With seven and a half weeks to go until exegesis submission the pressure is on. Today’s recording session was executed with an aura of tension, which was noticeable at the very beginning, however, as we became familiar with our studio surroundings the quality of the session and the result, namely the bounced Mp3 of ‘Improvisation’ featuring Guzheng, Drums, and Javanese Gamelan cymbals was indeed a successful undertaking. The whole session consisted of three takes with each version lasting about 15-20 minutes long. With each version (take) becoming stronger and spirited. Soon we became aware of a real sense of artistry emerging. Becoming too conscious of what you’re playing as an improviser can stifle creativity and ruin the overall impact. As soon as my colleague and I listened back to the second version of the improvisation we decided to have faith in the improvisation process itself. Before long we both decided that being open and in the moment to new possibilities will provide intensity and vividness. Finally we both decided that eye contact was of great importance to the improvisation process whereas, discussion of musical landmarks for the next improvisation would be obvious and trite.
Composer, Guitarist, Academic
B.Mus Honors First Class WSU 2015
B.Mus UWS 2014
PhD WSU 2022
My current research at the Western Sydney University is titled Reinventing Minimalism: An Electric Guitar Driven Voice Through Repetitive Structures Assimilating Oceanic Rhythm and Harmony.