{"id":2451,"date":"2018-08-14T12:12:26","date_gmt":"2018-08-14T16:12:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/?p=2451"},"modified":"2018-08-14T12:12:26","modified_gmt":"2018-08-14T16:12:26","slug":"in-c-for-performance-on-any-laptop-thanks-to-lute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2018\/08\/in-c-for-performance-on-any-laptop-thanks-to-lute.html","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;In C&#8221; for performance on any laptop, thanks to LUTE"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Terry Riley&#8217;s 1964 ingenious, joyful and warm composition &#8220;In C&#8221; can now be performed by anyone with a laptop, regardless of their previous musical or technological experience. On Sunday 8\/12\/18, the<a href=\"http:\/\/lute.luc.edu\"> Loyola University Technology Ensemble<\/a> (LUTE) organized a participatory concert of the sublime communitarian piece &#8212; which comprises 53 brief melodic figures, to be played in loose succession and synchronization, usually to the steady pulse of ringing Cs played on the piano to keep the beat &#8211;\u00c2\u00a0at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acmusic.org\/\">Access Contemporary Music<\/a>&#8216;s third annual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acmusic.org\/productions\/thirsty-ears-festival-2018\/\">Thirsty Ears Festival<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lJPJywWfyGo\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>LUTE has created a performance app, which is free to download and open-source, self-explanatory and very easy to use. It includes Riley&#8217;s original directions as well as the notation, but every phrase is available by clicking a button to make it sound, and another to advance to the next (or previous) melodic cell. Participants can individually (and instantaneously) select among about 40 pre-set voicings that replicate instruments, synthesizer patches and common sounds; move the figures up and down among three octaves; shift them by an eighth note, or slow to half-time.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-2453\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/41D3GWS20ZL._AC_US160_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/41D3GWS20ZL._AC_US160_.jpg 160w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/41D3GWS20ZL._AC_US160_-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/41D3GWS20ZL._AC_US160_-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>According to Riley, any number of people can perform &#8220;In C&#8221; (though he suggests 35 as optimal)\u00c2\u00a0using any instrumentation. Besides the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Terry-Riley-C\/dp\/B001VWMSDI\/?tag=howardmacom-20\">classic original recording<\/a> from 1968 released by Columbia, there are a dozen versions of &#8220;In C&#8221; on Youtube, including one by New York City&#8217;s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=AVfAoNHjTHQ\"> Bang on a Can<\/a> chamber ensemble and a luscious\u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Africa-Express-Presents-Terry-Rileys\/dp\/B00Q983IQA\/?tag=howardmacom-20\">version from Mali<\/a>. Every performance is different, but it&#8217;s hard for anyone making an honest attempt to fail at establishing the composition&#8217;s spritely spirit, intriguing layers and gradual changes.<\/p>\n<p>A handout provided by LUTE (which is directed by David B. Wetzel and Griffin Moe) explained, &#8220;&#8216;In C&#8217; is an exploration of a musical process and an opportunity to listen and explore various combinations and musical interactions as the piece unfolds . . . In our version we wanted to see what would happen if everyone in the ensemble played an instrument that required no particular skill to operate, leaving the players attention fully available instead to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/4102pQ34XL._AC_US160_.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-2454\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/4102pQ34XL._AC_US160_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"153\" height=\"153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/4102pQ34XL._AC_US160_.jpg 160w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/4102pQ34XL._AC_US160_-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/4102pQ34XL._AC_US160_-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 153px) 100vw, 153px\" \/><\/a>task of listening and collaborating with others.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Using the app turned out to be a delightful experience. I was among about a dozen laptop &#8220;players&#8221; contributing our sounds to this afternoon event in the airy chapel of All Saint&#8217;s Episcopal Church (simultaneously on a stage outdoors pianists\u00c2\u00a0Matthew Hagle and\u00c2\u00a0Ariella Mak Nieman played\u00c2\u00a0Faure nocturnes, Chopin \u00c3\u00a9tudes, and pices by Bach, Haydn, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Debussy; an all-ages audience roamed around two blocks of vendors and sponsors&#8217; tables). Since I hadn&#8217;t brought an auxiliary speaker, I had to listen hard just to hear what was coming from my MacBook Air. Indulging my customary<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-2452\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/510Z6fXHrqL._AA256_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"164\" height=\"164\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/510Z6fXHrqL._AA256_.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/510Z6fXHrqL._AA256_-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/510Z6fXHrqL._AA256_-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/510Z6fXHrqL._AA256_-200x200.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 164px) 100vw, 164px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>contrarian jazz-oriented sensibility, I kept trying to smear the figures across the pulsating time-frame, or fit them into off-beat spaces for syncopated or time-delayed effect.\u00c2\u00a0I hope that didn&#8217;t disturb other participants, or betray Terry Riley&#8217;s concept, and I don&#8217;t think it did. &#8220;In C&#8221; is marvelously capacious music, rewarding to hear and even more so to be part of. With LUTE&#8217;s app, you might enlist friends to sit for a bit and give it a spin.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.howardmandel.com\/\" target=\"blank\">howardmandel.com<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.feedburner.com\/fb\/a\/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1102712&amp;loc=en_US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Subscribe by Email <\/a> |<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/JazzBeyondJazz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Subscribe by RSS<\/a> |<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Follow on Twitter <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/archives.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> All JBJ posts <\/a> |<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Terry Riley&#8217;s 1964 ingenious, joyful and warm composition &#8220;In C&#8221; can now be performed by anyone with a laptop, regardless of their previous musical or technological experience. On Sunday 8\/12\/18, the Loyola University Technology Ensemble (LUTE) organized a participatory concert of the sublime communitarian piece &#8212; which comprises 53 brief melodic figures, to be played [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2452,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1692,1686,1690,1689,1688,1687,1691],"class_list":{"0":"post-2451","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-main","8":"tag-in-c-mali","9":"tag-in-c","10":"tag-access-contemporary-music","11":"tag-loyola-university-technology-ensemble","12":"tag-lute","13":"tag-terry-riley","14":"tag-thirsty-ear-festival","15":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/510Z6fXHrqL._AA256_.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1i3CL-Dx","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1526,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2014\/01\/a-weekend-alt-guitar-fest-photos.html","url_meta":{"origin":2451,"position":0},"title":"A weekend alt-guitar fest (photos)","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"January 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The New York Guitar Festival this past weekend (Jan 17-19) featured master classes and three nights of \"alternative guitar summits\" curated by composer-guitarist Joel Harrison at the performance space Subculture. Photos by S\u00c3\u00a1nta Istv\u00c3\u00a1n Csaba from Friday night's 30-minute sets by four trios, show the young men (all men) in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;main&quot;","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/GuitarNight04.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1045,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2012\/09\/terry-riley-and-son-gyan-improvise-as-does-the-joshua-light-show.html","url_meta":{"origin":2451,"position":1},"title":"Terry Riley and son Gyan improvise, as does the Joshua Light Show","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"September 18, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I didn't know Terry Riley could perform A Rainbow in Curved Air\u00c2\u00a0live,\u00c2\u00a0as he did last Friday with his guitarist son Gyan at the Skirbal Center for the Performing Arts on NYU's campus, as part of an appearance by the Joshua Light Show. But yes he can, and masterfully -- as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;main&quot;","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/terry-riley1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":176,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2009\/04\/modern_classical_composition_i.html","url_meta":{"origin":2451,"position":2},"title":"Modern &#8220;classical&#8221; composition  informing Jazz Beyond Jazz","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"April 4, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Commenting after my Cecil Taylor postings, correspondent \"Jake\" reports\u00c2\u00a0Alex Ross \"publicly champions Cecil Taylor . .. \u00c2\u00a0lists the rather obscure FMP big band record \"Alms\/Tiergarten (Spree)\" as among his favorite pop\/jazz recordings and wrote an appreciation of the maestro (paired with Sonic Youth) in The New Yorker way back in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;main&quot;","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2421,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2018\/02\/jazz-projects-with-2018-nea-funding-support.html","url_meta":{"origin":2451,"position":3},"title":"Jazz and beyond projects with 2018 NEA funding support","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"February 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Given all the noise, the\u00c2\u00a0National Endowment for the Arts' $25 mil for arts, literature and education\u00c2\u00a0announced Feb. 7 may have been overlooked. 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