Between Composition

Learn to think between musical rules and explore the possibilities of challenging power structures through music and audio work.

Political and technological developments in the early 20th century introduced composers such as John Cage and Pauline Oliveros to an entirely new set of tools for the production of contemporary music. These artists pioneered an experimental sound practice by introducing the use of chance operations and environmental or “found” sounds—typically regarded as non-musical—to the compositional lexicon. This approach created a grey area, blurring social constructs that defined where music began and “real-life” ended and often complicated traditional relationships between owner, user, audience, and performer. The practice of experimental music-making continues to grow and respond to shifts in the technological and cultural landscape

In this workshop, we will talk about a number of experimental musical practices, as well as encourage and develop our own experimental practices using computational approaches that lend themselves to “between-ness” in creative sound work. These methods will address a broader conversation around the decolonization of art making by challenging traditional power dynamics through a music or sound practice. Participants with a practice in music making or other compositional framework (related to sound or not) are encouraged to participate.

Price: Free (Suggested $10 Donation)

Date: The workshop is a one-day course meeting on February 24 from 7-9PM.

Audience: Open to all.

Materials: Participants are required to bring their own laptops.

Tommy Martinez is a New York City-based sound artist and programmer. His work takes the form of live sound improvisations with code, speech, and electroacoustic sound sources. He currently leads a creative technology studio and residency program at Pioneer Works that develops software, community, and art projects responding to emerging social and cultural challenges.

About Fruits of the Pluralist

Encouraging non-binary perception and embracing contradiction broadens Encouraging non-binary perception and embracing contradiction broadens communication to the world and to ourselves. Would it be possible for the real and the imaginary, start and finish, the articulate and the inarticulable, to not be oppositional?

Fruits of the Pluralist is a program series that explores technological systems and practices that recognize many different kinds of identities, structures, and forms of communication. The series will showcase workshops and activations centered in spatiality and non-binary complexity.

For more information, readings, and related materials, please visit https://www.are.na/fruits-of-the-pluralist.

Please note, this class is held on our second floor. At this time, we do not have an elevator. Please email education@pioneerworks.org with any questions or concerns regarding accessibility, or any other questions regarding this workshop.