Tag: electro-acoustic

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#NewTuneThursday: Organic Circuitry

Welcome to #NewTuneThursday!

I composed this odd little quartet in 2014 for the Chamber Music Institute of So Cal, at the request of its president and founder. Specifically, she wanted something she and I could play with our electric fiddles, while two others played acoustic strings. You know how I love unusual combinations! 😉

For Acoustic Violin, Acoustic Cello, Electric 5-string Violin (with octave drop pedal), and Electric 6-string Violin (with delay and chorus pedals).

“Organic Circuitry” is a unique string quartet, pitting the acoustic violin and cello against electric 5- and 6- string violins with effects. It evokes a futuristic state of being, merging ancient instruments with new technology.

I also used the opportunity to start playing around with various combinatorial processes… You know me– I like to see how weird and yet still melodic I can get! 😀

See what you think of it below!

Listen on Amazon Music
Listen on YouTube Music

“Organic Circuitry” can be performed by an intermediate-to-advanced ensemble. Get the sheet music here! And stay tuned for our new work of next week…

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#NewTuneThursday: Dance the Dream

Welcome to #NewTuneThursday!

“Dance the Dream” merges an electronic ostinato with looped parts for electric and acoustic violins, accompanied by electric bass, creating a rich tapestry of dreamy color.

This little piece was meant to be a “spiritual sibling” to the 2003 electric violin work “Personal Echo,” utilizing a electronically looped ostinato as well as repeated phrases in the string parts that layered in and out of each other over the course of a basic ternary form. It’s really a very simple concept, but out of that evolves a lot of possibility!

I especially dig the chord progressions and the rich texture that blossoms out of them…

Enjoy listening to the live single of “Dance the Dream” below!

Listen on Amazon Music
Listen on YouTube Music

“Dance the Dream” can be performed by an early-intermediate ensemble. There are a couple different ensemble versions of this work available:

  • Get the original version (with parts for 6-string (or 5-string) electric violin, 4-string acoustic violin, and electric bass, as well as the mp3 Official Backing Track created to accompany this ensemble) here.
  • Get the all Acoustic Version (with parts for two acoustic violins, viola [or cello], and electric bass, as well as two mp3 Official Acoustic Backing Tracks created to accompany this ensemble — one of which includes a pre-recorded bass part, and the other which is the electric ostinato only, to accompany all four parts live) here.

And stay tuned for our new work of next week…

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“Organic Circuitry” Live Debut on YouTube

Here’s the video of our debut performance of my electro-acoustic work, “Organic Circuitry”! Featuring Jonathan Sun on violin, Judy Kang on cello, Kay Pech on electric 5-string, and myself on electric 6-string; performed July 20, 2014 in Cerritos CA.

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“Organic Circuitry” Premiere, July 20th

Check out this fine group of quirky musicians! We rehearsed my latest work, Organic Circuitry, together for the first time last night, and it rocks! It’s SO cool with all the effects and nuances!

Don’t miss the debut performance of it on July 20th @ 3pm!

(l to r): Jonathan Sun (violin), Judy Kang (cello), Sarah Wallin Huff (electric 6-string violin), Kay Pech (electric 5-string violin).
(l to r): Jonathan Sun (violin), Judy Kang (cello), Sarah Wallin Huff (electric 6-string violin), Kay Pech (electric 5-string violin).

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New Electro-Acoustic Quartet Finished!

Composed at the request of Kay Pech for the 2014 Chamber Music Institute of Southern California, I present my latest work: Organic Circuitry!

 

A highly unique quartet for two acoustic instruments (violin and cello) and two electric instruments (5-string and 6-string violins, with effects pedals)!

Attached above is a rough digital demo of the work — it’s missing of course, the classy nuance of expression that only live players can give, as well as the digital shine of some of the pedal effects I’ve written into the work for the two electric violin players.

But Aisling and I will be performing this intriguing work at its debut in concert on July 20th at 3pm, at Cerritos Park East, inside the community center. Visit CMI’s website for more info on this fabulous free concert – Don’t miss the debut performance of the one and only Organic Circuitry!