Project Update #8

I've made a rough recording to show what the auditory experience of One Night Only!! will be like. I moved into a new house this week and have subsequently misplaced my flash drive with my extra audio clips on it so I have to re-record those as soon as possible.


Anyways, this example uses some of the sound effects I saved on my computer in a relatively random placement to show what it would be like having the audience play along through the MIDI keyboard. The levels are all out of whack because in coffee shop settings, there are many technical issues and people are constantly shy and just trying to get through their material.

Attached is a screenshot of what this recording looks like.

Project Update #7

My progress is still chugging along trying to troubleshoot my problems with Reason and the keyboard. I think that the best places on/near campus for One Night Only!! are Starbucks, Bibo, and Bytes in the Knowledge Center as my last resort. I haven't had a chance to speak with the manager just yet because it's so busy during main school hours but I plan on speaking with them as soon as possible. The cramped, noisy atmosphere is perfect to my aesthetic.

Project Update #6 (Tech Rider)

TECHNICAL RIDER

Skye Evans

One Night Only!!

Live Performance

DESCRIPTION:

One Night Only!! is a live performance piece that comments on coffee shop culture, environmental issues, live performances, and the human condition.  The audience is encouraged to play along through the use of a MIDI keyboard that plays sound effects and vocal phrases rather than musical notes.

PREFERED SPACE: Coffee shop or a similarly busy and cramped atmosphere.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Wooden stool

Short table (2) for keyboard, mixer, etc.

Power Surge Protector strip (6 outlets)
Extension cord

My own items:

PA System w/ speaker stands and cables

Microphone w/ stand

Acoustic Guitar

Guitar Stand

Laptop computer

Alesis Q25 MIDI Keyboard

Music Stand

Sheet Music

Project Update #5

I've decided to make "Playing Starbucks" a performance art piece. I will record some acoustic guitar music for gallery spaces but the opening will be myself performing live with an acoustic guitar. I may or may not have some nature sounds playing in the background for that "earthy vibe" but the songs will be improvised on the spot. They will be about love, peace, caring, sharing, world problems, and etcetera positive messages that Starbucks promotes. I will have the persona of being a shy musician, akin to someone's first open-mic night, and having some banter about how great people are and how all we need is love.

The MIDI keyboard will have to be controlled by people in the audience and I plan on promoting it as a sort of drum circle crowd participation event. I have all the phrases written out and I'm just trying to find people to record them. The coffee shop sound effects are still pretty lucrative so I have have to sit inside one and record them myself but the search continues. I'm also thinking that I can record people talking in a real Starbucks and have it play back during my performance as added background noise. It's sort of a sonic fusion of how difficult it can be to hear things sometimes and people don't pay attention to performers anyways regardless of the incessant need to tell people how much people love and support music.

I'm thinking of my setup as being surrounded by Starbucks trash specifically from trash cans and not recycling bins to show how hypocritical people are when it comes to caring about the earth. I'd also like to have tables and chairs for the audience and a stool for myself to play on. I'm not sure whether playing through an amp would be beneficial or not but I'm open to amplification. I can provide my own as well.

Jean-Paul and I still have yet to converse about finding a time to meet to help me troubleshoot my MIDI keyboard problems so I'm still waiting to hear back about that.

Project Update #4

I haven't had any shots of inspiration on what to do for background music yet but I'm thinking something "worldly" like pan flutes and a gamelan. Starbucks is a hip place that cares about the issues and their awful music selection of CDs for sale seems to reflect on this.

I've worked out the phrases I'd like to include by males and females. Phrases will be on the white keys and sound effects on the black keys. Since it is no secret that women frequent Starbucks more often than men, they get more phrases.

I'm also toying with the idea of still keeping the piece as a live performance. I'm not sure exactly how I'd like to incorporate the music and everything while also using the MIDI keyboard but that can be resolved soon.

I've still had a challenge with having effects on single keys but I've written Jean-Paul Perrotte seeking his advice.

Project Update #3

After receiving critiques from class and at Joe's suggestion, I've decided to change my project. I will now be doing something like "playing Starbucks." That means that my MIDI keyboard will now control effects like a blender, spoons, whipped cream sounds, etc coffee shop noises with people saying stereotypical phrases one would encounter when walking into a Starbucks. Both male and female voices will be included and the phrases will be gender-specific because I'd like to comment on how ridiculous people sound when they say things like, "omg, pumpkin spice latte triple espresso shot venti mocha."

"Playing Starbucks" is a more specified direction in which I can direct my cynicism and commentary. This new suggestion will help me focus on a single environment rather than making a generalized statement about the world and humanity as a whole. It will isolate one of the many communities that I take up issue with and allow me to creatively express how I feel that Starbucks, in every sense, is wrong.

Project Update #2

I've begun to explore Reason and have found a synthesizer patch that allows me to input wave files and cue them up with a keyboard. The only problem that I can't solve is how to make individual keys trigger a single sound instead of moving up and it changing pitch.

I already have some nighttime nature sounds but the levels are pretty low and amplifying them seems to also include some unavoidable problems so in the interim, I've chosen some long-term recordings that others have made as a placeholder.

I have some gun shots, helicopters, screams, and sci-fi effects in the keyboard now and I'm just trying to find a way to get them triggered individually. Online tutorials haven't solved my problems so I'm chugging away at researching some possible alternatives.