“Phases of Trying” was commissioned by the San Antonio Ambient Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Andrew Bergmann and Dr. Miles Friday.

This piece may be performed by any ensemble with two or more players, and with any configuration of instruments.

Players are instructed to play from the instructions given visually from the score in Max. It is ideal for the score to be projected, and acceptable for the audience to view the score. One person operates the Max patch, making ensemble decisions regarding pitch sets, dynamics, start/stops, and subdivisions. Players will likely make mistakes, and are encouraged to play out even as they adjust to shifting dynamics and subdivisions.

While the piece does possess pitch sets (to be freely modified by performers, if they wish), the real push and pull of the work exists in the unintentional phasing produced by the players’ attempts to accurately perform the given subdivision with a visual metronome. Most often, some of the players will stumble at the subdivision change, but will come together as they continue their attempt. Thus, the traditionally-conceived dichotomy between consonance and dissonance is reimagined here are a collective waxing and waning of ensemble motor rhythm.

The piece may last as long as the players wish. The patch may be modified, with original attribution still given to its composer.

The Max patch also features additional accessibility accommodations for players with visual impairment.

A simple, interactive web version of the score is displayed below.

Download Max Patch