!

Anyway - speak to you next in the air...mile high blog... ; ) !

Cue Divine Comedy "National Express" - Friday 18th July 2008

So, I'm sitting on the National Express bus up to London at the start of my most epic journey...

I'm dreading the eleven and a half hour flight I have ahead of me tomorrow - but what's waiting for me at the other end is just ridiculously exciting and strangely it's making the whole journey seem much more bearable. 

Feelings at the moment...well, intrigued! I was just thinking about how this is actually going to work...how are we going to meld together 10 different musical styles, musical influences, musical intuition and really 10 presumably very different musicians...?

I hope it's going to be a carnival of sounds; wild, wierd and wonderful.

An idea I had earlier was to try and write something along those lines - a sonic celebration of the globe and world music.

I'm so exited about meeting everyone properly...some, in fact most I think, have been in occasional contact with each other via email since we all found out we had been given a place on this project, which was back at the end of May.

At the moment though, I only have a very vague idea where everyone is from - so it's going to be a great cultural and geographical lesson when we get there!

Some, I believe are going to be at the Travelodge LA (close to LAX) when I get there...

Basically what's happening is that I'm getting to LA quite late in the evening the day before the project starts...I leave at 5:00pm (BST) tomorrow, then land (supposedly!) at 8:30pm (West Coast time) (oh if only it would only take 3 and a half hours!!) Idyllwild is then about 3 hours away from LA, so I've been put up in the LA Travelodge for my first night (classy I know...!) as have some others who are arriving a day early too.   

I've got one of their phone numbers - so hopefully we can meet up and start to get to know each other.

Am I nervous? Well sort of, but I don't really get nervous...more anxious to get this journey over and done with and finally find out exactly how this whole thing is going to work!!!

LA - here we come!

And so the updating and catch-up begins!

FYO - the next few blogs will be the ones I have had to write in a notebook during the first few days as I didn't have access to the internet...I'll date them as I go in the title so you know where we are! Sorry - but alas the internet escaped me at the start!!

Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Read on McDuff...(harhar!)

Where we are so far...

Just before I start - it's all got a bit complicated with the blog - basically I haven't had access to the Internet until pretty much today - so some blogs are missing...they have been written though -so don't fret - they are just in a notebook, going back to old-fashioned pen and paper!!

I haven't had a chance yet to write them up on here - but I'll be sure to do that soon and date them appropriately!

Right, well that's a minor announcement over and done with...now let's get down to business!

We are currently on Day 4, it's about 15:05pm and today we've started writing 'modules' to play with and improvise around ready to start getting some idea as to what the piece is going to be like, sound like, how it's organised etc. etc.

I've written my module - hence I thought I'd use this little window of time to write a speedy blog! 

By writing these little four bar rhythm structures, we're basically making a potential, proposed framework for tiny bits of the overall piece...

By doing it this way as well, it means we can get together in smaller groups, or sit individually to give our own input, which then will get played, played around with, and discussed.

...reading that back - that makes it sound ever so structured and austere - it's not like that at all! The whole collaboration is one of freedom, individuality within a tightly knit group, different influences and styles and collective spirit. 

It is quite phenomenal how these ten people (including myself) have clicked - we instantaneously made connections and hit it off incredibly - and together we form a 10-composer network like a perfectly fitting global jigsaw, each standing as a different piece with different edges and links, but all connecting.

Truly amazing!

But, anyway - you will hear more about the beginning of this extraordinary collaboration when I write up my notes on here!

I've also got audio and pictures which I'll endeavour to upload on my MacBook - a gift from the TAC to all of us for being part of this programme...nice!

Right - more soon! 

The beginning

I have been extraordinarily lucky in winning a place on a wonderful project organised by the Transatlantic Arts Consortium and Idyllwild Arts.

It's basically a classical/world music version of 'Feed the World' called 'A Counterpoint of Tolerance'.

I, and 9 others from all across the world have been gathered together by the TAC by entering an international composition competition, and being selected, to write a collaborative piece over the next year, starting on the 20th July 2008.

We'll all be travelling to California for the 20th July to meet each other and get writing and jamming together for two weeks.

We'll then be coming back to our 'native countries' to continue writing the piece over the internet together in a brilliant worldwide network of musicians which will be created by our meeting.

The aim is a) to see whether we can do it, b) to see what we can create and c) to explore what happens when you draw on a global music 'bank' as it were, the human psyche in the era of globalisation and effectively create harmony between people from a plethora of different musical heritage and cultural background.

...All pretty amazing really!

I'm going to be blogging on this as part of my Masters degree project.

I'm currently studying down at University College Falmouth for an MA in Broadcast Journalism.

I also hope to get my 15 minute radio documentary (split up into 3 lots of 5 minute mini-documentaries) commissioned - by who I don't know just yet - but one step at a time I feel!

I would be very grateful for anybody to get involved or comment on this story as it is a fantastic project and I want to know your thoughts - so let me know!

There will be pictures, a journal/diary, music and probably madness - and I'll keep you posted on it all.

So...drop me a note (harhar!) there's plenty more to come...

'til then...the clock is ticking for take-off!