A modest proposal...

What with all the discussion of making another list, I have a suggestion
of a more practical nature. It seems to me that submitting and archiving
microtonal compositions MEANT TO BE PERFORMED BY REAL INSTRUMENTS would
be a highly desireable thing, duly promoting the cause to which we are
all dedicated. (Sorry about the caps, but I'm not sure that italics
would survive the translation from my PC to the list.)

To wit: that at the wikispaces microtonal page, a category be created
for compositions intended for performance by acoustic instruments
capable of microtonal tunings. The purpose of this would be to encourage
musicians to perform more contemporary microtonal works, and to reach a
wider audience. There's certainly nothing wrong with creating works with
software, especially if one is using a tuning with an extended amount of
pitches. The idea here is to compose works for readily available
instruments and to show the appeal -- not to mention the practical
application -- of alternate tunings.

So far, we have for example the recent concerts for two pianos tuned to
17 and 19 equal temperaments. I propose an archive of instrumental music
that can be put to immediate microtonal use, for as many different
instruments (and combinations) as possible. This music would be
available as downloadable PDF scores for interested parties. The music
could be written for any and all of the following:

solo pianos using 12-of-X tunings, the familiar two-piano method,
two-manual harpsichords and pipe organs; pipes capable of alternate
fingerings/pitches -- recorders, transverse flutes, bassoons and other
winds (Johnny R., can you give us composers some further info here?);
the brass family; the fretted and un-fretted string family (viols,
violins); fretted and tied-fret and unfretted guitars/lutes/sitars
(there already exist 11, 17, 19 24, 31, 34, 53 equal temperaments for
guitars); hammered dulcimers (cymbalom, santoor) and harps and zithers;
and so forth.

The point is that these instruments can easily accomodate many alternate
tunings (with some constraints) and are ready at hand -- now. They just
lack a variety of contemporary microtonal music to perform. Having an
archive where new works can be centralized for access by interested
conductors/performers would be a tremendous asset. Links to this central
archive could be sent to new music ensembles, with an invitation to
visit and peruse for new material. We already have a good start, with
the works written for the two-piano concerts. I would simply like to see
more of our works for public performance -- which encourages people to
take active part -- rather than just audio files.

Anyone interested?

I would be up for making links to scores, sure, but at my site, and not for free. Dammit, I work hard at composing, and I'm no longer giving my stuff away.

The whole downloading thing is the death of music as a vocation, as I see it. People are expecting that we who compose and perform just keep pluggin away at day jobs and give them our hard work for free.

-A.

J.Smith wrote:
> What with all the discussion of making another list, I have a suggestion
> of a more practical nature. It seems to me that submitting and archiving
> microtonal compositions MEANT TO BE PERFORMED BY REAL INSTRUMENTS would
> be a highly desireable thing, duly promoting the cause to which we are
> all dedicated. (Sorry about the caps, but I'm not sure that italics
> would survive the translation from my PC to the list.)
>
> To wit: that at the wikispaces microtonal page, a category be created
> for compositions intended for performance by acoustic instruments
> capable of microtonal tunings. The purpose of this would be to encourage
> musicians to perform more contemporary microtonal works, and to reach a
> wider audience. There's certainly nothing wrong with creating works with
> software, especially if one is using a tuning with an extended amount of
> pitches. The idea here is to compose works for readily available
> instruments and to show the appeal -- not to mention the practical
> application -- of alternate tunings.
>
> So far, we have for example the recent concerts for two pianos tuned to
> 17 and 19 equal temperaments. I propose an archive of instrumental music
> that can be put to immediate microtonal use, for as many different > instruments (and combinations) as possible. This music would be
> available as downloadable PDF scores for interested parties. The music
> could be written for any and all of the following:
>
> solo pianos using 12-of-X tunings, the familiar two-piano method,
> two-manual harpsichords and pipe organs; pipes capable of alternate
> fingerings/pitches -- recorders, transverse flutes, bassoons and other
> winds (Johnny R., can you give us composers some further info here?);
> the brass family; the fretted and un-fretted string family (viols,
> violins); fretted and tied-fret and unfretted guitars/lutes/sitars
> (there already exist 11, 17, 19 24, 31, 34, 53 equal temperaments for
> guitars); hammered dulcimers (cymbalom, santoor) and harps and zithers;
> and so forth.
>
> The point is that these instruments can easily accomodate many alternate
> tunings (with some constraints) and are ready at hand -- now. They just
> lack a variety of contemporary microtonal music to perform. Having an
> archive where new works can be centralized for access by interested
> conductors/performers would be a tremendous asset. Links to this central
> archive could be sent to new music ensembles, with an invitation to
> visit and peruse for new material. We already have a good start, with
> the works written for the two-piano concerts. I would simply like to see
> more of our works for public performance -- which encourages people to
> take active part -- rather than just audio files.
>
> Anyone interested?

I think a list of composers with links is a good idea. i don't think you have to list every single piece. for instance are you going to list every McLaren piece. dare i sayt he whole project seems bias toward ETand we are not at a point where what is done in one ET varies from another. something
I couldn't agree with you more on the 2nd point. But maybe music as a vocation is not a good thing either, look what you would have to write. Still one at least expects to be treated well with a certain amount of respect. That is where i draw the line.Otherwise it is easy to be taken advantage of. I think it is important to get ones music out into the world in real situations. One learns more that way that isolating one self in a room. It is a hard way to live and it takes a toll on all types of things in ones life if you keep doing it.
I once told a performer that i thought composers should get paid and not performers. There was taken back. But there has to be something in the deal.

Aaron K. Johnson wrote:
>
>
> I would be up for making links to scores, sure, but at my site, and not
> for free. Dammit, I work hard at composing, and I'm no longer giving my
> stuff away.
>
> The whole downloading thing is the death of music as a vocation, as I
> see it. People are expecting that we who compose and perform just keep
> pluggin away at day jobs and give them our hard work for free.
>
> -A.
>
>
>
>
> -- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island <http://anaphoria.com/index.html>
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU <http://www.kxlu.com/main/index.asp> 88.9 FM Wed 8-9 pm Los Angeles

I recommend bitpass.

Oh s***, it's out of business.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitPass

Well, you're screwed. PayPal, maybe.

-Carl

At 06:30 AM 9/19/2007, you wrote:
>I would be up for making links to scores, sure, but at my site, and not
>for free. Dammit, I work hard at composing, and I'm no longer giving my
>stuff away.
>
>The whole downloading thing is the death of music as a vocation, as I
>see it. People are expecting that we who compose and perform just keep
>pluggin away at day jobs and give them our hard work for free.
>
>-A.
>
>J.Smith wrote:
>> What with all the discussion of making another list, I have a suggestion
>> of a more practical nature. It seems to me that submitting and archiving
>> microtonal compositions MEANT TO BE PERFORMED BY REAL INSTRUMENTS would
>> be a highly desireable thing, duly promoting the cause to which we are
>> all dedicated. (Sorry about the caps, but I'm not sure that italics
>> would survive the translation from my PC to the list.)
>>
>> To wit: that at the wikispaces microtonal page, a category be created
>> for compositions intended for performance by acoustic instruments
>> capable of microtonal tunings. The purpose of this would be to encourage
>> musicians to perform more contemporary microtonal works, and to reach a
>> wider audience. There's certainly nothing wrong with creating works with
>> software, especially if one is using a tuning with an extended amount of
>> pitches. The idea here is to compose works for readily available
>> instruments and to show the appeal -- not to mention the practical
>> application -- of alternate tunings.
>>
>> So far, we have for example the recent concerts for two pianos tuned to
>> 17 and 19 equal temperaments. I propose an archive of instrumental music
>> that can be put to immediate microtonal use, for as many different
>> instruments (and combinations) as possible. This music would be
>> available as downloadable PDF scores for interested parties. The music
>> could be written for any and all of the following:
>>
>> solo pianos using 12-of-X tunings, the familiar two-piano method,
>> two-manual harpsichords and pipe organs; pipes capable of alternate
>> fingerings/pitches -- recorders, transverse flutes, bassoons and other
>> winds (Johnny R., can you give us composers some further info here?);
>> the brass family; the fretted and un-fretted string family (viols,
>> violins); fretted and tied-fret and unfretted guitars/lutes/sitars
>> (there already exist 11, 17, 19 24, 31, 34, 53 equal temperaments for
>> guitars); hammered dulcimers (cymbalom, santoor) and harps and zithers;
>> and so forth.
>>
>> The point is that these instruments can easily accomodate many alternate
>> tunings (with some constraints) and are ready at hand -- now. They just
>> lack a variety of contemporary microtonal music to perform. Having an
>> archive where new works can be centralized for access by interested
>> conductors/performers would be a tremendous asset. Links to this central
>> archive could be sent to new music ensembles, with an invitation to
>> visit and peruse for new material. We already have a good start, with
>> the works written for the two-piano concerts. I would simply like to see
>> more of our works for public performance -- which encourages people to
>> take active part -- rather than just audio files.
>>
>> Anyone interested?