Thanks everyone for taking part and especially Kelvin Pittman, h. vergotis, Brandon Conway and Sean Ongley for leading their compositions. Also special thanks to Pauline Oliveros for providing the inspiration for the games and the piece I led which was a half remembered fragment of something I read.
The win-win games compositions-
Entanglement by Kelvin Pittman (phase one):
A piece for two or more (2+) players.
Players start the game by singing/playing the same tone, or the same 'note', independent of octave.
Sing it a few times, perhaps bending the tone upward or downward slightly, or decreasing and increasing the volume.
Stop.
Players then choose and sing/play two different tones, different from themselves and different from the first tone. If there are more than two players, then players should pair of group-up into different groups, each group singing/playing a different tone than the other group.
Continue until tired or bored
The Telephone Game in 3 Steps by Sean Ongley.
#1. Provide a tone that represents a "dial tone" and play that in the room at a constant. The common American dial tone consists of two sine waves: 350 hz and 440 hz. Dynamics and timing are optional.
#2.a. While the tone is playing, instruct the audience to dial from their cellular phones all their personal acquaintances in the room, using the phone numbers available to them at the time. Dial at random.
#2.b. If the "dial tone" is being amplified by high power instrument cabinets (like a guitar or keyboard amp) have everyone rest their phone on an amp, closest to the electronics of the amp(s).
#3. Sit with the dial tone from step 1 in combination with spontaneous cellular tones, and relax, listening for the sound the cellular signal passing through the electronics of the amplifier and how it interacts with the environment.
The game recalls the old fashioned dial tone which has come out of common occurrence with the advent of cellular telephones. Dialing friends in the room could possibly symbolize the technological barrier-bridge duality inherent in the communication revolution. If this does not strike us at a conscious level, players will at least find spontaneous games and musical experiments utilizing the rings, speakerphones, etc. If step #2.b. is successful, it should become abundantly clear that we are unaware of the tones passing through cellular phones and our brains, and therefore, we are unaware of realities that are passing through us, from day to day.
How many Miles to Babylon:
A Musical Game by Brandon Conway:
Supplies needed:
5 or more players
1-3 flashlights.
A medium to large sized room with the ability to turn all lights off.
Rules of play:
*All players should spread out in the room forming a circle(ish).
*Each person should find something with which to make non-pitched or non-specific sounds
(these sounds may be be produced with objects in the room, with provided instruments(ie shakers), or with the players' mouths).
*Give flashlights or bike lights to Lighter(s).
*Turn off the lights in the room.
*When the lights are turned off, each player begins making sound.
*Lighter(s) begin slowly reciting How Many miles to Babylon verse. (for longer rounds, Lighter(s) may repeat the verse once or thrice)
*While reciting, Lighter turns on their flashlight and points it at one player.
*When a Lighter points their flashlight at a player, that player must stop playing their sound
*When a Lighter points their flashlight at that player again, the player must begin playing again.
(Lighter(s) may not sweep their flashlights-they are only allowed to turn their flashlight on one player before turning it off again)
*When the Lighter(s) is done reciting the verse. A round of the game is over.
*Additional rounds may be played by passing the flashlight(s) to another player until all players have had the chance to be a Lighter.
*Note: for 5ish players, 1 Lighter is appropriate; for 5-10,: 2 Lighters; and for 10 or more, 3 Lighters should work nicely.
Alternative version (Recitation):
*All players recite How many Miles to Babylon.
*When a Lighter points to a player, that player must stop reciting.
*When the player is pointed to again, they must start the verse from the beginning.
*The game is over when all players are allowed to finish reciting the entire verse.
(Players will need to memorize verse or copies of the text need to be provided).
Alternative version for Active Groups (Light Tag):
*This version of the game is to be played in a large space (or out-of-doors at night--if out of doors, physical boundaries should be established).
*Players move around in the dark while a Lighter(s) attempts to catch them with flashlight blasts (again the lighter may not sweep the flashlight).
*If a player is caught in the flashlight beam, they must freeze and recite the verse.
*Game is over when all players have recited the verse.
(For a more robust sound, players may be asked to continuously repeat the verse until all players are 'caught' )
Verse:
How many miles to Babylon?
Three-score and ten.
Can I get there by candle-light?
Yes, there and back again.
If your heels are nimble and light,
You will get there by candle-light.
*Note: For funsies, 'Babylon' may be replaced by another place-word with three syllables.
Old Chinook by h. vergotis
A conscientious traveler will try to learn and use some words in the language of the place she is traveling. Long ago this region was inhabited by many peoples who spoke many different languages, one of which was Old Chinook. These people were wiped out, killed and relocated, and their languages are extinct. This piece attempts to reanimate the sounds of one of the original languages of this place.
Instructions:
Please warm up by spending a few minutes familiarizing yourself with your word and its pronunciation. Say it enough to be comfortable using it repeatedly during the piece. The order in which these instructions are given is arbitrary. Please chose when in the piece you want to do each them, with the exception of the ending instruction. Please use approximate durations, for example, loosely count “one one-thousand…” in your head for one second.
Say your word 3 times. You may do this as often as you like, and with whatever degree of loudness or softness you wish.
Sing-song your word over and over for about 15 seconds. You may do this as often as you wish.
Insistently shout out your word one time. You may do this a total of 5 times during the piece.
Say your word as quickly as you can. You may do this as often as you wish.
Break your word down into its individual sounds. Spend about 30 seconds playing around with the sounds that make up your word. You may do this whenever you like, but please limit it to maximum of 3 times during the piece.
Please say your word softly once every 3 seconds. You may do this as long as you wish, whenever you wish.
Say your word as slowly as you can. You may do this as often as you wish.
Ending instruction: When you feel the piece should begin to come to a close, softly whisper your word over and over. Do not stop until the whole group is conducted to a close.
Information and words for this piece were found at the excellent web site native-languages.org
Ixt
(0ne)
Pronounce i like ‘ee’ in ‘feet’
Môkst
(two)
Pronounce ô like nasal ‘on’, as in French ‘bon’
Łun
(three)
Pronounce Ł as ‘hl’ or ‘lh’, like ‘clue’ without the ‘c’
Pronounce u as in ‘fun’
Lakt
(four)
Pronounce a as in ‘father’
Kwanm
(five)
Pronounce a as in ‘father’
Łkwalipx
(man)
Pronounce Ł as ‘hl’ or ‘lh’, like ‘clue’ without the ‘c’
Pronounce a as in ‘father’
Pronounce i like ‘ee’ in ‘feet’
Ła’akil
(woman)
Pronounce Ł as ‘hl’ or ‘lh’, like ‘clue’ without the ‘c’
Pronounce a as in ‘father’
‘ means add a pause, like in ‘oh-oh’
Pronounce i like ‘ee’ in ‘feet’
O’ołax
(sun)
Pronounce O as in ‘note’
Pronounce ł as ‘hl’ or ‘lh’, like ‘clue’ without the ‘c’
Pronounce a as in ‘father’
Okłumin
(moon)
Pronounce O as in ‘note’
Pronounce ł as ‘hl’ or ‘lh’, like ‘clue’ without the ‘c’
Pronounce u as in ‘fun’
Pronounce i like ‘ee’ in ‘feet’
Łtsuq
(water)
Pronounce Ł as ‘hl’ or ‘lh’, like ‘clue’ without the ‘c’
Pronounce u as in ‘fun’
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